Driving someone else's car

cowtown · 03:05 PM

So we had a party at my house this weekend, and one of my wife's co-workers showed up with her husband and his newish Mini Cooper "S". It was a cute car, with metallic blue paint, ralleye lights and white racing stripes. He asked me if I wanted to test drive it.

I hardly ever accept offers like this, because using other peoples' property doesn't feel right to me. A friend-of-a-friend once wanted me to drive his 996 Twin Turbo (with the X50 tuning package, of course), and I politely declined. But I really wanted to try the Mini for some reason.

So off we went, and headed out to the 2-mile loop of farm roads that I test my 911s out on after I fix somthing. "Open it up," he said, "it's past the break-in period and it really pulls after 3500 RPM."

I was short-shifting at 4K RPM and taking it easy on the sweeping curves, doing about 35 MPH on turns that I take at 60+ in the Porsche. It was a nice, low-key ride, and the owner and I were having a casual conversation the whole time. The Mini feels good, corners flat, and is short about 50 horsepower.

Then, after we got back, I overheard the guy talking to his wife. "We were going soooo fast...through the curves...I though we were going to...."

I felt bad. I didn't want to make him feel like I was not respecting his property, or putting anyone at risk. And honestly, we were driving at maybe 50% of the car's capability.

I guess it's a matter of perspective. Do we 911 drivers just get so used to the speed and handling that we take it for granted?

I'm going to invite the guy to the track next time I go to a DE.

350HP930 · 03-13-2005, 03:09 PM

I have scared many people *****less in their cars, not to mention my own.

If they ask to see what I can do with a car while they occupy the co-pilot's seat, they are in for quite a ride.

I have done the 'driving instructor' thing a couple times since I took the 930 off the road. You often have to show people their car's limits in order to teach them to push the envelope.

Don't feel bad about getting the guy a little excited. If he came back alive and didn't beg you to slow down during the ride he probably enjoyed it.

Hell, I have known a few women who have gotten quite aroused after a good e-ticket ride.

PCA 944 · 03-13-2005, 03:34 PM

At the risk of being off topic on a off topic forum.... Where in Davis are you located, I am currently attending UCD.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Most people have no clue what performance driving is all about, including many 911 owners. It is always fun to ride w/ someone like Jack Olsen or Tyson around Willow Springs Raceway, they are such gentlemen in day-to-day life but if you didn't know track driving you would think that a suicidal escaped mental patient was driving for the first couple of laps.

Jims5543 · 03-13-2005, 07:13 PM

Thats a great story. Its funny how people really don't know the limits of their cars.

BTW- I fixed that "needs another 50HP"problem in my MINI, its called a Works kit.

Also, they really dont come alive until you hit the 4-5K RPM Range they ARE 4 Cylinder engines after all and need to be revved.

My MINI has less than 1/2 the HP of my RX-7 and weighs more but, for whatever reason its a delight to toss around. Those Mini Cooper S's have a lot of character.

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

Colin,
Take him for a ride on the exact same roads..... in your 930. That should solve the problem.

M.D. Holloway · 03-13-2005, 09:09 PM

I actually like it when other Porsche owners take my car for a spin and see what that think - what they like or think needs to be looked at without trying to do an upgrade or sell something.

cowtown · 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CJFusco
Colin,
Take him for a ride on the exact same roads..... in your 930. That should solve the problem.

Next time he's over, I will do that. That will be interesting. I just don't get why people define "fast" as 0-60 sprints, especially when every new car you buy can do that in 6 seconds (a bit of exagerration, but you guys know what I mean).

PCA 944, I'm in the Mace Ranch area. Are you living on campus? Do you know Brad Sims, the owner of the brand-new '72 (I think) yellow Targa?

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

A couple of weeks ago, someone brought their Ruf 930 over to my house to look at a couple of issues it was having. I scared the crap out of the guy when I put the right foot down; he drove it like an old woman. I then took him for a rip in my car as a comparison. He has a lot more respect for the Porsche marque now, but he still doesn't have a full appreciation for what he has.

Porsche virgin · 03-14-2005, 08:44 AM

Also, I have found that cars feel faster when you are sitting in the passenger's seat. My friend had a 50hp VW Rabbit diesel that felt fast, the way he whipped it around. Then I drove it. Ugh. It was literally the slowest car I have ever driven. It could barely hit 65 on the highway. From the passenger seat, though, it felt zippy!

Drago · Drago's Garage

Conversely, I let a friend of mine drive my car yesterday. He didn't ask, I offered. We started with me driving, I took him down some of the local twisties that I know like the back of my hand. He was white knuckled the whole way. At the turn around I said "your turn, but please don't attempt to drive this stretch as fast as I did". His response was "OK".

He got in and drove it like a ham-fisted orge. Short shifting it at 1500rpm...jerky with the clutch...not finding the correct gear...stabbing at the brakes...etc.

Eventually, I told him to leave it in second and just drive slow between the curves. Bad idea...next thing I know he's well into the red area of the tach. I politely point this out by screaming that "if a rod bolt lets go he will be buying me a new engine".

My wife, who doesn't drive a stick, could drive it better (if I'd let her...I don't, and she doesn't want to).

