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Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
TBP88's last car
- Thread starter TBP88
- Start date
jayaynikkal
Member
Ishuuuu, making moves 
And that colour is something else. Congratulations boss!
And that colour is something else. Congratulations boss!
Congratulations, definitely a worthy upgrade š¦¾ enjoy it
TBP88
Well-known member
Returned back home today from a rather epic trip.
2400ish km completed, the car is now mostly run-in. I've broadly followed the Preuningers GT3 run in advice, which is to slowly increase load, try to vary it and avoid multiple cold starts. Basically 4000rpm for the first 500km, 5k rpm for the next 200km etc. etc. I was more circumspect (1) because I'm cautious and (2) because anything over 5000rpm in all gears is well beyond the speed limit.
Now, for the bad:
The front splitter already has plenty of scrapes, entering lodges, entering driveways, all give scraps. So that'll likely just get increasingly scraped over my ownership.
The electric handbrake is unintuitive, you pull to release and push to engage. Odd.
That aside I have no complaints. The car is a rougher ride than a comfortable cruiser, but it handles the long road exceptionally, fuel consumption if you drive miss daisy could probably be as low as 9s, but with relatively good speed I saw more like 11s.
The comparison with the Z4M is appropriate, the car rides and handles noise materially better. Sadly the as fitted dunlops give a lot of tyre noise, I'll be keen to see what a pair of PS4S's does on that front when the time comes. The sound system and ergonomics are all exceptional as well. Neither myself nor my partner felt beat up over the trip, even after back to back 600km+ driving days.
The car is horrendously dirty now. Fortunately as part of the PPF there is a first clean included (partly so they can inspect the curing, sort out any small bubbles whatever). So it'll head back to C&W tomorrow and likely sit till Tues/Wed getting sorted.
Coming back through the tunnel I found the chance to let it rip to around 6500rpm, the sound is incredible. But, the car's capability is so far and above my own it *very* quickly becomes scary! Not in the same way the Z4M did, due to the viscerality, simply because the outright speeds you do with ease are so far divergent from what regular traffic does. Overtaking in 5th means you'll be seeing the far side of 150km/h by the time you're pulling back into lane. And this is with minimal, maybe 40-50% throttle only.
The worst thing by far is the odd electronic handbrake. I'm still getting used to pulling to disengage, so I almost always get that wrong - suspect it'll just take time. But it remains annoying! A pic of our journey is below:
To say it's a magnificent car would be an injustice.
Aside from the refinement and outright power, the grip levels are off the charts compared to my previous car. Whereas the Z4M would become quite squirrely under acceleration on corner exit the GT4 grips so heavily on entry that you simply maintain your speed through sweepers with ease.
The gearshift is marvelous, I'm no senna but there's a great clunk and a proper mechanical feel shifting 2-3-4, the car simply pulls and the down-shift autoblip is a nice gimmick. As compared to the Z4M again it's just more connected feeling. At times the Z4M, particularly 3-4 could feel very rubbery and the throw was much longer (the throw in this car is very, very short).
As I say I'm not a great driver, so for me it's very much about knowing your limits and driving within those. I have plenty to learn on the car before I'm even close to able to really push!
2400ish km completed, the car is now mostly run-in. I've broadly followed the Preuningers GT3 run in advice, which is to slowly increase load, try to vary it and avoid multiple cold starts. Basically 4000rpm for the first 500km, 5k rpm for the next 200km etc. etc. I was more circumspect (1) because I'm cautious and (2) because anything over 5000rpm in all gears is well beyond the speed limit.
Now, for the bad:
The front splitter already has plenty of scrapes, entering lodges, entering driveways, all give scraps. So that'll likely just get increasingly scraped over my ownership.
The electric handbrake is unintuitive, you pull to release and push to engage. Odd.
That aside I have no complaints. The car is a rougher ride than a comfortable cruiser, but it handles the long road exceptionally, fuel consumption if you drive miss daisy could probably be as low as 9s, but with relatively good speed I saw more like 11s.
