<p class="MsoNormal">Just got back from the PDE.
First of all I have to say a big thank you to Rob Newell, my instructor, who was just fantastic. But more about him in a minute.
Stayed in Flitwick Manor on Thursday night, and it was very pleasant. Lovely setting and a nice old country house. Got up and met Rob in the hotel lobby at <st1:time hour="9" minute="0">9am</st1:time>, had a bite to eat and a quick chat, and then straight to the car. Me driving.
1st car of the day for me was a basic C-S with normal suspension and 18' wheels, standard steering wheel and seats. First of all I was surprised how much better the ride was on the 18s. A lot more forgiving and an all-round smoother ride than my 19s. I was very impressed.
Took a longish 15 min drive to Millbrook proving ground, signed in and swapped seats. Rob took me for a couple of laps of the amazing hill route. relatively slowly at first, finally picking up speed that made my palms start to sweat! Anyone who has done that course will know how many scary blind crests and corners there are. Needless to say, you need balls of steel and to know the course very well to take those crests at those speeds. And all this whilst chatting away and giving a commentary on what we would be doing later on. From there we nipped over to the high-speed bowl for a couple of laps and then a run up and down the mile-straight with a couple of emergency stops to demo the ABS.
Next stop, for me to get back in the seat. 1st off, the hill route...........very scary. obviously the first lap I was bricking it, but make it around unscathed, and at the end of the route you re-join the road. heading back around for the next lap, take the roundabout exit and the back end slides out on some icy concrete...woops! Rob says wow, cool, we'll take that corner even faster next time. Do another lap and as we come to the roundabout Rob stays drop it to second and give it some more.... so I do! This is just the start of 2 and a half hours of some of the best and most educational driving I have ever had. On the hill route Rob encouraged me to go faster and faster, acting as a co-pilot rally-style, for the blind crests and bends. After 4-5 more laps we swapped cars for a
PASM/
Sport Chrono/19s specced car, and head off to the bowl, me driving. We get up to 139 on the top of the bank, which is a little naughty as the limit is supposed to be 130, but then one of the 911 PDE boys passed us at around 150. I don't think they were that bothered about the rules out there.
From there, we went to the mile straight and did 4 runs on that demonstrating the difference between the rev limiter in normal and sport mode. And a chance to test the ABS for myself. God, it feels like your face is being pulled off!!
And then back to the Hill route for another 7-8 laps. First with
PASM on. To be honest, I can't see anyone using that mode on the road. The ride was so harsh that it felt unsafe to me. I actually felt very uncomfortable with the way the car behaved with it switched on, so after the first lap I switched it off. After that, the feeling was that the Normal
PASM setting with the 19 was virtually identical to the standard suspension set-up on 18s. In retrospect, the speccing of these 2 items are the ones I took least time over in research, and yet are the ones that fundamentally change the way the car feels. I'm no expert, but if I can tell the difference, then there must be something in it.
I finished up with my last lap, with Rob pushing me harder and harder to get the most out of the car. The back was moving around, the nose scraping the tarmac in the compressions and round some of the Carousel-style corners. It was just fantastic. At the start of the lap a Scooby was catching me up and Rob didn't want any of that, so he started driving the car through me. I felt like I was doing a rally stage! By the half way point we had completely lost the Impretza and Rob was cheering for joy like we had actually won a rally stage! At the end of that lap, my hands were really sweating, but the exhilaration was immense.
And that was it for me. All that was left was for Rob to take the wheel again and make me feel truly humbled by one of the most amazing displays of driving I have ever had the pleasure to experience. Around the tight road circuit inside the high speed bowl, he drove the car at speeds, and with such poise and control, that I was dumb-struck. He asked if I felt sick because he said I was looking shocked, but I just told him it was a look of shock because of what the car was capable of. Truly breath-taking. And all with
PSM switched on. He said there should be no reason to turn the
PSM off, and I can see why. It allows the car to slide gently and progressively, and yet if you seriously over cook it, it tidies you up and flings you out of the corner onto the next straight.
Until you have experienced a car like this, being driven like that, by someone like Rob, you haven't lived. It just blew me away. I can now see I have only scratched the surface of car craft up to now, and this cause has driven me to do something about that. I have already booked into the new Porsche Performance driving course, with Rob again, for June. 6 1/2 hours of car fun. This time at MIRA. Another report after that.
<input type="image" height="525" width="700" src="/UserFiles/DSC00135.JPG" longdesc="undefined" />
<p class="MsoNormal">Meet the Family!
<p class="MsoNormal"><input type="image" height="525" width="700" src="/UserFiles/DSC00134.JPG" />
<p class="MsoNormal">And the assembled Crew!
<p class="MsoNormal"><input type="image" height="525" width="700" src="/UserFiles/DSC00133.JPG" />
Jack
Edited by - JackWood on 02/27/2006 06:05:21 AM Edited by - JackWood on 06/27/2006 12:51:59 AM
Edited by - JackWood on 06/27/2006 12:53:33 AM
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
|
 |
This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.
The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.
In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.
A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.
For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.
Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
PSM - Porsche Stability Management
|
 |
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. |
|
|
|
|
|
Discussion for members in the UK & Ireland, local events, etc.
