James Samuel
Poole, UK @jamessamuel4
997.1 Turbo Model 2008 Year April 2015 Acquired 996.1 GT3 Model 2000 Year January 2018 Acquired
This month has been all about getting reacquainted with the Turbo. Having done so many miles and track days in the GT3 it’s fair to say the Turbo has been a bit neglected. A work trip to Snowdonia National Park sprang up and, with the tyres on my daily driver best described as ‘worn’, the perfect excuse for a blast had presented itself – all 700 miles in 48 hours!
With the car packed and fuelled I set off for various site visits in Birmingham and Cheshire on my way up to North Wales, an area considered a bit of a Mecca for motoring enthusiasts for its quiet, winding roads among spectacular scenery.
I took the A5 coastal road along north Wales and dived inland to my destination near Betws-y-coed – enthusiasts may know the Shell garage here, which is the only fuel stop in the wider area selling super unleaded. As you can see, I didn’t quite plan for such an off-road route in getting to my place of work for the day, but then again the Turbo is a 4x4 of sorts!
The weather was horrendous on site, but a few short miles down the A5 the sun came out, as is typical of the climate in this mountainous area. As the rain cleared the roads also emptied themselves of traffic, and the flowing valleys made for the perfect drive home.
Arriving back in Dorset, the car’s trip computer revealed an average
MPG of 24.8. I was so impressed with this, especially considering the car has 500bhp and is driven swiftly wherever possible. It was then I realised just how special the car is, all while being capable of covering huge distances so easily.
Another nice surprise was awaiting my arrival back home, this time in the
form of some artwork I commissioned a while back. You may have seen Editor Lee’s mounted model of his old 996 Carrera 4S which he wrote about last year, which came courtesy of Steve from Littleporkas. As you can see, Steve did an amazing job of replicating my cars. Check out his amazing skills and maybe order your own – you can contact him via Instagram by searching the handle @littleporkas.
Finally, with the cooler weather setting in, it’s time to get on the hunt for winter wheels and tyres, as a trip to Italy could well involve the Turbo in the New Year. More on that next time, but I’ll see you on the blacktop in the next issue!