[Chris Vais]

So while I was out running errands yesterday I happened upon a Ferrari 458 Spyder. The color was one that I've not seen on a new Ferrari. It was a medium metallic blue. I did have the opportunity to talk to the owner as we returned to our respective cars about the same time. Evidently the paint color was an historic color and on this car it was just gorgeous. It has a tan interior a little darker in hue than the cashmere interior of my 968.



I asked the owner how he liked the car. He likes it very much, but he noted that without all of the handling controls engaged the car is a beast to drive. The traction control, suspension control, steering control are all necessary for the average driver to be able to drive the car. Shortly after he purchased the car he went to a Ferrari Club sponsored save drivers course where he had to the opportunity to drive the car with all of the engineering controls turned off and this where he leaned just how difficult the cars is drive with out the "helpers" as he put it.



So it begs the question, most of us drive high performance cars for the the pleasure and thrill it gives us. Why then would you purchase a car where an armload of computer controls are required to be active in order for you to drive the car in a more or less safe manner. There is a certain amount of driving expertise and skill required to get a 968 or and MGB through a twisting canyon road quickly and safely. Why surrender that to a computer? That said, I realize that almost every car on the market these days has or will have some sort of computer safety net in place for the driver.



So perhaps at the end of the day hanging on to a 968 as a pure divers car makes sense after all.

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[ds968]

[quote name='Cloud9...68' timestamp='1388593208' post='154050']

One question, though. How does the supercharger quiet the exhaust note? I understand how a turbocharger does that, as the impeller spins in the exhaust stream, absorbing some of its energy, but I don't understand how a supercharger has any effect on the exhaust sound.[/quote]



No idea, and although I am told that there is nothing scientific that would support it doing so, I know for a fact and beyond a shadow of a doubt that it does. As I recall in another thread, either RAP and / or someone else with an SC indicated the same experience with their car, so I'm not imagining things, LOL.

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[ds968]

+ 1 on Chris's point.

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[Cloud9...68]

I guess it's just a matter of more begetting more. What I mean is that the market for exotics like Ferrari's will always demand more power, so the cars need sophisticated electronic controls to keep their drivers from killing themselves, which in an indirect way leads to the acceptance of things like "automated manual" transmissions, which further dilutes the driving experience.

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[Rap]

DS may change comment referred to Flash! I agree and love the connectedness the 968 gives one. I got a supreme compliment at one of the track events last year from an instructor driving with another student. His comment was was something along the lines of look how well that guy drives in the rain and he has none of the modern traction control features to help him. Mind you this was in the pouring rain and I was certainly on edge and tense with it being my first rain run. You could feel the car talking to your seat of the pants just before it did anything. Talk about connected! Lol

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[rxter]

Its time.

 

Yesterday I realized that I have been with the 968 for 7 years.  It came to me because I bought the 94 just before attending the 2010 GP Long Beach (a great time if you can make it BTW). And I had Frank's 93 for 2 years before that.

 

So, after 7 years its time to move on.

 

And the Boxster has FINALLY matured.  They stuck the 3.8 in it good for 375/310.  Now that's a proper car.  And it looks great.  I love the power bulge things on the back.  It actually looks mean.   So, time to visit the Porsche dealer I guess.

 

And the 94 is leaking oil again - just a smidge but damned what's next with this car. 

 

And a car wash asshole sprayed my top with a power washer and cut a few threads and totally destroyed the paint on the hood.

 

And the boot cover/wind deflector combination is such a total pain in the ass that I drove it for the last year with the top up.

 

Oh, and the top is horked - makes a horrible noise at 70+.  I removed the roof header trim and the interior rear trim pieces to try to fix it to no avail and I am just too lazy to put them back in. 

 

Really who gives a shit about a 20+ year old oil leaking POS that is falling apart around me?  Time to move on.

 

So it sits in the garage and the battery goes flat.  Piece of shit - really.

 

So I bump start the damned thing down the driveway (at least its good for that cause it's a manual) and drive it to work.  I put the top down - fuck the wind deflector and the boot cover - who cares.  And the silly tea pot noise that it makes at idle - seriously.

 

Then I stomp on it and shift to 2nd, up to 6K RPM - 50 mph - shift to 3rd - back to 6K, at 80+, foot off the gas, the wonderful sound of that little supercharger sucking in air faster that Bob let it.  The damned thing sounds like some demonic mini-jet fighter ready to eat the cars in front of me.  But being the adept pilot that I am I simply drive around them and blast off again.

 

As much as I try to hate this car I just can't.  I fell in love with it the first time I saw it and do so again every time I drive it.  It is just such a great chassis and engine combo.  And Bob's SC has turned it into a legit fast car.  And its small, and it's old, and it needs me.

 

So I took it to Jeff about the oil leak and he said "get over it" and I have an appointment with a convertible top guy to see if he can fix my stupid roof.  If not I am seriously considering ripping it off and having someone make a fiberglass insert for the hole.

 

Every day now I put the top down as it was intended.  No boot cover required.  Windows down.  I enjoy getting to work more so than anyone else on 4 wheels.  I can hear and smell everything.  I can feel every pebble in the pocked roads that I travel.  I can sense the car giving me every last bit as I push the living shit out of it.  It's old, I'm old, and we are going down together.  I love this car.

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[94SilverCab]

:clap:

 

Jay

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[MCL968]

Well said! All it takes is a little seat time to get over all the various irritations.

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[MLB]

Great post rxter, you really put a smile on my face, and I needed that today.

Thanks, and motor on...

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[968Syncro]

Cool Joe, I just made the same decision!

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[Rap]

I just had my white car inspected and realized I put 2600 miles on the car last year. The sc is in know and it is just a different car. It's fun and it has a kick to it. While I'm concerned about putting miles on, I didn't buy the car as an investment. I bought it to drive a cool looking and great driving car. New tires are needed soon but man this is fun. Did I say fun? You bet. That was the original intention!

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[ds968]

+ 1. The irritations that come with this particular 20 year old car are well worth it .

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[Bulti]

For a minute I thought you would take a swing at it with a sledgehammer. Nice write-up Rxter :-)

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[timmerrifield]

The 968 cars are amazing. I just dropped mine yesterday for a new convertible top at Clover Car Care near Cleveland. Then off to Eric Steinel for annual service, new clutch and windshield replacement.

I am getting close to $30k in this car but it is amazing to drive.

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[JTP]

I drive mine as much as possible, having put on 20,000 miles in 2.5 yrs. but I travel a lot so I go weeks if not 2-3 months without driving it so every time I come home I appreciate how good the 968 is to drive.

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[type968]

I want this:

 

http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/cayman/cayman-gt4/

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[Ryan]

That GT4 looks like a bad ass car for sure

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[Dashammer]

Agreed GT4 is awesome car

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[ds968]

I still don't care for its looks so I'd never buy one , but it is indeed one bad-ass car. The performance stats are mind-numbing considering the MSRP which seems rather " modest " .

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