981…Waiting in anticipation – Running Report page 7

Stuart21UK – Posted April 5, 2014

I think that makes sense, I liked the winters just prefer 20’s


Stuart21UK – Posted May 11, 2014

I just used up the complimentary Porsche Experience place, received when buying the 981….having already done a cut down version last year, I gave the place to my elderly mother…

She has what she calls a ‘bucket list’…over the course of the last 18 months she’s been up in a hot air balloon, a helicopter, on the London Eye and is shortly going up the Shard followed by Afternoon Tea at The Hilton…she specifically told me she didn’t want to go white water rafting or to have a bungee jump but she DID want to drive a sports car around a track…somehow I couldn’t see her wedging herself in a single seater so the complimentary Porsche Experience seemed like a good option.

Anyway we booked in a month or so ago and the day same around yesterday (9th May). The weather was glorious, she had both parts of her driving licence in hand when we arrived and we booked in. A nice bit of lunch later and the short briefing didn’t have her nervous in the slightest…despite clearly being the oldest there at 4 months short of her 79th birthday…!

Jeremy the instructor helped her into the manual Boxster S and I took a few snaps and headed to the roof of the Experience Centre to watch from afar…an hour or so later she came back in and we swapped over…she was beaming like you wouldn’t believe… :thumbsup_still:

She’d done all the different parts…Ice Hill, Kick Plate, A-road circuit etc, catching a spin on the kick plate like a natural according to the instructor.

A cracking afternoon had by us both and my concerns that she may cause a Multi-Million Pound Porsche Pile up were proved to be completely unfounded :thumbsup_still:

After the Shard and Afternoon Tea, apparently she only has a trip in a glider left on the list :worried:

Anyway some pics below…thanks for reading


topradio – Posted May 11, 2014

Ooh carbon brakes! Did she exploit them to the full.

So was she the oldest to do the experience?

BTW you can see the DNA. Not adopted then!


Stuart21UK – Posted May 11, 2014

on way out

and back


topradio – Posted May 11, 2014

Stuart – fair play to your mum. Mine is not much older and there is no way se could that. Good on her!


Boxob – Posted May 11, 2014

Good for her!

She needs a longer bucket list.


Ampaul – Posted May 11, 2014

Your mums fantastic, good on her!!!

Look forward to the gliding report 😉


Stuart21UK – Posted May 11, 2014

The PCCB squealed every now and again, very sharp though…

as far as the oldest, yes she was….I asked the instructor of she was the oldest to date…he said he’d taken a guy who was 87 on the course before, the bloke apparently said he thought he was having a ‘mid life crisis’ !

Proves you are never too old :thumbsup_still:


EXY – Posted May 12, 2014

:laugh:

That’s one game ole bird :worship:

Wouldn’t Porsche be interested in the fact she was the oldest participant :ninja:


Gatorade – Posted May 13, 2014

Your mum is brilliant 🙂


Stuart21UK – Posted May 15, 2014

The 981 has been back to Porsche for the seat bolster to be sorted…here is the before (there isn’t an after but it is all sorted thankfully)

Whilst they had it for two days I had the benefit of a 2.7 981 loaner…(iphone pics only)

Basalt black with black interior, 6 speed manual….I missed my S for the two days and I learnt the following –

Whilst I was happy with a 2.7 when I had the 987, going back to a 2.7 from an S 981 is not something I could now do…I know this may upset a few owners and my intention is definitely not to do so but I really felt the 2.7 lacking…it really needed it’s neck wringing to get it going and I felt it was less of an occasion to drive it. Maybe PDK works better with the 2.7?

As SFO said (and I’ve repeated) the best £1000 you can spend on options is a leather interior..the 2.7 had standard interior and it felt too ordinary..I love the leather door cards and dash on mine, they really lift it

The 2.7 had a multi-function steering wheel that moves the ability to control phone, stereo, volume and control of many other functions to the steering wheel…however as a result, the right hand bottom control stalk is removed. Personally I don’t see the point as the stalk does everything that you can do on the steering wheel and I can control the stalk easier than the buttons on the Multi Function steering wheel (I think you get an extra programmable button on the wheel). Also I found the rolling thumb switch to be too easy to move, it could do with a little more built in resistance. Personally I’m happier with the Sports Wheel and the additional stalk, it quickly becomes very intuitive to use.

The noise of the 2.7 was very muted compared to my S, I don’t know whether that is down to the engine or whether the exhaust is different on an S to the 2.7, I have PSE on mine (which clearly is different to stock) but even with it switched off there is an amazing difference to the sound of the two. PSE makes mine ‘spit’ on lift off, and you get this in PSE ‘off’ mode a little too when the car is warm, the 2.7 didn’t give me this at all, even in Sport mode.

