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My 2019 718 Cayman GTS PDK

BJ Innes said:
PCGB Knockhill Track Day - Going for Gold

With a clear track in front and behind, I reawakened my competitive motorsport spirit and absolutely went for it in qualifying lap style. The subsequent result exceed my wildest expectations with a best lap of 58.7 seconds and a top speed under the Beatson's bridge of 123 mph. I had smashed the one minute barrier at Knockhill by a considerable margin. This time and speed was recorded by GPS on the Porsche Track Precision app. No dodgy self timing on the PCM. I also have the data on my iPhone to analyse and look back on. Unfortunately, in my mental preparation for this special lap, I forgot to activate my GoPro camera. No matter, I couldn't have wished for a more fitting end to my motorsport and track driving experience. I was over the moon! To post such an incredible time on road tyres, in a mainstream Cayman at 72 years of age, was way beyond previous comprehension. The high will now be with me for more than a week.

Brian
Click to expand...

that's just mega :) really happy for you and the car, shame about the lack of cup2's, but having had a GTS for a day ,it's a bloody fast car, and it seems with the right driver, is one not to be taken lightly , I feel really privileged to have met and had a chat with you at Donnington that day.

cheers David

 
David,

Your supportive comments to my scribblings on the Knockhill track day are gratefully acknowledged. It's especially well received by me knowing your, shall we say, spicy reports on the topic of the 718 4-pot turbo. We are both keen drivers who enjoy our cars, and I likewise enjoyed chatting with you last year at Donnington, and not forgetting that glorious run your fabulous GT3.

In spite of me now retiring from active track day participation, I shall still retain a keen presence on the track day scene, and hope we can meet up for another chat about cars and track driving topics in the future.

Brian

 
BJ Innes said:
Chris,

Your GT4 is also stupendous. I've modified most of my cars and completely agree with your philosophy of modifying your fabulous GT4. For you, your car is more satisfying to drive than any new 982 GT4.

My caveat is, the linearity of my GTS power delivery was, I think amply demonstrated yesterday at Knockhill. I was not having to pre-empt the power delivery arrival from the engine at any of the corners. It would take a braver driver than I to risk gauging turbo lag at the pace I was travelling at, especially at Turns I, 2, 3, and 4. Turbo lag? It's not an issue on track in my experience. Turbo technology has advanced considerably since the days of the Escort RS Turbo. You will know that too.

Brian
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I was thinking more of the effect on lag of tuning ... if it can be done without lag, happy days :)

 
Still on the track day theme. A word about the effects on tyres and brakes.

Readers will already be aware that I was lapping Knockhill at a pretty nippy pace. The tyres on the left side of the car are those most highly loaded. Of the seven corners at Knockhill, six are right handers, with four of these being medium to high speed corners. As testimony to the effectiveness of my geometry settings I attach below photos of the left side front and rear tyres. These particular Michelin PS4S N0's have completed three track days, one at Oulton Park, and two at Knockhill. Yesterday I had the tyres inspected by my local Michelin specialists GT Tyres, where the technician was astonished at the durability and evenness of the tread wear.

My smooth driving style unwinds the steering lock on the exit to corners and maintains the loadings on the tyres up to the threshold of grip, only rarely exceeding this. I do not drive like Chris Harris, whose showboating style is fun to do and great for the cameras, but is certainly not the fastest way around a track.

I'll follow with a report on the PCCB brakes, which were tested under extreme conditions last Saturday.

Brian



 
The PCCB brakes took a real pounding at Knockhill last Saturday. Being the second of two track days on consecutive weekends, I was well up to speed by the time PCGB event came around. The brakes were in for a hard time.

The biggest stop on the lap is when approaching the hairpin, Turn 7. My car was close to 120mph at the point where the first BRAKE marker was situated. There are three such markers placed on the trackside, each about 15 metres apart. I rolled off the throttle at first marker, and braked very firmly and progressively just as the final BRAKE marker passed the bonnet line. This resulted in a 1.27G stop from almost 120 mph to 35 mph to turn-in to the hairpin. Brake pressure at this point is 78 Bar. I trail-braked into the first part of the hairpin to keep the nose planted and minimise understeer. This helps explain the severe forces exerted on the brakes particularly the front. Throughout this punishment, at no time did the brake pedal travel waver or lengthen. The confidence inspired by the PCCB brakes under such extreme conditions was a joy to behold.

