Quote:
Originally posted by Blackfoot:
when i ran at sears point, mine was the only 911 out there. and now i know why.
in fact, i didn't see hardly any other porsches out there. and there were about 200 cars that day. lots of bimmers, vettes, rx-7's. there was even one hot volvo, a late 70's one, that was set up so well, it kept up with the other cars that you would think would destroy it.
i learned a lot that day. name brand, forget it. it's all the driver, as ahmet would say, and also how your car was prepared that counted.
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yeah, when i went to the SCCA races a few weeks back, there was only one Porsche 911 there. there was also only one 914. the reason you don't see too many 924s and 944s is that the classes they put these cars in makes them not too competitive money-wise. you can spend less on a VW or Honda and get Porsche lap times. you won't get Porsche FUN though
the reason people race older Porsches isn't because of money... it's because of FUN. do you honestly think the 924 was the top of my list for "i want to spend the least amount of money possible and i want a really fast race car?" hell no! i'm not dumb! if i want fast and cheap i'd have a Camaro. i've driven Camaros though and my 924 was a lot more fun. the ability to point the car in the direction you want it to go is much higher in a Porsche than it is in a Camaro. horsepower ain't eveything either, handling has a lot to do with it... money has an even major influence
.
what i find really disconcerting are the people worried about the "image" of a Porsche. what the hell is that all about? i've talked to BMW and Mazda race car owners that have Porsches... and i've talked to Porsche owners that had Mustangs that will run circles around their 911. what far too many people have is a false sense of "pride" in their car, and they think because they have Porsches they have been given the best vehicle in the world; no argument. these guys need an "attitude adjustment" and maybe it'll take a Camaro or a Triumph TR-7 to do it.
by choosing a Porsche, you have shown that certain things that were important in your other car purchases didn't matter to you in this instance. if i want a fun summer car... i'll get a Porsche. if i want something fun that i can drive on the track, i'll get a Porsche. if i want something that looks great i'll get a Porsche. if i want something that will make me smile, i'll get a Porsche.
if i want something
practical, i'll get a VW that's just as fast as my Porsches.
oh wait, i already did
. that said, i applaud that you actaully put your car on the track and got a chance to compare it to the other cars out there. i used to think that Nissan Sentra SE-Rs were just crap (because they're made by Nissan). then i saw one do a lap 8 seconds faster than a 924 and i said "WOW... that's IMPRESSIVE!". does that mean the 924 is a bad car because a Nissan 12 years newer than it is faster? no! does that mean the Nissan is a bad car because it's front wheel drive? no! all it means is that there were two guys out there that are putting their money where their mouth is. i met a nice 911 owner that fully admits that his Mazda was 20 seconds A LAP faster than his 911 (which was much more expensive) was. he's not related to those snooty types that putt putt around the country club at 50rpm above idle. he's the one that says "i want a fast car that will be fun to drive, and i have $100,000 to play with... someone point me in the right direction."
i also ran into guys with GT3Rs that they bought for DRIVER's ED! i am kidding you not! they were parked near the two girls in the 924 Carrera GT that pooped all over the 911s in their class all weekend.
for anyone that is interested in not only seeing how fast your Porsche is.. but how easily it can be trounced by something 1/8 the price... go to a race track. all this nonsense arguing about zero to sixty times and skidpad Gs is just stupid. come and watch $20,000 928s walk all over new Hondas... and watch Turbocharged Ford Thunderbirds eat up 928s like they were standing still. leave the attitude at home because it's not welcome at the track:
enjoy:
http://209.4.91.164/SCCA_races/saturday/
http://209.4.91.164/SCCA_races/sunday/
http://209.4.91.164/porsche_clash/
http://209.4.91.164/zone_1_48_hours/
obin