Your fleet running reports

[scotta]

More track action in the Loltus on Saturday. Took my mate up for some passenger laps as he's had a fairly shit cancer prognosis recently

some fairly interesting stuff out on track - seriously out gunned on the BHP front!

https://www.facebook.com/V9Photoworks/p ... 3769237972






What apex??




Errm - not your typical track car!


Massive stoopid wing on the back of this but i actually really liked it.



He was properly leaning on it also!



FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!

[Beany]

Ah yes, we've discussed this before I think!

Anyway, picked up a hood cleaning kit from Halfrauds yesterday (went there to pick up ramps, completely forgot them), and intended to go to the jetwash to give the car a blow-over and get crap off it. Noticed the local Polish HandWash was open. So slipped in there.

They did a pretty good job for a fiver, honestly.

So just the roof to clean up.

so your update is that you bought some hood cleaning kit, but haven’t used it?

I went shopping.

And completely forgot the thing I went out for, and did something else entirely that I hadn't really intended to do, because I am amazing.

[Coaster1]

Trip to Anglesey and back, the Evora proving once again to be an exceptional GT car. Never missed a beat, whipping the rear seats out (held in by velco, no less) left loads of room for luggage, with the boot holding far more than I expected.

Amusing about the velcro, very Lotus

911’s rear seats are held in by Velcro too.

[Coaster1]

New windscreen fitted. National Windscreens Southampton did an excellent job.

Saint-Gobain have updated their logo/ marking to include a QR code, so the marking is different to the ‘original’ front/side/rear glass.

The technician said the new windscreen cost £900, thankfully I only had to pay the insurance excess.

[JonMad]

Result!

Bought a set of used slicks to try out on the Fabia on a track day (given it's caged with harnesses and all).
£12.39 for 4. Will cost a touch more in fuel to collect them, then there's fitting, but still, not bad.

[Coaster1]

Result!

Bought a set of used slicks to try out on the Fabia on a track day (given it's caged with harnesses and all).
£12.39 for 4. Will cost a touch more in fuel to collect them, then there's fitting, but still, not bad.

£12.39

[240PP]

Had a nail in one of the Boxster rears, both were an advisory on the recent MOT so put new Pirellis on.

I sort of wish I hadn’t googled what tyres to go for. It sent me into a world of internet squabbling about Porsche approved ‘N’ rated tyres and is it all marketing bollocks or is there actually a lot of research and testing behind it etc. I went with N rated in the end, there’s no real price difference from what I could see, it just limits your choice somewhat.

[Jimmy Choo]

Disaster was averted as the windscreen on the mini was repaired, not replaced on Sunday.

[integrale_evo]

Popped to a local classic car show on Sunday, had a lovely cruise back through the countryside in the merc with all the windows dropped. Ticked over the 40k mile mark just as we got back.

Sounds lovely when next to a wall or building, just too quiet. Tempted to bung a switchable bypass valve in somewhere behind the rear silencer.

[scotta]

Had a nail in one of the Boxster rears, both were an advisory on the recent MOT so put new Pirellis on.

I sort of wish I hadn’t googled what tyres to go for. It sent me into a world of internet squabbling about Porsche approved ‘N’ rated tyres and is it all marketing bollocks or is there actually a lot of research and testing behind it etc. I went with N rated in the end, there’s no real price difference from what I could see, it just limits your choice somewhat.

Ive heard stories of insurance claims not being met if non "N" rated tyres being fitted.

Could have been bollocks though as i heard it at a Porsche event.

[Rich B]

Popped to a local classic car show on Sunday, had a lovely cruise back through the countryside in the merc with all the windows dropped. Ticked over the 40k mile mark just as we got back.

Sounds lovely when next to a wall or building, just too quiet. Tempted to bung a switchable bypass valve in somewhere behind the rear silencer.

it sounds odd when you talk about one of your cars ticking over 40k miles! At first I thought you must have done a typo and meant 400!

[integrale_evo]

It hadn't been washed for 5 weeks, it had probably done more miles in those 5 weeks than it had each year for the previous 8 years of its life

My mito is on 37k, but is 6 years newer, and with my commute will soon overtake the merc.

18 months ago we were driving a 150k e46 touring and 270k e36

[Sundayjumper]

I sort of wish I hadn’t googled what tyres to go for. It sent me into a world of internet squabbling about Porsche approved ‘N’ rated tyres and is it all marketing bollocks or is there actually a lot of research and testing behind it etc.

Yeah. It's the like when someone asks which oil is the best.

