Ouch, busted by Vette, Why does everyone want to race 911's?

Straight line, a 90's Vette wanted to drag, I gave it my best shot and he blew past me. At the next light he said "I thought those things were faster". I explained that my car was 26 yrs old and only had 150hp. How did he expect me to outrun a 350 V8? I explained that it would be a different story if we hit an autocross track...he didn't think so. I told him about all the events I've participated in and how ineffective and overpowered the Corvette was on a short tight track, but he insisted that no matter what the course, he would win against any Porsche. I told him that history hadn't proven that and that I would welcome him to the next event. Why do most (not all) people expect every 911 to be the fastest car on the road and it seems that every time I pull up to a light, the car next to me wants to see how fast my car is??? Mysterious universe.

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Shakenbake (Chris Baker)
1974 911 Coupe

Because most Americans don't know that 911s have won more races than any car model in history. They only know that it's a German sportscar, and it looks fast. They therefore assume that it must be fast like a GTO is fast, which is of course beside the point.

But they do look fast.



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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

[This message has been edited by JackOlsen (edited 09-21-2000).]

The look in itself must be intimidating the other guy-at least I think so. The 911 just has that "don't even think about it" look, and that's hard for the honda/muscle car type
to swallow. It's trival jealousy. We get the chicks, they chew tobacco.
later days.....S

Which leads me to ask, why would you if you knew the car was faster? People in Vettes could car less about road courses and autocrosses. You wonder why people always want to race you and then you race them anyway. See a pattern there? If this is really becoming an issue with you, maybe you should buy a vette.

OH BOYY!!!! This one is going to go true the roof,AGAIN,The fact is that this second class citizens in the vetts,mustangs,hondas,and the list goes on,all they want is to but the name porsche in their resume,why? this cars are a legend.But if you feel that your car is not fast don't race them ,that along piss them off more than if you beat them,in my case i love to deal with this guys even that my car is not that fast,at 165mph,not that many people had the cojones,regarles this cars are mark cars everyone will love to have one but some will not admit it.

Comming off the beach where I live there is a set of uphill twistys I consider mine. Every day I hit that set hard on the way to work. One of my favorite passtimes is to let a vette or 5.0 get ahead of me across the bridge then blast em on the first turn. It never fails- it's like dangling a red flag in front of a bull. I think the second turn is where they start to feel that strange puckering sensation and back off. So, they say they were burned by a Porsche? Of course they could never win. If the bait has a big hook in it, dont bite!

Serious note: I've had to quit this passtime because I'm worried about getting someone killed. Be careful out there fellas.

Joe
'80 SC Targa

We all know, generally speaking, the 911 is no straight line monster. I must admit I was one of those drag racer guys that got my rocks off everytime I smoked a famous sports car light to light. My last Firebird had 550 horse and would stomp dust out of my 911. I was a firm advocate of Porsche hating for years and years. I respected the engineering but it just lacked the brute force of early muscle... or so I thought. I got stationed in Europe and as you can imagine there were no muscle cars for me to play with. I found an american spec 911 and cringed and bought it. I can't help it I'm a car guy and just have to have something to play with. Well to make an already too long story short, I fell in love. These cars are quick, confident, beautiful works of art. I will own one of these for the rest of my life. When my 87 is done I want a 930. I guess my point is many of the drag racers are just ignorant like me. When my buddies see the 911 I get crap. But the best thing to do is just throw them the keys or take them for a ride. I'm the new ambassador to Porsche education. I feel bad now racing the 911s F355s in a straight line car. It's not fair, they are out of their element. 6 or 7 hundred horsepower in a 3000 pound car is tons of fun, but the 911 is my daily driver, favorite track car, and best all around thing I have ever owned. (I have owned over 30 cars in my 27 years of breathing) Speaking of breathing, I'm doing way too much here... sorry folks, I'm out.

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rj cilurso
87 911 targa

Here in Denmark we don't have many Corvettes or similar powerful but expensive cars. However we have lots and lots of cheaply tuned old BMWs, Golf GTIs, Honda Preludes etc. etc. When I got my 84 911 I thought that these guys would never dare to race me at the traffic lights. How wrong I was! Never have I been so often challeged to traffic light races as since I got my 911. I don't attract them on purpose. In fact I keep a low profile. Still they challenge me. I guess it's because the 911 is one of the most well known sports cars in the world.

[This message has been edited by Mikkel (edited 09-22-2000).]

This is where the guys with the Porsche/v8`s should speak up...

I dont seem to get much of a problem here in London, but then its not uncommon to see all sorts of exotica, so my Porsche looks pretty normal compared to the Ferraris and Lambos.

In the Porsche I find it very easy to get the traction down, as opposed to the wannabes in their hot-hatches who scrabble away from the lights spinning the front wheels going nowhere fast. So they may have faster cars but they cant drive them or cant get the traction down, especially when its wet.

BTW I saw someone put a silver F355 sideways on the street the other day. Lots of wheel spinning and smoke, bloody load too.


My 0.02p.

Alex.