I've always maintained I'd let anyone drive my car that wants too (with me in it).

Today I'm rethinking that stance.

skipdup · 03-14-2005, 09:43 AM

Quote:

I hardly ever accept offers like this, because using other peoples' property doesn't feel right to me.

That's funny... I'm the same way. I don't even like driving rental cars! And, test drives of new cars are the worse for me... I want to see what the car can do, but I hate to "run" a new vehicle.

-Skip

Jeff Higgins · 03-14-2005, 09:48 AM

The last friend's car that I drove for fun, as opposed to just getting somewhere, was a '67 Dodge R/T with a 440 in it. This was in the late '70's and I was quite young and way too inexperienced. I wound up coming around a blind corner to a stop sign way too fast, panicking, hitting the brakes, and spinning several times through the intersection with cars stopped at the other three directions. Didn't hurt the R/T, but it sure cured me even until now of ever driving anyone else's car like that.

On the other note that came up on this thread, one of the scariest rides I have ever had was my first DE at Pacific. I'm no stanger to fast cars, having run through the traps on the drag strip quite quickly at times. I had never even seen turn one though. My first lap around in my instructor's BMW was a sheer terror, hang onto something, and try not to scream kind of an affair. The bad part was the caution flag was still flying as it was the beginning of the session. I had no idea what I was in for.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

heh heh. Everybody knows that the passenger seat travels 25% faster than the drivers seat. However you do get spoiled in the 911. I think most people don't realize the capabilities of most modern sports cars and have no idea where the limit is. I think everyone should go to at least one autocross school where they are free to find and exceed the limit safely.

Reminds me... We give "touring laps" in the racecar on certain weekends. Now we're limited to about 75mph but this suffices in the corners for your average uninitiated rider. The best part is when we are tooling along and the passenger is hanging on for dear life -- then you look over at them and mention that this is how fast you go on the warmup lap while swerving around to heat up the tires.

84porsche · 84porsche's Garage

I have let people test drive both my cars and several times these people have pushed my cars quite heavily. As long as I feel somewhat safe I am ok with it. When they start doing stupid stuff(what I define as dangerous), I don't offer them the keys anymore or I ask them to slow down. Its not the driving of another car, it is more the respect of their property to me and when this is violated then I am not a happy camper.

stevepaa · 03-14-2005, 12:03 PM

An Alfa guy took me for a ride in his Guiletta yearsa ago. He was a an amateur racer. I was white knuckled.

I want to take my kids to a track to learn better driving skills at somepoint.

legion · 03-14-2005, 12:18 PM

My best friend and I routinely swap cars for fun. He's bringing down his new WRX this weekend (and maybe someday, he'll get his 911 in one piece).

I think by far the stupidest thing we did in high school was to race each other stoplight to stoplight through south Naperville and in to Bolingbrook, then switch cars, and race back. I was driving my '85 Plymouth "Duster" Turismo and he an '85 Jetta.

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

i LOVE taking other people's cars for rides...

it completely proves to me that the average driver has NO IDEA what his/her car is DOING, and what its capabilities are. I like to point things out as I go along, kind of thinking out loud, like "well, the turn-in is nice and sharp, but then there is a little bit of body roll once you are in mid-corner..." or "initial bite is good, but the pedal could have a little more feel..." the car's owner usually has no idea what I am talking about. All they want to know is "do you think it's faster than your Porsche?"

my answer: "define 'faster'"

0-60? Probably. "stable at speed"? probably not. "capable of high-speed cornering/braking"? usually not.

VaSteve · 03-14-2005, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cowtown
So off we went, and headed out to the 2-mile loop of farm roads that I test my 911s out on after I fix somthing.

2 miles is hardly enough road to test anything! Is this a misprint?? You have some mighty small farms wherever you are.

I have a lifelong friend who has a Miata. We had just gone for a 60 mile ride in my car. I had never driven the Miata, though he's had it for years. I let him drive the Porsche so he could brag about driving a Porsche (however old it was) to his co-workers. I planned the route. Really it was just around the community. Then I drove his Miata. I had the back slipping out in turns I have no problem with at the same speed in the 911. He had a blast and told me that the car probably has never seen north of 3500 rpm.

I love taking brand new cars for test drives. I have had salesguys *thank* me for the exciting ride.

kaisen · 03-14-2005, 04:12 PM

I agree that it always seems faster from the passenger's seat.

A white knuckled ride is always 'perspective'. My wife was fine on a 160 mph (top down!) blast down a deserted country road near our home. But when I drove 80mph down the left-hand lane of a six lane freeway in a blizzard (in our previous S6 Turbo Quattro with Blizzaks) she whacked me with her purse and yelled a few choice words.
Go figure.

BTW, my favorite high speed fun with my wife was in the same Audi, late meeting friends at their campsite in the Boundary Waters. Once we turned off at Tofte, it is a 22 mile dirt logging trail to Sawbill. Hot August night, great headlights, reddish rooster tails in my wake. I felt like Tommi Makinen, powersliding through corners and blasting to more than 120mph on straights. And my wife was relaxed. Go figure.

At least she is a sexier co-driver than Seppo Harjanne.

E