Phil Farrell
Cheshire, UK @mllx8pjf Model 996.2 C4 Year 2002 Acquired JULY 2019
It was a relatively quiet month on the motoring front after a busy start to the year. That was until a friend and fellow LTL columnist Joe Williams convinced me to come along to a track day with him and a couple of other enthusiasts. Ever looking for the slightest excuse to stretch the legs on the 996, and tick one of the 2020 Porsche bucket list activities off, I got paid-up and looked forward to a day on the recently renewed asphalt at Silverstone.
Hosted by the company Open Tracks, the day itself was well organised, safe, great value, and fun. A particular highlight was what looked to be an ex-cup car belting around looking, and sounding, every bit the thoroughbred race car it is. But back in the land of mortal cars, it was also great to see some modern GT stock getting the good news down the straights and into the corners, making full use of their PCCBS.
Modern Porsche cars always amaze me in how effortlessly they can be driven to the track in comfort, getting relatively good fuel economy if driven frugally, then driven dynamically round for a day and back home again. True Jekyll and Hyde cars!
I found out that day that the same applies to older models too – for a fraction of the price. While I wasn’t going flat out by any stretch – a 17-year-old car does deserve some mechanical sympathy after all – I was so pleased with how the little car performed. There’s plenty of feedback through the steering and while not comparable to the modern Bilsteins on Joe’s track Cayman, the M030 kept body roll to an acceptable level. The highlight was of course hearing the X51 Power Kit engine upgrades working in harmony with the PSE to produce a really sonorous note down the straights. The day was rounded off with a 9/10 filthy burger (their name not mine) at Mollie’s Diner, while we chewed the fat on the day before all heading our respective ways safely home.
Unfortunately when doing a quick once over the morning after, and having had a new windscreen fitted shortly after I bought my car, I noticed that the bottom of the windscreen seals on both sides have started to come away. So there will be a trip to an OPC soon to get that sorted out as I don’t want any water getting into the car. Speaking of OPCS, I noticed that a new centre is popping up on my home turf in Stockport. I’ll be keen to have a look when it opens and see what Porsche goodness they’ll be sharing with the locals.
Recently we’ve moved plans along for the summer road trip to Europe, so I’ve got that to look forward to with the car and to tick off the bucket list. I’m also going to be waiting for the earliest opportunity to get the car detailed and test out some new products and toys I got from Santa. Personally, I get pleasure out of detailing my cars myself, so I’ll be speaking with the bucket list moderators (Mr Sibley) to see if detailing the car myself will still give me a tick. Go on Lee, you know you want to say ‘yes’!