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First track day in CGTS

9.1K views 48 replies 25 participants last post by  edwin814  
#1 · (Edited)
I've been doing DE on and off for several years now. but the last time was almost 10 months ago, so a bit rusty. I was amazed how easy it is to drive this car fast. I can already see that Cayman GT4 is gonna be a track monster!

Everything stock (even alignment), except for better brake fluid, SS brake lines and CGT seats. Best time 2:06 at Thunderhill running bypass. There are still plenty of places to pick up more speed. If I'd braked less at T9 and commit to T5 bypass, sub 2:05 is definitely do-able.

Dunno how to link it in HD
 
#2 ·
Good to see GTS put to a good use!

That thing on the wind shield - it's not limiting your view to the right?
 
#4 ·
Nice driving, love seeing the GTS on the track. What was that car ahead of you? It turned well too. Looked like maybe R set up Miata?
 
#9 ·
Dunno how to link it in HD
1. No worries, you can click on the you tube icon in lower right corner of video, so it opens in you tube at HD. Then at full screen it is like sitting in the backseat of the Cayman (well, you know what I mean).
2. Nice to see someone driving a "proper" transmission on the track ;), thanks for posting.
 
#10 ·
Nice driving.
A few questions:

The car in front looked to have it's rear end moving around a bit--how did the GTS perform?

I noticed the winter coat--so, how cold was it?

I noticed in your signature you had a 997.2GT3--how does the GTS compare, discounting the HP differential.
 
#11 ·
The GTS felt really composed and nimble. I didn't feel any understeer or oversteer. It really shined in the corners. Though I left a good 2 seconds out on the track.

50F. And we had huge down pour few days before.

Besides the hp/torque difference, Cayman GTS is softer in every way. Steering still good but not as responsive and no immediate feedback. Brake pedal feels weak in the GTS, not very firm (and I did flush the fluid). Now I understand why some Cayman track guys swap over to GT3 master cylinder. Throttle response is slower (partly due to lack of power and lightweight flywheel). Shifter not as notchy and clutch pedal not as stiff, so easier to shift. Maybe I got used to the notchiness of the GT3 shifter, I was having slight trouble upshifting 2nd to 3rd gear in this car in the back S (perhaps purely operator error). At 1:40 of the video you can see I actually popped it in neutral first then pushed up to 3rd gear. But the GTS takes the corners really well! It gives you great confidence. In the GT3RS, on the other hand, all the weight is in the rear, yet it still had the tendency to understeer. But if pushed too far, the rear steps out easily. I constantly remind myself that Cayman GTS is about $60K cheaper than a 997.2 GT3RS. So even with these minor short comings, GTS still a great track car.
 
#42 · (Edited)
Edwin:

One of my granddad's names was Edwin...The other's was Ernest. Isn't that interesting?

Understeer on 911's is caused by putting power down while you turn in. You're lifting the front with the power and making the front end lighter. It's a very intuitive thing to do but it's not fast and it burns up the front tires.

Getting everything out of a GT3 or any 911 takes some strange tactics. You have to go in fast, trail-brake a bit to keep the nose down when you turn in, then get on the gas when the car is pointed right...and do not lift. I never "got" it when I owned my '83 911SC but I know others are completely addicted to that style of driving when they get "over the wall" (figuratively). It's a high wall to get over because it feels very wrong and takes a big leap of faith to execute properly. Best to have someone show you, preferably in THEIR car.

This is why I like front-mid-engine/rear drive or rear-mid-engine/rear drive better than rear engine. When the weight is way back there, driving fast requires some non-intitive inputs that I find scary and un-fun. If I were more committed to the sport, maybe I'd like it, but I've got other priorities at this stage of life.

Gonzo track days now behind me, I just go out a couple times per year to give a car a light flogging just to keep my skills up and have a little fun. I'm completely non-competitive but I know the race lines and what to do to keep myself and my car safe. I don't need a scary handling car to enjoy myself but I like to get the most fun I can out of the car with an acceptable level of risk. Having something as accessible as the CS is exactly what's needed for me.

:cheers:
 
#13 ·
Low 40s in the morning. 50F in the afternoon. And I was wearing just a tshirt underneath the jacket. That was a poor decision. I'm more of a warm climate person.

Short shifting on purpose as it only had 1000 miles on it. In hindsight it was not necessary.
 
#15 ·
Great video, and great car! Couldn't figure out which seats you have in the car? Are they sport bucket seats? I also noticed there was a warning light in the middle of the rev counter. What was it?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#16 ·
^ Thanks. They are Carrera GT seats, same as the Euro clubsport seats.

Image

Image


The red warning light is the airbag light. CGT seat even though have the same wire harness plug, it doesn't have side airbag. I need to take it to the dealership to have the code cleared.
 
#23 ·
This is exactly what I did last weekend when tracking my car. My go pro was mounted on the roof of the car via a suction cup. I connected a mic on the Go Pro itself. The wire is then pulled up to the rear of the car (in the cabin) and fixed just under the registration plate. No wind...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#22 ·
I did get PTV on this car. The rear brake did kick in twice. I was going too hot into a corner and knew I was going to miss the apex, then all of a sudden the car just steered inward more than expected. At first I thought something in the car broke.
 
#35 ·
Sorry for the (very) late response. Actually I was worried about the wing going up and down, and potentially damaging the wire or even worse cutting it in two pieces. So i just maintained the wing up by pressing the corresponding switch on the central console.
 
#27 ·
Well off throttle the LSD does work on overrun, its like....24% or something? So its probably both systems working together
 
#38 · (Edited)
Nice driving. I saw a blue CGTS at Thunderhill in January. The driver was a bit overconfident going into turn 1 and near drifted the entire turn. Made everyone on the paddock look up like there was going to be a wreck. It must be a fantastic car to drive at the limit because he made it look easy saving it.

I was running a 2:11 in my Audi (with no bypass in T5, which adds 3 seconds). I think I'm leaving time in turn 8 (could lift instead of brake) and turn 15 (could be on throttle earlier). I could probably also use 5th gear on the main straight to get over 130 MPH.

I was having decent luck with Motul 600, Motul 660, Stoptech 660 but recently switched to Castrol SRF at like $70 a quart.

 
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#39 ·
Nice driving. I saw a blue CGTS at Thunderhill in January. The driver was a bit overconfident going into turn 1 and near drifted the entire turn. Made everyone on the paddock look up like there was going to be a wreck. It must be a fantastic car to drive at the limit because he made it look easy saving it.
Nice driving too.

That wasn't me lol. though it would be epic to properly drift through T1 or T2 at Thunderhill. Need to hit up some autox first.