Wednesday January 2nd 2008 – 1300 miles – Good-bye break-in

The end of break in is in sight, I gradually increased revs on intermediate gears to 4 then 5 then now an occasional 6 to 7000 rpm, always taking great care in bringing the oil to the appropriate temperature. This pilgrimage allowed me to discover a peculiar characteristic of the 997 GT3: its exhaust system.

Like the Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE) available on Carreras, the GT3 exhaust system is engineered around pneumatic valves which affect significantly the acoustics of the mufflers. In normal driving, the valve open up abruptly at 4100 rpm, right where the torque curve gets juicier, resulting in a slightly artificial kick-in-the-butt effect. The exhaust note transitions from a rather muted whine to a throaty roar. Gone is the nice raspy, Marlboro-sponsored puff of the 996 Carrera.

Push the “Sport” button at idle and the tone changes – a cool gadget to entertain the average passenger while sitting still in traffic – but goes immediately in quiet mode as soon as the engine revs up to 3000 rpm where the valves do their trick again. Good thing, the noise gets GT3ish sooner in the rev range, but the transition remains as subtle as a Mr. Bean joke. The “Sport” mode also affects traction control – more on that later – and, Porsche claims, on the engine map for a beefier torque curve. Tough to tell the difference though.

A radical alternative is to disconnect the solenoid which drives the entire system; the connector is easily accessible in the engine compartment. In this configuration, the valves remain continuously open, with a rather displeasing drone between 2000 and 2800 rpm, the kind of headache inducing diet that reminds me of the Tubi mufflers no my 550 Maranello. Sport mode seems to be the best compromise, it’s just a pity that the transitions have to be that binary. Couldn’t Porsche boffins engineer something progressive ?

Brakes quickly started to squeal like a rusty gate in a horror movie, more specifically the rear pads. Systematic when coasting to a stop, irritating and down right embarrassing. The only choice is to tap aggressively in the car’s stopping power, with a significant risk to see the GT3’s pretty arse rear ended by an SUV of some sort. The squealing is even worse when reversing, a real freight train. According to the dealer, the era of copper grease is long gone, contemporary Porsche brake pads do not have any anti stick-slip lubricant to prevent pad vibration against the calipers. The official remedy advised by Porsche North America in Atlanta came in the form of 997 Turbo brake pads, same dimensions but supplied with a damping pad. Seems to work so far.

I love Highway 9 between Santa Cruz and Saratoga. The first miles are frequently congested with delivery trucks, after a few lost villages and spooky trailer parks, the road gets deserted, winding in the forest to reach Skyline Boulevard. Pavement is smooth, certain hairpins tighten up towards the exit, emphasizing front end grip. In spite of cool temperatures, the PZero Corsa Pirellis offer commendable grip. The steering wheel requires firm grip to hold the car precisely, and the support offered by the snug adaptive seats helps to provide measured input rather than trying to hold your body by hanging desperately to the steering wheel.

I love even more Pacific Coast Highway south of Carmel. A sumptuous road, breathtaking scenery over the jagged coast, more than 60 twisted miles without a single junction. A mix of pool table perfect tarmac and rough patches, with the odd stretch of gravel if you’re lucky enough to encounter a road work zone. Viewpoints make you want to stop every mile, yet you wish that you wore diapers to complete the stretch without ever stopping for a biological reason. Stuffed with minivans during week-ends, empty during week days. Short of a race track, this is ideal playground to gauge a car of that caliber. And what a caliber ! Grip is phenomenal by road driving standards if you take care to brake hard till turn in, the car is amazingly nimble, darting its way through endless direction changes with superb agility. The road, the scenery, the sun, a highlight of today’s automotive production, what else could you possibly crave for ?