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911 2.7S Targa
email:alex@cascade.f9.co.uk


[This message has been edited by Alex Counsell (edited 09-22-2000).]

The "general population" of this country only knows the legend of Porsche by watching movies and TV. The cars portrayed are usually Turbos. Unfortunately these cars bare precious little similarity to their normally aspitated little brothers, only in appearance.

As for street racing - "If you can't run with the big dogs stay on the porch".

I can't resist adding my $.02. BTW, it's not just 911's that spark the urge to race. I have only driven my latest project once, and that was from the PO to home, about 40 miles. With in 5 minutes on the highway, I was challanced to a race. After ignoting the MR2, a Honda pulled up next to me. A few minutes later, an '80s Trans Am rode on my side reving and giving me "the eye". So in one hours drive, I was approched by 3 yahoos; and I only have a 914-6 conversion with no markings. Most of these people probably would have not known it was a Porsche except for the name on the engine lid. It is going to take a lot of will power not to give into this highway/stoplight racing. I do hope they don't try to follow me on the ramps though. Don't give in to tempation, it's more fun making them think your more reserved than to loose in a straight line. See you all in the turns.

Porsche philosophy has always been light car/small engine great handling ,much like Lotus Colin Chapman F1 dominace with Jim Clark in the mid sixties vs the heavy Ferraris.

Any fool can put nitrous in their Z28 or 5.0 and look for some stoplight drags but tell them to hit the first left then go right and most of them will lock it up and go sideways off the road ,the real skill and finess comes in driving through corners with taking the right line and keeping the car in perfect balance something the straight line guys are clueless about

Thats what Porsche is about, the ones who put V8s in them destroy the whole idea of the car by putting some huge chunk of noisy 1920s technology iron in the back thinking it will make them faster, yeah they'll be faster in a straight line but I guarantee a skilled driver in a 65 911 with 135hp would smoke any of them on a twisty road no matter how much Hp they have,like I said if you need a v8 in your POrsche save your money buy a Corvette

I am the one with the bastardised V8 powered 911. With around 425lbs of torque at 3,500rpm I have flat suprised the hell out of a few 1999 vettes. 0-60times are around 4.4secs, at least the conversion proved good for something, even if it is false advertising.
Ha Ha,
Keith

Never had a problem, then again mine is a turbo but that is besides the point. I do what I please as we all should. Sometimes the right thing to do is back off and wait for the right time to challenge. Read Lao Tsu, Art of War.......or get a 930
John

I realize this 'sounds' like a fun topic, but it is a Really Bad Idea as the family of 4 kids, 7, 15, 16, and 19, killed yesterday while racing in a 5.0 Mustang GT convertible in Dallas found out!!!

Please think twice before taking up any challenges in the future ... take a look at this story from WFAA:

http://www.wfaa.com/wfaa/articledisplay/0,1002,14327,00.html



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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Stupid is as stupid does, Warren. The "smart" racers choose their battles wisely and NEVER when other cars or people are around. You can't do this in populated areas. I've been to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, I don't think there's a safe stretch of road for 50 sqaure miles.
As for the handling vs power issue, stoplight drags last only a few seconds and are as safe as wreckless gets. Road racing on the street is just plain nuts. Most folks know this so it is rare. This said - don't bring a knife to a gunfight!

I'm with warren. Better safe than sorry, besides let me add my 2 cents. Believe me
when I say that if any of the Yahoos in the
vettes and GT's had the money or passion to buy a porsche they would. Those V-8's are
cheap thrills, but in 10 years they're rattling buckets of steel. As for the street
drag racing, thats easy - anyone can stomp on the gas - so they successfully take a second or two or three from me in a drag, WHO CARES!!! I love my Porsche, I dont like Mustangs and Vettes!!! So I win!! and don't even have to press on the gas to do that.

I have never, EVER lost a 'stoplight' race, or any other race on a public road. And I did not need to buy ANY performance parts. This is because I believe the same thing that Warren believes and also David McLaughlin.

And here's another thing I've said before (actually I think I've said nearly everything before). They want to race me too. Many of them would beat me, but I think most of them don't know that. So I act like my car has WAY too much horsepower for silly street games. I think it scores a victory in perception, sometimes. And keeps me alive. And did I mention I have NEVER, EVER lost a street race?

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'83 SC

Driving spiritly is fun, but about 28 years ago I was expressing my delight about the twisties up in the canyons north of Sunset. It was at a Ferrari club meeting and the well healed guy next to me agreed that the cars were meant to be driven in a spirited fashion but the nice twisties up there had some pitfalls. He spoke about the two small children who ran out from behind a hedge and his Ferrari killed. "Might have avoided it if I'd been going slower." Two years prior I was really excited about racing on tracks and going for a Formula slot, but another one of my friends who had done a bunch of SCCA racing and hob-nobbed with the racing elite told stories of his big time buddies, 50% of which had died behind the wheel. Those odds sucked. Today our track conditions and equipment have changed the picture and largely because we recognize the dangers and try to limit or elimiate them. Prudence is not just a virtue, it may be life.