Try the 911 Carrera 4 GTS on the circuit

The other day.I have participated in the running event of the magazine "911Days".The place is Fuji Speedway. It is a course that has been run many times in the past at driving schools and driving meetings.

This time, I took out Carrera 4 GTS in the first half of 991. Carrera's last 3.8L NA engine will be combined with four-wheel drive to create a GTS.

Until now, I have run RR and midship Porsche on the circuit, but since it was the first time for a 4x4 Porsche, I dared to choose this one.

Entering the pit, while Porsche of various famous cars are lined up,WRPHave them adjust the air pressure and tighten the bolts.

It's time, so I line up in the pit lane and wait for the green signal now or now.

Raise the rear wing and turn on Sport Plus mode. First, try running in AT mode.

I put my second daughter in the passenger seat on a familiar run and remember the feeling after a long absence.My second daughter was playing Gran Turismo until the day before, so she said, "Same as the game! , "There is no pylon on the course! 』\I was excited to say various things.

Impressions on the circuit

With my second daughter down, it's finally time to run.

While warming the tires, first lightly make one lap. Gradually increase the pace from the 2nd lap, and start full throttle from around the 3rd lap.

The volume of the 3.8-liter NA engine of GTS that is fully open is amazing."Is the volume so big? !! 』\I was surprised myself and ran through the straight.

The predecessor GT3 is also a roaring sound at high revs, or it is not defeated by the size of the volume. No, I felt that GTS was noisier.

The feeling of penetration in the ultra-high rev range, the feeling of exhilaration, the volume and sound quality are truly superior to GT3, butThe production of GTS that allows you to hear the sound firmly from the middle rev range is very pleasant, and it feels good even when rising from low to medium speed corners.(Please enjoy this digest video on Twitter with headphones)

https://twitter.com/boxster_gts/status/1505447396624326665?s=21&t=Ahi5jtHur8Ld_6MZOTKZBA

The 981 Boxster GTS of the same era is also a roaring sound, but that sound is a little faint in the latter half of the high rpm, but the GTS in the first half of 991 does not have a drop in sound until the end.

The maximum speed on the main straight is about 250km / h as measured by GPS.

It seems like I'm going to dig in a little more, so there is still room for growth, but full braking from there.After all Porsche brakes are easy to control.While adjusting the brakes slightly, turn the steering toward the first corner and turn with half throttle until the car body turns straight, but it is more stable than I expected.

When the front faces the escape direction, step on the accelerator a little earlier. As expected it is a four-wheel drive. Unlike the usual 911, even if you open the accelerator one tempo earlier, the rear will not get stuffy and will escape the corner stably.

From the Coca-Cola corner to 100R.

When I run with the 981 Boxster GTS here, I really feel the lack of rigidity of the body, and I always feel the force to flow out from the rear strongly,Carrera 4 GTS always tends to be under and very easy to control.I never think of it on a general road, but when running in the speed range of a circuit, Carrera 4 generally has a strong tendency to undershoot.

I pulled out the accelerator a little and put a load on the front, followed the inn and entered the Advan corner in 2nd speed. The rise from here is also stable compared to 992 Carrera and 981 Boxster. It's easy to lose control if you open the accelerator roughly here as well, but even an amateur like me can step on with confidence.

Accelerate at once to the Dunlop corner. With full braking, drop to 2nd gear and accelerate straight out of the middle line. At the 13th corner, take the inn and head for the GR Supra corner. Rough accelerator operation is prohibited from here to the final Panasonic corner, but it is easier to run than RR or midship.

Anyway, there is less fear and instability.

Stand up at the final corner and accelerate to full throttle.

When shifting near the red zone in Sport Plus mode, I feel a slight shift shock compared to the latest PDK of 992, but the gear connection is still fast.

Compared to 992 and 981?

Go through the control lineLooking at the time on GPS, it's slower than I expected.Of course, 60 cars run at the same time, so it is far from the clear lap, but even though I am running with such a stable and comfortable feeling, the time does not improve.

What does this mean?

I feel like I'm running stably and fast, but it's not that fast. The tires are old and the 4x4 is heavy, so the cornering speed may not be so fast.

So, comparing the data when running the Fuji Speedway with the 992 Carrera Cabriolet, both are in a mixed running state, even if the conditions are not the same,The 992 Carrera Cabriolet is faster for about 4 seconds.By the way, the maximum speed in GPS measurement is 992km / h, while Carrera 4 GTS is 254km / h.

Also.Compared to the 981 Boxster GTS, the Carrera 4 GTS has a lap time of about 1 second, and the maximum speed of the 981 Boxster GTS is about 244 km / h.

In this way, it can be seen that Boxster has a fast cornering speed, and 992 is overwhelmingly fast in acceleration and cornering.After all the latest Porsche is the best.Although inferior in horsepower, the turbo power and the latest chassis are terribly fast.

As the laps continued, Pirelli's P-ZERO, which had been in its fifth year, gradually began to make noise. The tires are dripping, and the invincible stability of Carrera 4 begins to crack. It starts slipping unpleasantly in places, but there is a 4x4. If you open the accelerator and apply a little torque, it will return to your posture very easily. This is a feeling that is a bit different from Porsche so far.

After that, I made a second run and tried to attack quite a bit. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a clear lap because of the preceding car, so I didn't get the time I expected, but it was a day when I learned a lot about the difference between 4x4, RR and midship.

Carrera 4 system standing position

Carrera 4 GTS "Is driving the circuit fun?], Personally, it's a little subtle.

From the point of view of fun, I think RR and midship are more fun.It's very thrilling and fun to run while feeling a little throbbing, feeling the traction of the rear, and stabilizing the car body with delicate accelerator work.

Especially GT3 etc. are more difficult to maneuver, and the arm is really tested. ""Can you get over it?When you open the accelerator roughly, the rear will come out immediately, and you will not be able to use it unless you are really good at applying the load. GT3 on the circuit is unbearably fun.

this time. I felt that the Carrera 4 series was like a "projectile" on the circuit. There are many areas that support the driver, it is very mentally easy to drive, and a few mistakes are tolerated.

Therefore, I recommend it to beginners.No matter who runs, there are few waves in the time, and you will be able to make a decent lap in a stable manner. And if it's a wet circuit, I think the Carrera 4 series is an overwhelming victory.

However, those who prefer to run while interacting more with the car and somehow lying down,I think that many advanced players find RR and midship to be more fun.

After all, the Carrera 4 series emphasizes speed on the street, comfort, and use as a grand tourer. It has the opposite character to GT3, and it is only a younger brother of the turbo system. It was Carrera 4 GTS at the driving event that I felt that way again.