I’ll be honest – whilst I understand the tradition and the rich history of the Porsche 911, I’ve never really been a fan of the vehicle. But that’s because I’ve never had the chance to properly sample a 911, or any other Porsche. That is until recently, when a select group of journalists were flown to Sentul International Circuit in Indonesia to properly stretch the legs of Porsche’s latest offerings.
I, along with my colleague, were representatives for the publication I write for as a day job. Porsche entrusted my colleague and I with the keys to various high performance modern Porsches. The latest GT3 RS also made an appearance too, but the bad weather during our time slot meant that the instructors would rather us not drive a car on semi-slicks around in less-than-ideal conditions.
A good mix of on-track activities allowed us to properly stretch the legs of the vehicles. This included on track handling tests, acceleration/braking, and a slalom section. The Cayennes also had their own purpose-built off-road course.
The 911s
992 generation 911s from across the model range were deployed for the track session. The idea was simple. An instructor would set the pace, and 8 journalists would do 2 laps in 4 cars. We’ll pull into the pits at the end of each lap, swapping drivers so everyone has an opportunity to sample the cars.
Even at the controlled pace we were driving on, you could tell that these were very well sorted vehicles. Unfortunately for us, there was a sizable disparity in the driving abilities of the group, so we had to scale back our exuberance to match the reduced speeds. At the pace we were doing, and owing to track conditions as well, all the cars felt equally capable, since we were nowhere near the limit.
The only bit where I really pushed was in the GTS, where I intentionally dropped back on the exit of T4 to create some space for us to accelerate. The instructors want you to brake at the cones, which were placed slightly before the 200 metre mark.
I braked far later than the markers. The precision and feedback from the brakes was immediately apparent. This was something I further experienced when doing the launch control and PCCB test in the Turbo S. You can repeatedly regulate the brake pedal position to regulate the amount of ABS for more accurate stopping.
The 4 Doors Were Great Fun Too
Aside from the noise of the V8s, the Panameras really did not offer any additional driving pleasure or ability than their electric stablemates. They were responsive and fun to chuck around, with weight management regulated properly.
But the most fun I had in a saloon that day was in a Taycan. Sure, the V8 noise is addictive, though it isn’t sufficient to make up for the precision, feel and rigidity of the Taycan. Even with traction control on, you’d expect a quick squirt of throttle on a wet track to induce some wheelspin.
So all the more it is noteworthy that the traction control system works well enough to mitigate massive amounts of wheelspin when you carelessly plant your foot on the throttle. And again, the brakes work really well.
Again, extremely impressive, considering an EV uses a mixture of regenerative braking and its friction brakes for retardation. Part of the improved feel and stopping force comes from (and this was pointed out by our instructor) a lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced brake pedal assembly. Less mass and bulk here allows more pressure to be transferred from the braking system to your foot, creating good feel whilst left-foot-braking on a race track.
Understanding the Porsche Hype
The briefings claimed that we’d all be bitten by the Porsche bug by the end of the day. What hyperbole, I initially thought. But they had a point. These cars, as oddball as they were initially (rear engined!), have evolved into genuine motoring gems.
The four door descendants of the 911 were also impressive too, despite their heft. Porsche’s Panamera combines a great sounding motor, with properly sorted driving dynamics and space for four adults. The Taycan is proof that the Porsche DNA will live on in a world of electrified cars. Savage power, massive amounts of grip and suspension that properly hides its mass when driven at seven-tenths – what’s not to like?
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