Toughest drive

[MikeD]

Another thread got me thinking about this multipart question. Which Porsche is the absoute hardest to drive fast? Street and race? And on what do you base your answer, experience or review?

I've heard that an early 930 ('75-80), but would like to know if there's something more difficult to drive fast.

[kary]

I believe the first year of the 917 (1969) race car was considered to be the worst car to drive according to the book about the 917. The car was aerodynamically unstable and they were going 240 mph. The car was said to move on the track and entire car wide and more while going straight. When they added the small center wing in the back on the short tail 917 the stability was much better. In addition to that, the early 917's had the oil for engine moving around in the chasis through tubes which were around the cock pit. This turned the cock pit into an oven and they also found that the tubes would crack and leak all over the place. At any rate, I think this might qualify as the toughest car to drive fast because they would have never won Le Mans out right for their first time had they not made those changes. I sure would not have wanted to drive that car be expected to win anything!

[MikeD]

OK. I knew the 917 was one of the best Porsche's made, but didn't realize it was that hard to drive.

What about a street car?

[kary]

Oh yea, I forgot about the 908/3 That car was hard to drive really fast but the real tough part was the drivers feet were stuck out in front of the front wheels so when they crashed, which happened more often then than now, it basically mamed the drivers ankles and feet. Nice thought while you are trying to win the targa Floria through windy mountains and towns!

[kary]

Street cars:

I agree with your 1979 911 Turbo, big gears (4 speed) losts of turbo lag. When it finally kicks in you might not be ready for it. Though many great drivers were able to time it well coming out of corners making it a dominate car through the 935 moby's. BTW, that was my expereince when I drove the 79 turbo.

[ttweed]

Oh yea, I forgot about the 908/3 That car was hard to drive really fast but the real tough part was the drivers feet were stuck out in front of the front wheels

Kary-
I think you're right about the first gen 917 being the hardest to drive due to the aero problems causing instability, but I remember an interview with Brian Redman where he said the 908/3 was one of the sweetest handling cars Porsche ever built, it was just very dangerous from the forward driving position, as you say.

I'd also agree that the early turbos would be the hardest street car to drive well, due to the rapid power increase when they spool up. Porsche actually quit exporting them to the USA in the early '80s because of product liability problems (unskilled American drivers getting in trouble with them sued the factory.) When they come on boost in the middle of a corner, it's hard to stay on the gas without running out of road, and if you lift you're going to spin. Modulating the throttle in those situations would take great care.

TT

[martinreinhardt]

Crowing up, my oncle owned a 911 3.3l Turbo he was telling eveybody this is a 'Heckschleuder' (google translation = tail centrifuge) and very dangerious for an unexperienced Porsche driver.

[David J Marguglio]

Tom, you may be more familiar with this story that I, but I heard that one of the largest lawsuits that you mentioned came from a La Jolla widow. Apparently, her husband was running his early turbo up (or was it down) mt. soledad and when the turbo spooled up, he lost control and ran through a house ultimately killing him. The story goes that her subsequest suit was the final nail in the coffin for US turbos. Or maybe that's just urban legend?

[ttweed]

Tom, you may be more familiar with this story that I, but I heard that one of the largest lawsuits that you mentioned came from a La Jolla widow.

I have heard that same story, which is not to say that it isn't an urban legend. I'm sure some of the older club members could verify it if true.

TT