Reference the above I think I would be driving the 2.7 with sport mode permanently on and likely be driving with the car in the 5 to 6k 7k rev range a lot more than is necessary for the S, I assume therefore that any MPG gains that may be possible with the smaller engine would be lost by me thrashing it more! That said the last pic shows I actually managed to get over 31 mpg in a Porsche :shiftyeyes_anim: that was the trip from the OPC to home, a 21 mile motorway jaunt on the following day only gave me around 28mpg which I can achieve in the S.

What I really learnt was that the options I selected were completely the correct ones for me (I appreciate not for some), I understand better now why there are a lot of well specced 2.7’s and and fair amount of poverty spec S’s too…if it were me I would go for the S and spec less to achieve budget if I needed to.

I also learnt that I am a very lucky boy!

Oh and if you visit a dealership enough (not just from faults) they get to know you and let you take Macan’s on 24 hr test drives (due on the 21st :thumbsup_still: )


Skidd – Posted May 15, 2014

This is excellent, good on your Mum. Mine’s in her 60’s and would struggle with that!


Stuart21UK – Posted May 17, 2014

oh added to the 981 2.7 comments…

•  didn’t like the Power Steering Plus – it just makes things feel unnaturally light at low speed (kind of the point), I prefer the weight of the normal steering
•  also found the manual gear box to be a complete notchy thing….coming from a Manual 981 driver that’s a shocker of a statement. I understand why some of the PDK advocates may have made statements to that effect now. I can offer no explanation why it was bad, as on mine it’s sweet, no issues with getting the correct gear at all
•  did I say it was quiet too, driving mine today with PSE off was glorious with the roof down, that 2.7 wouldn’t have sounded anywhere near as good…I’d have to spec PSE on a 2.7


tcornet – Posted May 18, 2014 (edited)

Stuart, hear what you are saying and perhaps in a year or 2 I may upgrade to the S. I went for a well specced 2.7, I spend most of my time dawdling around the M25 so im hoping I won’t miss it. With sports chrono and pdk it’s no slouch but agree in D it’s rather lethargic, I guess geared for fuel economy, which I’m ok with also. I’ve also got PSE and it makes a massive difference to the sound.

I’ve got the same wheels as yours but car is black.

Be great to put them side by side.


Stuart21UK – Posted May 18, 2014

well I’m sure that could be arranged as I’m often in Hemel or Berko….live in Beds which only 30 mins from most of Herts too!

You should come to the Five Bells, Stanbridge on Thurs 22nd (week coming)

http://www.BoXa.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=60840#entry724893

be rare to find two 981’s with PSE together I should think…


tcornet – Posted May 18, 2014 (edited)

Stuart sounds great, I live near st.albans and often blast the car up the Leighton road.

hoping I have the 981 for Thursday evening, just need porsche to have the car ready


Stuart21UK – Posted May 18, 2014

oh what’s wrong with it?

and we’ll welcome you in a ‘lesser’ car too :thumbsup_still:


tcornet – Posted May 19, 2014 (edited)

Nothing wrong with it at all, they just need to do the dealer prep etc


tcornet – Posted May 19, 2014 (edited)

Sorry, not picking up until Friday as I can’t get down to Swindon any sooner now. Bloody work!!!

I will catch up next time, please let me know.

Tony


Stuart21UK – Posted May 19, 2014

just keep an eye out, also look for the PH meet at The Flying Horse. Clophill once a month

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=190&t=1405362&mid=347890&nmt=Clophill+supercar+meet+18th+may+2014


Stuart21UK – Posted June 27, 2014

Insurance renewal from Porsche (Marsh Private Clients/Aviva) with 12000 miles per annum and 10000 of those business use…

was £570 or thereabouts last year on the 987 2.7 ’56 plate

renewal £370! (fast more expensive 981 S, makes no sense)

excess is a little higher than previous years at £430 (used to be £280 until last year and they increased it) but I save that a year, in premiums so hey ho!

Been with them since 2008 and happy to keep it with them at that price. Not even worth a call around IMHO

:thumbsup_still:


Stuart21UK – Posted July 2, 2014

ok here we go..GoPro and external mic for clip 2, internal mic for clip 1
there is probably a better place to mount the mic and shield it better….than taping it with an offcut of teddy bear skin to the rear number plate :whistle1:


spyderman8 – Posted July 2, 2014

First video: tha sounds like a Geordie like.

Second video: proper sports car noises!


Stuart21UK – Posted July 2, 2014

brum brum… :showoff2:

….

very hard taking a video showing off a sport’s exhaust without breaking the speed limit…most of what I took couldn’t be posted for fear of :busted: knocking


Stuart21UK – Posted July 6, 2014

pic of car kit that comes as standard (for anyone wanting to check they have the correct bits)