The comparison with the Z4M is appropriate, the car rides and handles noise materially better. Sadly the as fitted dunlops give a lot of tyre noise, I'll be keen to see what a pair of PS4S's does on that front when the time comes. The sound system and ergonomics are all exceptional as well. Neither myself nor my partner felt beat up over the trip, even after back to back 600km+ driving days.
The car is horrendously dirty now. Fortunately as part of the PPF there is a first clean included (partly so they can inspect the curing, sort out any small bubbles whatever). So it'll head back to C&W tomorrow and likely sit till Tues/Wed getting sorted.
Coming back through the tunnel I found the chance to let it rip to around 6500rpm, the sound is incredible. But, the car's capability is so far and above my own it *very* quickly becomes scary! Not in the same way the Z4M did, due to the viscerality, simply because the outright speeds you do with ease are so far divergent from what regular traffic does. Overtaking in 5th means you'll be seeing the far side of 150km/h by the time you're pulling back into lane. And this is with minimal, maybe 40-50% throttle only.
The worst thing by far is the odd electronic handbrake. I'm still getting used to pulling to disengage, so I almost always get that wrong - suspect it'll just take time. But it remains annoying! A pic of our journey is below:
To say it's a magnificent car would be an injustice.
Aside from the refinement and outright power, the grip levels are off the charts compared to my previous car. Whereas the Z4M would become quite squirrely under acceleration on corner exit the GT4 grips so heavily on entry that you simply maintain your speed through sweepers with ease.
The gearshift is marvelous, I'm no senna but there's a great clunk and a proper mechanical feel shifting 2-3-4, the car simply pulls and the down-shift autoblip is a nice gimmick. As compared to the Z4M again it's just more connected feeling. At times the Z4M, particularly 3-4 could feel very rubbery and the throw was much longer (the throw in this car is very, very short).
As I say I'm not a great driver, so for me it's very much about knowing your limits and driving within those. I have plenty to learn on the car before I'm even close to able to really push!
MR_Y
Well-known member
Good review.
Porsche Club Cape Town have access to the race track down there and hold track and gymkhana events, where you get to really push your car in a safe environment.
I would suggest joining the club if you have not done so already.
www.porscheclubcape.co.za
Porsche SA offer driver training at R8k (excl VAT) for a few hours expert training in your own car on a track. I don't think those events are good value. Rather stick with the Club events.
On the point of scraping the lip. Cape Town is nowhere as bad as JHB. A few scrapes and dings are acceptable. Porsche Centres offer a spray and panel repair service and they are actually not badly priced. My advice is to enjoy the car and get the bodywork done after a year or two.
On the handbrake point. It is the exact logic used in the P3 chassis Volvos. I got used to it on my V60CC, so that when I got my first Porsche it wasn't an issue. Though, it can be counterintuitive to those not used to Volvo
Porsche Club Cape Town have access to the race track down there and hold track and gymkhana events, where you get to really push your car in a safe environment.
I would suggest joining the club if you have not done so already.
Home - Porsche Club South Africa - Cape
Porsche SA offer driver training at R8k (excl VAT) for a few hours expert training in your own car on a track. I don't think those events are good value. Rather stick with the Club events.
On the point of scraping the lip. Cape Town is nowhere as bad as JHB. A few scrapes and dings are acceptable. Porsche Centres offer a spray and panel repair service and they are actually not badly priced. My advice is to enjoy the car and get the bodywork done after a year or two.
On the handbrake point. It is the exact logic used in the P3 chassis Volvos. I got used to it on my V60CC, so that when I got my first Porsche it wasn't an issue. Though, it can be counterintuitive to those not used to Volvo
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TBP88
Well-known member
Absolutely not stressed about the lip scraping. If anything I'm happy, it's a seperate plastic piece, costs around R15k brand new to replace. So if it gets completely chowed in 4 or 5 yrs that's not a material cost to pay to replace. The Z4M bumper scraped just as much and that was *that whole bumper*Good review.
