Back home following a 1000 mile round trip from the Highlands to the PCGB Oulton Park track day.
Although dry and mainly sunny throughout, the air temp was only 6-7c, but this in no way detracted from experiencing the enjoyment of this picturesque, undulating, parkland circuit. The event attracted a big entry, probably the most I have seen during my three visits there. PCGB track days are not only about driving, it's also an opportunity to catch up on the news and views of other participating club members. I also enjoyed two excellent passenger sessions during the course of the day, both in iconic Porsche GT cars.
First up was Karl Hazleton, Dealer Principal from Porsche Centre Chester, who piloted a beautiful Sapphire Blue 500bhp 991.2 GT3 manual with his customary blend of skilful bravado and enthusiastic gusto. Being the manual version, Karl ably demonstrated the raw, brutal power of this stunningly ferocious track machine. The howling 4.0 flat-6 revving to 9000 rpm was one of the fastest, if not the fastest, cars on track that day. Karl was not sparing the horses, taking it to the red line through the gears with searing acceleration which telescoped the short straights into a mere few seconds of full throttle blast. The tactile mechanical connection between this glorious engine and a manual stick shift swapping the cogs is the purest form of motorsport driving. Even more astonishing than the ferocious power delivery was the sheer grip provided by the 991.2 GT3 chassis. Whether it's the rear wheel steering, or highly developed multi-link suspension, the end result is a car which defies the laws of physics for a rear engined installation. The 991-2 GT3 is probably the pinnacle of combustion engined chassis development in the Porsche road car range. It is a truly astonishing performance car.
Steve Brookes provided my next GT car experience, this time in his Speed Yellow Cayman GT4. The familiar sharp bark from the 3.8 flat-6 on firing-up was a fitting overture to what was to follow. Steve is a smooth, accomplished, and skilful driver who, like myself, works the chassis and tyres up to the limits of grip, and not beyond. The long gearing of the 981 GT4 seemed to suit the Oulton Park circuit particularly well. The chassis grip and poise, ably assisted by the Michelin Cup 2 tyres, was ideally suited to the quick changes of direction at the two chicanes. Such agility is the hall-mark of the Cayman mid-engine platform, which accomplishes a blend of balance, grip and poise without the need for rear-wheel steering as is provided in the latest 911 chassis. As properly driven by Steve, the 981 GT4 laps faster around Oulton than my 718 CS PDK. Not by much though...
My own laps were uneventful, of which I only did 16 in the course of the day. I enjoyed demonstrating the capabilities of the 718 CS PDK to 3 passengers who were first timers to the 718 on the track. My car has the -20mm Sports PASM and mechanically locking diff which suits the quick direction changes and technical corners at Oulton Park. Using the Sports Plus mode and manual paddle shift, the 718 absolutely flies. The way I drive it, there's absolutely no turbo lag, just instant power delivery, and a big torque pull up the hill after the first chicane makes the 718 punch well above its weight. One observation which came to light was the improved durability in cool ambient temperatures of the Michelin PS4S N0 tyres. On previous track days I attended in the summer months, when temperatures were in the 20's and 30's, I was less than impressed with the PS4S consistency. After 2 or 3 hot laps they just lost grip and became unpredictable, same as the previous P-Zero N1's. In the cooler conditions the PS4S N0 were much more durable, stable, and predictable. I did 3 or 4 consecutive hot laps of Oulton without any dramas whatsoever. The limiting factor were the brakes, which towards the end of the 4th hot lap the pedal became longer and softer. The brakes were still effective, but my confidence in the pedal feel diminished as brake temperatures increased. I hadn't noticed this effect on previous track days in the summer months as my hot laps were limited by the durability of the tyres. Like my previous CR, it's looking like the 718 would also benefit from steel braided brake hoses and high performance brake pads if track days are your thing.
Following an overnight stop, I had a very scenic drive home through Dumfries and Galloway borders region back to the Highlands. A photo below is taken on the A702 linking the village of Closeburn to the M76. My 718 CS now needs a serious wash and full valet before the next installment of its future life. Now 18k miles up, a change of car may possibly be on the cards.........
More to follow.
Brian
]
