Im sure there is a test drive thread but I havent found it sorry. However just got back from a very nice test drive from the Guildford GR Centre where David was very helpful and left me to head out unaccompanied with £40 of fuel and no deadline to be back, sadly I didnt take the afternoon off work so limited myself to a generous 1hr drive around Surrey, Dorking-Guildford area which mixed up the surface from smooth and flowing to bumpy B roads. Surfaces were dry bar a few damp patches.
Summary:
I feel very lucky to be having one of these cars coming to me in a number of days/weeks/months/years/ice ages (tbc), first time I've seen smurf blue in real life and its very nice, makes me feel my silver is quite boring but I still think it looks great in silver luckily. From a driving experience it really is a fantastic piece of engineering but not one that is cold, I think it has a genuine personality of its own and can do it all from traffic and urban areas to the flowing roads of the countryside.
The demo car had just 13 miles on it when I got in which is basically the dealer putting fuel in + delivery, so I was the first to drive it! I didnt thrash it, after all it is not worn in and not my car, but will be someone's someday! However it didnt need taking to 7k rpm, there is a bundle of accessible torque from 2-4/5k rpm which allows you to make all the progress you need for corner to corner driving, its not a 0-60 drag race car and in a straight line isnt slow but isnt modern day sports car fast, but thats irrelevant as its 100% about the bends, it can link up the corners beautifully, there is nothing to distract you, just drive and enjoy. Could probably bore people for hours about it, but I'll just tell my girlfriend the rest until she zones out
Highlights:
- Brakes are fantastic - GRY level of feel and power, you can modulate the pedal due to the feel and it really grips/slows down well
- Steering - for EPAS its probably one of the better units out there, havent driven an EPAS Porsche for a while but probably on a par with a 981 Cayman
- Seats were perfect size, shape comfort and grip you in the bends (Im 5'9" and the car is perfect, I even raised the seat up a bit as dont like being too low!)
- Suspension, its a sports car so its firm but rides well, not choppy, you can feel its a light car, about as firm as an BMW M Sport suspension (not M car) but much better compliance.
- Driving enjoyment, find an open road with some bends and no horse boxes/cyclists/tractors/lorries (which is what Surrey was full of today!) and you can really get the car to flow, a new car to me so didnt corner at highspeed but at no point was I even close to the limits.
- Gearbox is good notchy, positive and tight, similar to a GRY, wouldnt mind a shorter shift though.
- Normal Aspiration
almost forgot, the throttle is instant, the car eager to go as soon as you accelerate, wonderful direct feel.
- An oil temp gauge, at last, you know when the engine is really warmed up!
- Interior quality it for the price of the car brilliant, very well put together, nice looking, not exciting but functional and the leather/alcantera touches are really nice, the stuff that matters is good the stuff that doesnt is more than good enough.
Other notes:
- Clutch will take me some getting used to initially, its quite a high bite and a bit of an unnatural feel to me, a few drives and sure it'll be smoother.
- Stereo - good enough is probably the best I can give it, more than adequate for day to day but not rich or of a premium sound like Bose etc
- Piped in engine note - only really noticed it at higher revs, dont think it'll bother me, it might be better than the lack of sound from the exhaust...
- the exhaust is almost silent, really wish it could come with a switchable sports exhaust as it sounds very boring, but thats GPFs for you
- Lots of menu settings to play with when you get your car and the unit is fast and intuitive, love the fact all day to day controls are buttons not touch screen stuff. Didnt find the sat nav though so maybe it needs enabling im not sure.
Based on the excessive amount I have typed into here its fair to say I enjoyed my drive so much, really really want mine asap but it'll be worth the wait and I dont think I'll ever sell it!!
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www.gr-zoo.com
I feel like we can make the front work ok on the 86 but if they put 2 holes in the boot lid then that will be harder to cover up! Doesn't have the mounting holes like the GRY.