Porsche Club Cape Town have access to the race track down there and hold track and gymkhana events, where you get to really push your car in a safe environment.
I would suggest joining the club if you have not done so already.
Home - Porsche Club South Africa - Cape
Porsche SA offer driver training at R8k (excl VAT) for a few hours expert training in your own car on a track. I don't think those events are good value. Rather stick with the Club events.
On the point of scraping the lip. Cape Town is nowhere as bad as JHB. A few scrapes and dings are acceptable. Porsche Centres offer a spray and panel repair service and they are actually not badly priced. My advice is to enjoy the car and get the bodywork done after a year or two.
On the handbrake point. It is the exact logic used in the P3 chassis Volvos. I got used to it on my V60CC, so that when I got my first Porsche it wasn't an issue.
I'll get used to the hand brake but the logic of it still strikes me as bizarre. If this is the extent of my complaints, then I think it's fair to say I'm happy with the car!
Another thing to note, I'm around 182cm tall, 95ish kg in weight, so no lightweight. I fit in the car comfortably. I have great visibility and headroom - am glad I spec'd the reversing camera, it's extremely hard with the wing and the high tail to get a real notion of where the very back of the car is.
Porsche having this as an option at the price point is absolutely wild to me. But such is life. The standard seats, which I have, are the one thing I was most worried. That the car wouldn't feel special, that I wouldn't be held in place etc. etc. While the LWBs do look amazing. I'm happy with the ease of ingress and egress that the normal seats provide. If you're in the market for this sort of thing, go and test a car with both. Or at least take the chance to sit in each seat and make your mind up! I think for a 3rd or 4th car, then buckets become hard to give up.
r0ckf1re
Well-known member
Aside from the refinement and outright power, the grip levels are off the charts compared to my previous car. Whereas the Z4M would become quite squirrely under acceleration on corner exit the GT4 grips so heavily on entry that you simply maintain your speed through sweepers with ease.
I concur, the grip is phenomenal. I havenāt been in anything that comes close.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I concur, the grip is phenomenal. I havenāt been in anything that comes close.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
r0ckf1re
Well-known member
I concur, the grip is phenomenal. I havenāt been in anything that comes close.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
TBP88
Well-known member
Just got it back from a clean yesterday - taking it out for a drive today actually, but just a short one. Will snap a pic or two!
Now that it's run in I feel more comfy driving it and am also just getting more comfortable behind the wheel. Had a Golf R want to race on the way home yesterday, I suppose I'll get guys trying to race far more now with a car with a wing on the back! Was happy to let him and a Jag F type that also pulled up give it a run and be a spectator from behind at 65!
TBP88
Well-known member
Headed up Franschoek pass this weekend and then spent the loadshedding sunday slot on giving the car an exterior lean. Wheels aren't dirty enough for me to bother yet (also I got lazy). When it's clean and shining Gentian Blue pops in a way only a few other colours in the normal Porsche pallete do. If I had a lot more money I'd have loved a fully sonderwunch interior and a PTS colour - but in terms of what is readily available for not-obscene costs, it's hard to look passed this combo.The passes are always a pleasure to drive, even if my pace remains sedate as I slowly acclimate to the car, the limits of grip remain extraordinary though, the car remains a joy.
MR_Y
Well-known member
Car is looking excellent.
The Cape Porsche Club has a driver training session at Killarney in June. Well worth attending. Usually cars on Maintenance Plan are allowed for these events and the cost of the event is a fraction of the Porsche SA driver events.
cms.porsche-clubs.com
The Cape Porsche Club has a driver training session at Killarney in June. Well worth attending. Usually cars on Maintenance Plan are allowed for these events and the cost of the event is a fraction of the Porsche SA driver events.
2024 Calendar - Porsche Club South Africa - Cape
Porsche Club Cape, proudly sponsored by WĆ¼rth South Africa, will be hosting another exciting Driver Training Experience at Killarney Raceway on 17 JUN
