PORSCHE 911, 718 BOXSTER AND CAYMAN TWINS MAKE GREAT DANCE PARTNERS
Clayton Seams: Supercars are made to be driven slowly past Prada stores, usually with the doors up, and sports cars are made to be driven. It’s the plain truth and Porsche reflects this philosophy. The company’s new Track Experience program is a way for sports cars (and some lucky drivers) to stretch their legs as the minds at Stuttgart intended. It’s held at different locations around the world, but we’re sampling a venue close to home — the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, formerly known as Mosport, just outside Toronto. It’s far from an unstructured, open-lapping session; there were a lot of cool cars to sample, and challenges to master.
Nick Tragianis: Wow. I didn’t think it was possible to undersell a track day with Porsches and make it seem boring. But somehow, you did it, Clayton! The Track Experience program is usually spread out over two days, but we spent just one day at the track. It’s a fairly straightforward formula as well, with classroom instruction and hands-on exercises behind the wheel. Even if you’re not there to better yourself as a race-car driver, the lessons will come in handy on the road.
The fun part happens when you get behind the steering wheel. CS: That would be steering wheels, plural. Lined up in the summer sun were no fewer than four variants of brand-new Porsche sports cars. We had the classic 911 Carrera S, the purist’s delight Carrera T, and two 718 GTSes in Cayman and Boxster form. We started the day in the 911 Carrera S — all 420-horsepower of it — and hit the track. As two very green track drivers, we did some Porsche Experience lead-follow laps with an instructor leading the pack, which was great for getting a feel for the track and the car. The 911 might have its engine behind the rear wheels but it sure doesn’t feel like it. It feels like a telepathic instrument of cornering.
NT: Even when you feel as though you’re starting to reach the 911’s limits, you’ve barely scratched the surface of its true capabilities. The steering tells you exactly what’s going on under the front wheels, grip is unwavering, and no, the twin-turbo 3.0-litre flatsix doesn’t spoil the car. It still sounds like a Porsche should, and it builds power smoothly and quickly. And your brain will never shift as quickly as Porsche’s PDK transmission; it’s that quick and telepathic.
The driving position in the 911 is spot-on. Pedals are perfectly spaced apart, the seats themselves — finished in a lovely combination of leather bolsters and grippy cloth inserts — are supportive without being as punishing and tight as Porsche’s carbon-fibre buckets. And most importantly, you can see out of these things. When you’re on a track, vision is crucial.
What other tips did you take away from the track laps?
CS: Mostly I learned to trust the enormous brakes way later into the braking zones than you thought possible. And we learned other lessons off the track in other cars. In one exercise, Porsche had fitted rock-hard plastic covers over a 911 Carrera T’s tires, then had us negotiate a giant circle and manage both oversteer and understeer. Imagine if someone had spilled baking grease on top of ice; it was very slippery. The key was to be very gentle on your driver inputs, which sounds simple but is less easy to do. Back on the track, we had a chance to sample the 718 Cayman GTS and we disagreed about the sound. NT: Before I explain to you why I’m not the biggest fan of the 718’s new turbo-four, let me just say the exercise with the 911 T was just ridiculous. In a good way.
Now, about the 718. We found ourselves behind the wheel of the Cayman and Boxster GTS during some autocross-style exercises. And yes, the first thing that hit me was the sound, and I’m not a fan of the turbo-four. It puts down great numbers — 365 hp and 317 pound-feet of torque (with the PDK) out of a 2.5-L turbocharged flat-four, and has a zero-to-100 km/h time of 4.1 seconds (again, with the PDK) — but I just cannot get over the fact that it sounds like a Subaru BRZ. A $90,000+ Porsche should not remind me of a $30,000 BRZ.
CS: I really like the sound. The first Porsches were flat-fours and this one carries on that tradition. It sounds mechanical, busy, and very Porsche. We agree that of all the tasty samples we drove, the 718 GTS twins were the most rewarding.
Driving.ca