The following photo shows the front brakes after around 50 laps at Knockhill. There is clearly evidence of some overheating on the rotors, and you can see the brake dust residue on the wheel. The braking forces exerted on the track are far removed from those experienced on the public road, so the overheating marks in the rotors would never be apparent in normal road driving. Given a few hundred miles of normal use the brake rotors will recover their normal lustrous sheen. I can understand why Chris W has swapped his stock PCCB rotors for upgraded aftermarket products. Following an inspection in the paddock, Chris's brakes ran much cooler than mine at Knockhill, and at a similar pace on the track.

Brian

 
Thank you Brian.

My same size PS4S N0`s, without the track action ... are also wearing well after 13k. Now at ~ 5mm they are so much improved over when new, the feel - feedback - grip being outstanding.

 
just watch the pad taper in the PCCB's pads.

you might want to get them out and take a look, as if they taper they crack the ceramic pucks !! :-(

if you are not doing track days going forward, maybe a set of new pads will keep the system like new for the rest of the brakes life.

or I think you can rotate the pads and swap side to side to even up the taper. but I think a new set would then last 30k miles on the road.

 
Thanks for the tip David.

I'll get OPC Chester to check the front pads next month when it's booked in for an oil and filter change. I'll ask to see the pads for myself. Any doubts and I'll fit new pads.on the front.

Brian

 
Great to see Brian :)

If you jet-wash the brake dust out of the discs ... including the part of the disc in the calliper, the brakes return to normal more quickly.

My brake discs are also much larger than yours so I'm not surprised at the PCCB pic ... but you may also find that the pad material has cracked due to the extreme heat and this also may make it worthwhile changing the disc pads.

In road driving and reading the road, a new set of pads would last you a very long time.

I have just switched the PSS to PSCup2's at Croft tomorrow ... my PSS's look very similar to your PS4s ...

Now how do I upload a 3Mb MP4 file ? ... Photobucket only do pics ! I may have to sign up to uTube !!

https://youtu.be/yAEjJZ3ji1s

(like this ?)

 
Chris,

Interesting video clip but unfortunately I think you'll find that the red car is a GT3 and not a GT4. Still, yours does sound significantly quieter ... interesting comparison too.

Jeff

 
ChrisW said:
Great to see Brian :)

If you jet-wash the brake dust out of the discs ... including the part of the disc in the calliper, the brakes return to normal more quickly.

My brake discs are also much larger than yours so I'm not surprised at the PCCB pic ... but you may also find that the pad material has cracked due to the extreme heat and this also may make it worthwhile changing the disc pads.

In road driving and reading the road, a new set of pads would last you a very long time.

I have just switched the PSS to PSCup2's at Croft tomorrow ... my PSS's look very similar to your PS4s ...
Click to expand...

Chris,

I have power washed the discs and callipers as you suggested. I have also contacted OPC Chester with a request to remove the front pads for inspection and possible replacement when my car is in for the oil and filter service next month. If I have any doubts about the condition of the front pads I'll have them replaced. The necessary parts are already on stand-by.

I'm still reflecting on a wonderful day at Knockhill. A fitting end to my track day life. I really enjoyed my laps in your magnificent GT4. It is a mega car, and precisely fit for your particular purposes. The camaraderie and banter in the paddock is something I shall look forward to in my future visits to track days as an observer.

BTW, I appreciated the brief clip of my red 718 GTS on the straight leading the two yellow GT4's.

Brian

 
Anyone who thinks the 4-pot doesn't sound good enough just has to listen to that clip of Brian at Knockhill and follow his example.......!

 
Brian J,

Thank you for recognising that the 2019 718 Cayman GTS does not sound like a clapped-out tumble drier. (EVO magazine).

If you look at the clip again, you will notice that by the time the camera pans left with the two GT4's, I'm already gone. Duffus Dip, (Turns 1 & 2) is all done and dusted, and I'm now at Turn 3, while the yellow GT4's are still on the brakes for Turn 1. I accept local knowledge is to my advantage here. But the 718 GTS is not to be taken dismissively on track days, particularly when a well-practiced wheel-smith is at the helm. It was a spectacular ending to a long life of motorsport for me.

Brian

PS. Jeff, the red car leading the yellow GT4's on Chris W's video clip, was my 718 CGTS at 100% throttle and 7k revs.

 
Interesting !

The video came form Steve my Bro' in Law.

Yes I agree Brian that if the red car is yours it sounds good from the outside ... and yes of the two yellow cars, one is a 987 Cayman S and the other is my 981 GT4 !!

:)

 
the red cars a 991.1 GT3 :)

I know the GTS is fast but it's not sounding like a flat 6 anytime soon :)

 
David,

Ah Ha! I thought I had my car on film! I admit the engine note sounded better than I had expected.

You are tops for freeze-framing the proof it's a GT3.

Well, the basking glow was good while it lasted. Well done Mr D.

Brian



 
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