Buying the 911 was a funny combination of events
and thoughts:
- annoyance at the Elises increasing lack of use: 14k in 5yrs, of which circa only 1,400miles were done in the last 18months,
- that brought the thought process to 'dead' equity sitting there when I could be owning something fresh
- 5yrs meant it was loved but familiar
- 2 kids landing since I bought it meant 4 seats would be better
- I love 911s
- etc etc..
So the 911 stacked up. And they were a dream for a long time. So I bought one. And then I sold the Lotus. And then I drove the 911 from Mizen to Malin in one hit on backroads.
As way of executive summary last weekend I went on a quick burn to the Vee with a few people. And things were nagging at me a bit. Things to do with car age and development and my 911. And they crystalised after taking Blippers Elise for a burn down & up the hill, which reminded me how awesome Elises are. I had a reflective drive home.
I approach cars quite objectively and analytically; if an element is good it gets a 1 and if it isn't it gets a 0. Then I add all those up and the sum gives a basis on which I judge the car, after which I sometimes take a subjective view of sorts, as it is hard to not be emotional if something sounds epic and handles brill and all that.
With something like an Elise it is A) relatively modern and B) takes you to wonderful places with mid-engined handling balance, light weight, a rigid chassis, little inertia and a roof-off experience to finish it off. I drive it and it is very easy to see the objective pieces of the puzzle totting up, and how they combine to make it a very subjectively desirable thing as well as objectively capable. Using an S4 as another example; the way it parrys bumps, and maintains utter composure into a lumpen braking area - even if you might argue it doesn't fully engage, it's technical ability is very impressive.
My 911 was different. For a while I was consumed by simply owning it. It's flaws were dismissed by my perceived lack of experience and it being a 911. Then I did 'the big spin' and it revealed different, positive qualities. But you can see from the thread that I felt elements of the car objectively were poor, the gearbox being a big one. Another was a rack that seemed to rattle a bit and kick back, and the wind noise, and the feeling of suspension being somewhat dated and the ventiliation ..... some specific to the cars ride height, wheel size, geo etc, and others inherent to the breed. But for someone so into the detail & nuances of how a car delivers, they were starting to really eat at me.
So off I went on a spin last weekend, and I had been getting into the groove with the gearbox and ignoring the other bits. And then I drove Blippyshifters perfectly set-up Elise. Everything fell into place, not just because I'm so familiar with how to pedal one along well, but because it is modern and objectively a high performer.
I got back in my 911 a bit pi$$ed off.
And I took the long back-road way home. It was bumpy, the car bump-steered, the gearbox took so much concentration to get the changes right, it graunched when you didn't, brakes lacked some consistency, in fact the whole car lacked consistency; it required so much concentration and accuracy to drive smoothly and to keep with modest but modern performance cars.... But I chilled out and enjoyed the good bits and came away happier. I then spent the evening reading every old 911 road test I could find.
Funnily, they said the gearbox was recalcitrant, required positive action and well-matched revs, the steering was distractingly chatty at times, it understeered, it oversteered, the wind noise was tiresome, the revs kicked up & down metronomically as it warmed up from cold; even in 1980 they said so much of it was so dated. And so beguiling.
And it kind of clicked that I was being a bit unfair trying to judge this thing by the objective measures I had been setting. It is on a vintage plate and would never compete, never deliver. I still have a development plan for it to match springs & dampers to the unsprung weight, and to give the correct geo for the ride height, and to match wheel bearings & brake discs / calipers to track work..... But I think I am more comfortable in myself about it. Ever so slight doubts have been banished. I'm back to enjoying the great bits - the noise, the communication, the total absorption when you want to drive smoothly, the feeling of being a Driving God when you get a swift & seamless downchange from 3rd to 2nd, and parking it up, switching it off & the revs dying instantly to silence, lingering a second too long to appreciate the aroma of engine & age, and looking back at it as you walk away.
- annoyance at the Elises increasing lack of use: 14k in 5yrs, of which circa only 1,400miles were done in the last 18months,
- that brought the thought process to 'dead' equity sitting there when I could be owning something fresh
- 5yrs meant it was loved but familiar
- 2 kids landing since I bought it meant 4 seats would be better
- I love 911s
- etc etc..
So the 911 stacked up. And they were a dream for a long time. So I bought one. And then I sold the Lotus. And then I drove the 911 from Mizen to Malin in one hit on backroads.
As way of executive summary last weekend I went on a quick burn to the Vee with a few people. And things were nagging at me a bit. Things to do with car age and development and my 911. And they crystalised after taking Blippers Elise for a burn down & up the hill, which reminded me how awesome Elises are. I had a reflective drive home.
I approach cars quite objectively and analytically; if an element is good it gets a 1 and if it isn't it gets a 0. Then I add all those up and the sum gives a basis on which I judge the car, after which I sometimes take a subjective view of sorts, as it is hard to not be emotional if something sounds epic and handles brill and all that.
With something like an Elise it is A) relatively modern and B) takes you to wonderful places with mid-engined handling balance, light weight, a rigid chassis, little inertia and a roof-off experience to finish it off. I drive it and it is very easy to see the objective pieces of the puzzle totting up, and how they combine to make it a very subjectively desirable thing as well as objectively capable. Using an S4 as another example; the way it parrys bumps, and maintains utter composure into a lumpen braking area - even if you might argue it doesn't fully engage, it's technical ability is very impressive.
My 911 was different. For a while I was consumed by simply owning it. It's flaws were dismissed by my perceived lack of experience and it being a 911. Then I did 'the big spin' and it revealed different, positive qualities. But you can see from the thread that I felt elements of the car objectively were poor, the gearbox being a big one. Another was a rack that seemed to rattle a bit and kick back, and the wind noise, and the feeling of suspension being somewhat dated and the ventiliation ..... some specific to the cars ride height, wheel size, geo etc, and others inherent to the breed. But for someone so into the detail & nuances of how a car delivers, they were starting to really eat at me.
So off I went on a spin last weekend, and I had been getting into the groove with the gearbox and ignoring the other bits. And then I drove Blippyshifters perfectly set-up Elise. Everything fell into place, not just because I'm so familiar with how to pedal one along well, but because it is modern and objectively a high performer.
I got back in my 911 a bit pi$$ed off.
And I took the long back-road way home. It was bumpy, the car bump-steered, the gearbox took so much concentration to get the changes right, it graunched when you didn't, brakes lacked some consistency, in fact the whole car lacked consistency; it required so much concentration and accuracy to drive smoothly and to keep with modest but modern performance cars.... But I chilled out and enjoyed the good bits and came away happier. I then spent the evening reading every old 911 road test I could find.
Funnily, they said the gearbox was recalcitrant, required positive action and well-matched revs, the steering was distractingly chatty at times, it understeered, it oversteered, the wind noise was tiresome, the revs kicked up & down metronomically as it warmed up from cold; even in 1980 they said so much of it was so dated. And so beguiling.
And it kind of clicked that I was being a bit unfair trying to judge this thing by the objective measures I had been setting. It is on a vintage plate and would never compete, never deliver. I still have a development plan for it to match springs & dampers to the unsprung weight, and to give the correct geo for the ride height, and to match wheel bearings & brake discs / calipers to track work..... But I think I am more comfortable in myself about it. Ever so slight doubts have been banished. I'm back to enjoying the great bits - the noise, the communication, the total absorption when you want to drive smoothly, the feeling of being a Driving God when you get a swift & seamless downchange from 3rd to 2nd, and parking it up, switching it off & the revs dying instantly to silence, lingering a second too long to appreciate the aroma of engine & age, and looking back at it as you walk away.
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