We have to admit, helping others learn how to drive well has some wonderful fringe benefits. As a high performance driving instructors we are allowed the fantastic opportunity to drive some really great cars; never having to actually pay for them- good work if one can get it. We are also afforded the pleasure of meeting some of the best people, not only students, but, other instructors as well. Every now and then we get to drive their cars too; enter David Mecey and his Porsche Cayman S.
David knows a thing or two. Not only about driving, as he is one of the finest instructors and racers one will ever meet and just a damned nice guy, but, David also has a keen eye for aesthetic appeal- more on that a little later…
Porsches have a certain feel to them, a feel that can be difficult to describe, but, few cars have it. Before one even starts driving a Porsche, something simply feels right; the car fits well. As a driver, the seats are welcoming and supportive; everything is right where one thinks it ought to be and there is no fluff-nothing un-needed, just a well designed and ergonomically correct office in which to work.
The Cayman S is also a GREAT looking car. The body lines take us back to an era in racing where Porsche produced fantastic looking cars; the 550 spyder, the RSK the R60-bloody great looking cars AND race winners.
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It is no secret that American cars have never really done much for us. We have admitted in the past however, that certain Corvettes and most certainly the Ford GT are indeed worthy cars- if not great cars; proving that American car manufacturers can (when they want to) build really competent automobiles. Now, we have found a third- The Dodge Challenger 6.1 liter SRT8. Why? Keep reading….
Staying true to our “driving impressions” theme and writing only about cars that we have the good fortune to drive on real race tracks (having to turn both left and right) we had the opportunity to experience what the new Dodge has to offer and we have to admit- it is pretty damned impressive.
The exterior design of the car is right out of the 70’s and if muscle cars were your thing (or, are your thing) the cars aesthetic design is truly from that era and works really well on the new car. It is a great looking car.
Better yet, the car has monster power and enough torque to pull a mile long freight train- or so it seems. Wanna tear up some asphalt- let’s rephrase- a few hundred yards of asphalt? Holy Moses…it goes!
The cars owner, our good friend…let’s call him “Jeff”, brought his 2009 Challenger SRT8 equipped with a real gear box….you know, the one that requires three pedals on the floor, to Spring Mountain Raceway a couple of weeks ago and we had the opportunity to experience how well it would do on a road course.
Keep in mind that Spring Mountain Raceway is a very technical track. There are a number of very slow, late apex- off camber corners that come up VERY quickly, with this car- off of very fast straight sections of tarmac. Add to that the 4,200 pounds that this car weighs and…it is a ride, but, surprisingly; not a handful.
Acceleration in this new Dodge is mind boggling. The car just pulls and pulls AND pulls. Given enough room, one can easily see how 160mph plus is not hard work for this car. We ran out of race track well before that number, but, the car is (as our good friend Caaarl- an Aussie- would put it)….”waaarp speed fast”.
The car is also equipped with huge brakes and thankfully so! The brake pedal feel, modulation and pedal pressure are good, but, typically American. That is not to say that the brakes don’t work well, they could just use a bit more feel. Brake fade however, was never an issue. The car stops very well indeed!
Steering feel is another area that could be improved on. Perhaps a reduction in the amount of power steering assist would help. The steering feel is very, very good and a boat load better than what we would have expected from anything coming out of Detroit.
The handling of the car is pretty darn good given its heft. It is not a car that can be easily thrown around and was never designed to do be. If the driver takes this into consideration and slows the car sufficiently, the car turns in well and stays nicely balanced. Try to throw it into a hard corner too quickly and the car will object with a fair amount of under- steer. Get on the throttle too soon or too quickly and all of that power will force the rear end out. Drive the car smoothly, brake early-keeping the car balanced; squeeze the throttle and the car does everything remarkably well. You just can’t over-drive the car; it is not a 2,000 lb. sports car.
