[In2Esses]

At our PCA DE this weekend, PCNA had 2 Boxter Spyders there for "joy rides" at speed around the track with 2 of the instructors from the Porsche Driving Experience. "Supposedly" they are the only 2 in the US at this time......

Impressions:
I want one.......... they are very cool.

I rode with Cass Whitehead who I had met when he was an instructor at the Panoz racing school, so as we did the drive I took advantage of using it as a coaching session given the opportunity to ride with him in a car so similar to the CaymanS.

I got 4 laps with him, as I was his first ride in the morning, on a damp track. I think since he knew me, he threw the car around a little more than he may have with others, although since the track was damp we were not at 10 /10ths (his 10/10ths, but well past my 10/10ths!!!!........ The one thing I noticed was that the power delivery seems much smoother and quicker than in the CaymanS, I am sure PDK has something to do with that.......

As they did rides all day, they ran in and out of the run groups. I know these guys are pros - but these Spyders are fast. I wouldn't even have them in my mirrors coming off 5 and 7, and the next thing you know there they are and they would blow by like a GT3 on the straights.

Pro drivers, factory pads, regular PS2s, so no excuses except talent...... Oh well!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[K-Man S]

Yep seat time makes a world of difference, so did you ask them when they are going to come up with a Cayman version? BTW there are plenty of Spyders in the country now, those may be the only 2 in the press fleet, but not the only 2 in the country...

 

[savyboy]

Thanks for the post In2Esses! Good stuff. Were both Spyders PDK? Was they using Sport or Sport Plus mode on track? Running with tops on or off? Who was the other PSDS instructor? Thanks in advance for helping with all my questions! :cheers:

Cass is a great guy. And my Spyder in process of delivery now, just finished PDI.

 

[DMN987S]

The one thing I noticed was that the power delivery seems much smoother and quicker than in the CaymanS.

I think this could be from the PDK as well. Cass said the PDKs are over 2 sec per lap faster than the 6 MT. I only got 1/2 a lap, hope they can make it to Barber's in June. They went through a set of tires each day! I wish I could afford a Spyder.

 

[In2Esses]

Given the weather over the weekend, they ran tops on and off - my ride was top off which of course gives you a totally different perspective as well.

Both cars were PDK - they were playing launch control from pit lane, but it was too damp for that when I went out. The other little trick that PDK allows is that when you go into the braking zone, all you do is hold the shifter in and it will down shift to the lowest gear allowable for engine speed (you don't have to push it for each shift) which of course is a huge advantage over a manual - I don't downshift at 5, 7, or 10 to 2nd, which some people do (and some people spin thier wheels and end up in the inside wall when they do it), so they are launching out of those corners a whole lot faster that I do - it's that experience thing again..........

I know Cass changed the setting from Sport to Sport Plus at one point but I really wasn't paying that much attention to that. In any case, if he wanted to, he could kick the back end out which he did a couple of times just for fun in 5 and 7!

The other driver was Rich (can't remember his last name) who was also with the Panoz Racing school years back.

They flipped the front tires mid afternoon on Sunday - very interesting wear patterns on the PS2s - they were cupping the middle of the tire, moving the rubber from the inside of the middle treads to the outer edge of the tread in a very uniform wave pattern. They were running around 39 F / 42 R hot pressures - I run 39-40 hot all around, which Cass said was fine............