Nick Jeffery
Surrey, UK @npjeffery @npjeffery
Model 997 CARRERA 4 GTS Year 2012 Acquired OCT 2018 Model 997.1 GT3 Year 2007 Acquired NOVEMBER 2019
I have just come back from another road trip around Wales. Six of us made the trip in four cars. I took the Carrera 4 GTS as it was due to go back to Paragon for some TLC. Chris was in his beautiful Carmine red 991.1 Carrera GTS, Terry in his stunning 997.2 Carrera S and Peter opted to take his relatively new to him 981 Boxster S.
We spent the first day making our way cross country (naturally avoiding motorways) to Wales and the roads were glorious with relatively modest traffic levels, a great way to spend the first day of the tour. Day two was all about the Welsh coastline where we found some epic A&B roads, stopping for a coffee and walk around New Quay, a very picturesque seaside town south of Aberystwyth on the west coastline. In the afternoon we made our way to the Red Kite Feeding Station & Rehabilitation Centre at Gigrin Farm in Rhayader. What an amazing experience and well worth a visit! Day three took in more awesome roads in West Wales as we made our way north to explore the majestic Caernarfon Castle! On day four we explored Snowdonia National Park before heading to the Ponderosa Cafe at the Horseshoe Pass for a mid morning coffee, then south to Portmeirion for lunch at Castell Deudraeth.
Day five was all about heading home, again avoiding motorways. Unfortunately, this did not go according to plan. Having encountered some kind of problem and a huge tailback on the A55, our group became split into two and inevitably, having found numerous blockages en route due to various traffic issues in the region, we succumbed to the motorway network just to get us home… As the GTS is the consummate all-rounder, I left the PDK transmission in drive, put the cruise control on and listened to some of my favourite tunes via the Bose equipped stereo to break the boredom!
As mentioned earlier, the GTS was due at Paragon for an MOT and precautionary oil and filter change. The front brake pads were also showing signs of wear last time it was inspected so they were replaced although the front discs, having been measured for wear, were fine. I asked Paragon to address a chip in the windscreen and to investigate condensation that has formed in the rear reflector strip. Having phoned around this would not appear to be a common problem but a replacement item is not cheap – around £986 + VAT plus fitting! On examination the red reflector strip is held in place by two torx bolts and a series of pyramid-style clips along the width of the engine lid. Having tried (and failed) to remove it myself, I suspect it’s also held in place with some strong adhesive tape. Paragon found exactly the same issue. It would appear the amount of leverage or force required to remove the reflector strip for what should be a relatively quick fix (wipe down/dry out/reseal) would almost certainly break or fracture the 9.5-yearold plastic unit, thus necessitating a new replacement item anyway! I decided discretion was the better part of valour and will live with the problem for now.
The GTS also had some advisory items – all four Bridgestone tyres are showing signs of wear following two track days and some spirited driving over the last 7.5k miles! The offside front lower wishbone has a small amount of play and the offside rear shock absorber has started to weep, all things that can be addressed over the course of the next year of motoring. I’m keen to replace the Bridgestones with Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss in any event as their dry and wet weather performance has really impressed me on the Spyder. However, I understand there is a shortage of tyres in the UK right now so will ask Paragon to pre-order them. I may also consider doing both of the front wishbones and rear shock absorbers plus full geometry at the same time to ensure the car is performing at its absolute best!