All in all, we really like the car a lot! It would be better suited to a high horse power track like Willow Springs rather than a tight, technical track like Spring Mountain, but, given that the car was not really designed for tight road course action it still did everything very, very well. And, did we mention that this thing hauls ass?? !!!
What the car is; is a very fast, very competent and great looking piece of machinery. It again proves that American car manufacturers can indeed build world class cars when they set their minds to it. The new Challenger may prove to American car companies that the light at the end of the tunnel is not the 5:00 train; though this car pulls like one!
We would like to thank “Jeff” for the opportunity. If you are in the market for a car that reflects that great muscle car era with even better performance, remarkably good handling characteristics and brakes that work…not requiring the State of Main to stop the car…put this car on your list.
O.C.C.E
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When we started writing this blog, we suggested that when we wrote stories about cars that we have the good fortune to drive, we would write only about cars that we have driven on the track. We will stay true to that, but, rather than writing about BMW’s Porsches, or Lamborghinis, we are going to describe what we experienced with a car that many can afford, but, one that impressed the absolute hell out of us.
Last weekend, as an instructor, we attended a Driving Concepts High Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Raceway in Nevada. The raceway/country club is a story all on its own. It is bloody fantastic and one of the most technically challenging race tracks anywhere; loved it!
We were fortunate to have been paired up with a great student and his car; the car that impressed. By the way…so did the student, the best we have had the pleasure to pass this addiction onto in some time. Welcome to mainlining Sam!
Enter the Subaru STI. Sam’s (yup- he’s the student) Subaru is not stock, but, not much that we drive is. Modifications to the car consist of some great Recaro ASM Limited RS-G Seats (a little tough for this writer to get his fat arse in to) they are wonderfully supportive and remarkably comfortable, and host of other modifications…oh hell, here is Sam’s list:
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A few months ago my good friend David Mecey (a very, very competent driver and one hell of a photographer) invited me and some far more gifted drivers to California Motor Speedway. The goal was to instruct and coach Lamborghini owners on how to better drive and understand the performance potential of their cars; in the appropriate place. I have to admit (though not wanting to say anything at the time) that the cars were- well just ok actually; perhaps numb is the better word choice. I just could not see myself walking into my garage and being enthusiastic about driving the car. It didn’t do much for me.
That was then………
Yesterday, David and I spent the day at Willow Springs Raceway with a couple of great guys (let’s call them Bob and Bob) who brought along a Ferrari 360 coupe and a brand spanking new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560. Yes, we were nice to the car….heck it was new.
The New LP560 is light years different than any other Gallardo I had previously had the opportunity to drive in anger and I do mean- light years! The new car delivers 560 horse power (hence the name) is capable of 0-60 times in a scant 3.7 seconds and can reach 124 mph in just 11.8 seconds. The new engine is equipped with direct injection, making the performance difference from its predecessor instantly noticeable. Not only is the engine more powerful, but, according to Lamborghini; fuel consumption and C02 output have been reduced by an astonishing 18%. We drove the car all day and did not have to refuel until leaving the track for the drive home.
This car is extraordinarily capable, verbiage I do not use lightly. Lamborghini has revised the all wheel drive system and improved the suspension design for the new LP and the effects were felt instantly. The car felt far more sure-footed, driver feedback is much- much better and steering feel has been improved significantly. The car is simply far more communicative than what I had experienced in the past- the new LP has truly become a world class automobile.
The brakes… they do stop the car very well indeed, but, they are very difficult to modulate smoothly. There is a great deal of initial brake pedal travel and then…whuump…..you have thrown out the anchor; making it difficult, though not impossible, to be ultra smooth with the brakes and not upset the balance of the car. Porsche seems to be the only manufacturer who gets brake pedal feel and modulation perfect; must be some kind of well protected secret. More initial brake pedal feel and a little less initial pedal travel and the brakes on the LP would be just about perfect. There was never any brake fade and even though we were pretty nice to the car, braking from well north of 100 mph was uneventful- in a very, very good way.
