How do I drive a Porsche?!

[southernstar]

Byprodriver, I agree - especially if you are not pushing the car towards its limits. However, once you approach or exceed the limits of stability, there is a substantial difference in how a Boxster and a front-wheel drive car will react. In a typical front-wheel drive car, if you go into a corner too hot the car will continue to understeer regardless of whether you let off on the gas, apply the brakes or even give it more gas. In a Boxster, after initial understeer on turn-in, there is a transition to oversteer that will be uncomfortable for the uninitiated. In those circumstances, applying the brakes will just about ensure that the rear end will come around (weight transfer forward and unloading of the rear tires). One has to understand that and moreover, automatically react by reversing the steering imput. Once you have 'caught' the rear end, you can even play with gradual throttle imput. Unsafe handling? Of course not. But different from a front-wheel drive car? Certainly.

Brad

[TeamOxford]

Originally Posted by tomc88

No problems yet! but with the rain here just wondered if someone could do me a quick bullet point list of driving tips,

eg, when to apply the power; in a corner?, after the corner?
you driving pro's will know what I mean

Seat time is important, especially if you have training beforehand.

There is no shortage of books on the market that describe high performance driving techniques. Amazon has several on their website. I would avoid trail braking techniques until you have some time under your belt.

Driving schools offer great training. There's the Jim Russell school, among others, and there used to be a skid school at Brands Hatch. A corner would be soaked in water, and the goal of the trainee was to get through it without spinning. Great stuff for determining the limits of your car in the wet.

Like anything else, you will be more proficient and confident with proper study and training.

TO

[black_box]

If you get the chance, find a large, empty lot to learn about you car's limits. turn off PSM if you have it, and (assuming you've got sufficient runoff) try to get the car to lose control. You'll gain some appreciation for just how much grip these cars have, and also what it feels like to be on the edge.

Autocross would be a great learning idea too, as you'll probably manage to induce both under- and oversteer at some point.

[WhipE350]

This forum is great. Much good advice.

- Does it always rain? It is dry enough where I live that I simply just wait for a dry day. I learned to drive in snow and to me it simply amplifies many times what others have told you. I learned all the techniques that teach car control growing up on a farm with lots of snowy empty roads.
- I like life and respect others so we always obey the mailbox rule. These cars can stop very fast on dry. Learn how fast it can stop.
- +1 on the give yourself time. These cars are so sticky it will take a lot of time to learn the limits. Obviously the quickest way is to get instruction.
- You'll become very good at trusting the brakes on these cars. It has become second nature for me now to wait until the last second to brake, brake hard, and then make the turn.
- Learn at slower speeds, it is also very fun and high speeds just make all recovery that much more difficult.
- Have fun and know your limits.

[jb92563]

Originally Posted by AKnowles

What I see for instruction is good, but I'd like to add one more thing ... most of us drive with summer tires. Sticky when dry and have good grip. Wet, is something else again. Mine work well, but I am aware of the difference when I drive in wet conditions. Older tires, winter tires, all season tires, etc. all can make a difference.

Just something to keep in mind as you get used to your car's capabilities.

I agree, the tires are key an make a big difference.

I drive summer performance tires Hankook V12's and while doing the Porsche Performance Driving school with them where they wet and soap the course I found out they actually have excellent grip wet as well.

The instructor was the first to comment on it as they were new to me and I had nothing to compare them against since it was the first Wet drive I ever did in the Boxster. (We were doing the accelerate to ~50-60mph then slam on the brakes at the braking cone and steer/acclerate around an obsticle on soapy wet pavement)

It was an eye opener and I learned a great avoidance manuever while keeping the car in control with some counter intuitive actions (Accelerate after the veer to keep the tail end planted)

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by AKnowles

Older tires, winter tires, all season tires, etc. all can make a difference.

To the OP, all season tires are piss poor in my opinion over ice patches. Thus if the Boxster has any chance of seeing freezing temps, dedicated winter tires are must have.
My concern is not so much snow, a mildly decent all season can handle that as long as its no more than fluff no deeper than an inch, but once you hit the first ice patch with the rears going into or out of a turn, all bets are off. An all season tire may handle the cold temps a bit better than a sticky summer tire but that's about it. The compound is nearly useless for ice and the tread is all wrong for snow. Unless you live in an area where weather goes from hot to ice and back to hot in a single season these tires are a safety hazard in this car.

[dannythemanny]

Not had many issues with traction, but find that booting it from first into second into slightly greasy conditions coming out on to a curving road from roundabout can be excessively exciting! Loss of traction, rear and front drifting and had to back off to re-engage traction... Big jolt when traction re-engaged but no out of lane experiences fortunately. Best take care with one of these machines...

[recycledsixtie]

Yes Danny I was raised in the UK and now live in Canada. If I lived in the UK I would drive an Mx5 Miata or a Boxster for sure. Why? Most of everything else there is small.

Like most of the other posters say watch out for wet roads, ice patches and also gravel on roads.

I would get the Boxster most unsettled on wet roads, roads with puddles. Summer tires without much tread are a challenge. Don't drive on slick tires. This is a fun car.
No psm watch out. Even with psm watch out! I take it easy on corners especially snowy/ icy conditions. In summer with perfectly dry conditions I push it.

If you lose it on a corner and damage the car, it is expensive to fix. Take care!
G

[com3dorm3]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

...driving for the track/autocross ... After one day you'll find something interesting will happen: you'll drive slower on the public road.

This is so true for me. After a track/autocross session, I have no desire to push the limits on public roads.

[stephen wilson]

I didn't work for me, but I really only play around in 2nd gear, and away from other people.

[landt]

It's almost 4 years later! How have things gone for you Tomc88?

[particlewave]

Well, he hasn't been here for 2.5 years, so you may not get a response.