I havent had too much fun with the Cayman so far as it relates to DE performance, which was somwewhat irritating and dissapointing as everyone else had different experiences than me. I knew it was the driver.
Anyway did go out for my first event as instructor. Friday was lapping day. I was a little untidy and pushing too hard. Car had Nittos and yellow pagids.
Took out some really experienced drivers (people who have raced in many events) and the feedback was that I was not being smooth with my inputs). Ok so I went back to basics. I stopped trying too hard. I worked with the car rather than trying to muscle it around and suddenly BAM it all gelled together.
The car flowed. Took out more experienced drivers and they all thought I was driving smoothly and couldnt tell when I braked as the transitions were better. I managed the same lap times without what felt like a frantic pace.
Like others have said. The car requires precision and it rewards. It doesnt like to be thrown around (thats what MZ4s are all about). I think I ran well in the instructors group. Played around with a few other cars. Was faster than most. In fact there was another Cayman also doing well and really showing the car off. A senior instructor from the Porsche club (with a very fast 73 911) really couldnt shake off the two caymans on Saturday.
Instructing was a treat. I had a really good student in a very slow car! He learned the line. Carried speed into corners. Didnt have ridiculous amounts of power to cover up his mistakes and had the proper attitude to advance quickly through the ranks. For me it was very enjoyable to watch and do my little part in helping him. But also, it was very helpful for me as I found myself learning more about the track from a new vantage point.
BIR track record 1:43 I think.
An E36 track prepped car was doing 1:53.
I was pretty happy with my 2:01 best time and 2:04 average.
I think I can easily take off a couple of seconds but after that will require some hard work.
My Racelogic Performancebox worked well.
On the stock car i havent figured out how to mount a video camcorder yet.
Quick end note: I did leave
PSM on and found it didnt intrude when I was doing things right. I think an
LSD will help. Then
PSM off would make more sense.
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LSD - Limited Slip Differential
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A limited slip differential (LSD) is a modified or derived type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in rotational velocity of the output shafts, but does not allow the difference in speed to increase beyond a preset amount. In an automobile, such limited slip differentials are sometimes used in place of a standard differential, where they convey certain dynamic advantages, at the expense of greater complexity.
The main advantage of a limited slip differential is found by considering the case of a standard (or "open") differential where one wheel has no contact with the ground at all. In such a case, the contacting wheel will remain stationary, and the non-contacting wheel will rotate freely– the torque transmitted will be equal at both wheels, but will not exceed the threshold of torque needed to move the vehicle, thus the vehicle will remain stationary. In everyday use on typical roads, such a situation is very unlikely, and so a normal differential suffices. For more demanding use however, such as driving off-road, or for high performance vehicles, such a state of affairs is undesirable, and the LSD can be employed to deal with it. By limiting the velocity difference between a pair of driven wheels, useful torque can be transmitted as long as there is some friction available on at least one of the wheels.
To see the installation of a LSD style unit Click Here -> Article Forthcoming Stay Tuned |
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PSM - Porsche Stability Management
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While it can’t overcome the laws of physics, the revolutionary Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system does lend an added degree of balance and control to the Cayman’s mid-engine driving dynamics, inspiring surefooted confidence in corners and extreme situations.
A standard feature on the Cayman and Cayman S, PSM continuously monitors steering input, road speed, yaw velocity and lateral acceleration to calculate the actual direction of travel. If the car begins to steer off line, PSM instantly intervenes with precision brake inputs on individual wheels to help bring the car back onto the driver’s intended path.
If braking alone isn’t enough to correct the vehicle’s cornering line, PSM then calls on the Cayman’s engine management system, adjusting engine output as needed to help stabilize handling. PSM can also compensate in an instant for mid-corner changes in load resulting from deceleration or braking. When Sport mode is selected with the optional Sport Chrono Package, PSM’s threshold for intervention is raised, allowing for greater driver involvement. If you prefer driving without automatic PSM assistance, the system can be set to standby at any time. In this case, it will only intervene under heavy braking, where both front wheels exceed the ABS threshold.
For all of its technical ability, PSM goes virtually unnoticed in everyday driving situations, preserving the Cayman’s natural agility. |
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