Whereas the previous car felt rather numb and uninspiring, the new LP is a completely different “bull”. It is a car that would now be a pleasure to both own and drive.
I have always enjoyed driving the Ferrari 360, great car, and though the opportunity has not yet presented itself to drive the 430 this new Gallardo was impressive to say the least.
It was an interesting side-by side comparison, but, the Ferrari (as good as it was and still is) is perhaps just a bit dated when compared to the new LP560. We are going to have to find a 430 owner who actually wants to drive their car to make a fair comparison; any takers?
O.C.C.E
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On a perfect crisp and sunny November morning, the Noble M400 looks just right standing in pit lane, an apropos setting for a car that on paper should be quite something to drive. There is still nothing quite like anticipatory anxiety. Having driven more than just a few fast cars in my day, this was something that I was really looking forward to.
On Paper. Designed by Lee Noble of Mclaren fame, one could expect a lot from the car. 0-60 comes in just 3.2 mind boggling seconds; hardly enough time to start and stop the watch, add to that a reported 1.3 g’s in lateral acceleration and this was going to be fun. According to magazine accounts, the Noble M400 is one of the quickest cars ever tested, leaving behind the Porsche GT3, Corvette Z06 and Ford GT. With only 220 cars imported into the U.S. the chances of pulling up next to your self is nil; I like that! Here in Orange County even Ferrari’s are prosaic.
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If $300,000 to $400,000 large is not an obstacle, then this is the car!
I had the auspicious opportunity to drive the Porsche Carrera GT at California Motor Speedway a few months back and the impressions are still long lasting.
An adjective that adequately describes this car, simply does not exist, in any language; I have failed to find one.
My student for the day, Darren (an extremely pleasant and successful young man from the San Diego area) drove the car to the speedway and I was terribly excited and flattered to have been selected to be his driving instructor for the day.
Having heard all of the negative comments; “it’s twitchy, tail happy, a monster” etc, I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive at first, even after having raced a number of very fast cars over the years; besides, it was not my $400,000. In a very short period of time however, I felt myself absolutely comfortable with the car, it simply does exactly what you ask of it, albeit, very quickly indeed
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David Mecey is a great friend of ours and one of the finest high performance driving instructors that a student could ever climb into a car with. He is also one of the most accomplished photographers in the business. Here are a few of his thoughts when it comes to cars that we have driven on real race tracks…..Here’s looking at you David…
Coming from a background of being a hard-core BMW enthusiast and
driver, had you asked me 5 years ago if I’d ever be caught in another
marque, I’d probably have said no. But in the last few years with BMW
changing a number of items in their list of needs for their cars
adding weight and technologies which the enthusiast has no need, I’ve
begun to look elsewhere for the car for me. Now I say this not to
belittle what BMW is doing, but I do feel their direction is taking
them down a path that makes them less of an enthusiasts’ car and more
a car for the masses. Good for the bottom line yes, but not so good
for we few that prefer a car that’s nimble and quick on its feet and
able to stay that way without feeling our brakes go away while doing so.
As we all know, weight is a bad thing for a car you’re going to be
putting on a racetrack. And though most people will never see a
racetrack other than on SPEED channel, there are more than a few of
us out there who do. And when we do, we like to put our cars through
their paces which leaves no room for extra weight and technology
doing our work for us.
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As a daily driver, the new BMW 335 is remarkable. A stated 300 hp and 300 lbs. feet of torque allows the car to be quick, very quick indeed. 0 to 60 arrives in just 5.4 seconds, providing- what not too long ago, was super car performance, in a very well priced and well valued, 4-door sedan. Freeway speeds demand more than an occasional glance at the speedometer, the 335 is so effortlessly fast that we constantly found ourselves at well over 80mph. In addition this 335 is particularly fast, the guys at Split Second provided us with a computer plug-in that enhances the factory performance specifications to a reported 360hp and 350 lbs. feet of torque, yet we still averaged nearly 22mpg combined.
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