My ha'penneth on Porsche tyres, acknowledging that the Boxster won't be quite the same:

Falken FK451 - grip was OK but they always felt very floatly at the back as if they were too soft. Upping the pressures just started to wear them quickly in the centre of the tread. They gradually got better as they bedded in (over a few thousand miles) but then noticeably went off as they got close to the wear limit.

ContiSport N2 - people don't seem to like them but I've been perfectly happy. They completely fixed the "floaty" back end. This convinced me that there is something to the "N" ratings, even if it's just making the rear tyres extra-stiff to cope with the extra weight.

Federal 595RSR - worked nicely on track for my level of driving. Fine on the road too although I've not tried them properly in the wet. I liked the fact they come in 88/97 load rating front/rear which (IMO) suits the 911.

[Sundayjumper]

Ive heard stories of insurance claims not being met if non "N" rated tyres being fitted.

Could have been bollocks though as i heard it at a Porsche event.

I've always filed this under internet-bollocks along with all the other "if you don't do <X> your insurance will be invalidated" stories that get constantly regurgitated but strangely are never from a first-hand experience. My closest real life experience was when Gavster's 328i Sport got written off in a hit-and-run incident. While sorting out the paperwork Gavster noticed that his MOT had expired. Internet lore would suggest that all kinds of bad things will happen but the insurance company said "no problem, we will just reduce the payout by 10%" and went on with processing the claim.

However, Porsche are notoriously picky when it comes to warranty claims, so maybe some crossed wires.

[240PP]

Ive heard stories of insurance claims not being met if non "N" rated tyres being fitted.

Could have been bollocks though as i heard it at a Porsche event.

It is bollocks, and about the only thing teh internetz seem to agree about on the subject. As long as the wheels have the correct size tyres on then all’s good. Think the Porsche warranties are affected though.

Thanks for the insight, SJ.

[GG.]

Interestingly I always thought it was total bollocks too and they were identical tyres, however, I then came across an article with pictures of cutaways of manufacturer approved tyres and their non rated counterparts showing difference in sidewall thickeness etc. Damned if I can find the article now though.

That said it’s clearly only a small factor in this game as clearly a modified or not Michelin PS2 (which I believe is the last tyre approved for a 987) cant hope to hold a candle to even a standard Pilot Sport 4S which has benefited from a decade of tyre tech advancement.

General rule for porkers is if in warranty, be a good boy and fit N rated as if it lunches an IMS bearing and you get a 10k bill, etc. or I guess these days, a PDK box maybe you don’t want to give them ANY excuse to walk. If not warranted then fit the best Michelins you can get. Other stuff will be better if you’re regularly going on track etc. but if not the tyres from the roly poly man are generally going to do the business.

[Jobbo]

Since there’s a lot of commonality of sizes across Porsche tyres, you can fit N-rated tyres intended for a Cayenne on your Boxster. It’ll satisfy the fanboys but it’s stupid.

Virtually all manufacturers get bespoke variants of standard tyres now, even Volvo FFS. It’s utterly irrelevant because 2 years after the car was new, the state of the art has moved on; but the OEM approved tyres stay the same...

[Sundayjumper]

Jobbo - I'll agree in principle, that (say) BMW-rated & Merc-rated tyres are smoke & mirrors and most likely interchangeable, but I am convinced that a 911 needs a bit more care in tyre choice due to its unusual weight distribution.

[mik]

I've always felt the N-Rating argument was mince too. Particularly when new tyres are released which completely out perform the N-rated tyres for a car.

Yes you need to be more careful in choosing tyres with a 911. No question.

Weight distribution of the Evora is extremely 911-esque however (mid-engined 2+2 after all). The first owner of my car had ditched the OEM Pirelli's and switched to MPSS instead (fitted as OEM on the newer Evora400). He also switched to the Evora400 rear size (285 width as opposed to 275). Lots of others have done the same and general opinion is that this provides a significant improvement. (I can't comment as it is all I have known). Reflecting the weight distribution, fronts have 91 load rating vs 99 on the rear. In Porsche-world this approach would probably cause much N-rating controversy.

[GG.]

Pressures are also very important - IIRC rears on a 997.2 are 40psi standard and supposedly 44psi for 2/3 passengers and luggage!

F/R weight distribution is not the only factor. The Evora will get close to the 911 on the bare splits but the 911 will have a higher polar moment of inertia as basically the entire block is behind the rear axle and outside of the wheelbase versus pretty much on top of it for the Evora - plus more of a "pogo" effect that you really feel over big undulations.