Top three things to make your GT car more fun on the road!
We buy our Porsches for all sorts of reasons, tasks and events. The revered ‘Porsche GT’ series of cars have always been marketed as the ultimate track car for the road, with very good reason. If you ever attend a trackday you will note the volume of Porsches outweighs all the other marques combined.
However, a lot of owners buy their GT Porsche to enjoy them on the road. This is the case whether it’s a GT3, GT4, GT2 or even the mighty selection of RS variants of these models. In fact, taking a wild guess we would estimate that more Porsche GT cars are not used on circuit than those that are.
On the face of it, this would seem strange given their track prowess. Yet those who have owned any of these models will probably attest to the fact that part of their decision to buy one was to enjoy the road ownership experience of Porsche’s much heralded flagship model not just its outrageous performance.
That enjoyment includes going on road trips, taking friends and family out or even going to work in them. Those who would say that you cannot enjoy a GT Porsche on the road to its maximum, are totally correct, but are equally missing the point – the joy of owning them is to use and create memories.
We are often asked can buyers have their GT Porsche optimised for the road instead of the track, without sacrificing the exquisite dynamics Porsche engineered into the car. The answer is yes and here are three popular tweaks to make your Porsche GT3 more enjoyable on the road:
Suspension
From 1999 to current GT3, all the Porsche GT cars have adjustable suspension as standard. Whilst this usually means that owners like to make the car more aggressive, we can dial it back the other way too. The alignment settings that we use combined with adjustments to the antiroll bars mean that some of the hyper alert sensations that are super useful when hitting apex’s on circuit, are simply toned down a little.
This translates to a more predictable and stable steering feel because the nose is not aggressively following the cambers of the road. The car also gains better traction being more supple and able to work with the road undulations rather than bounce over them!
For those wanting to take a step further and start replacing suspension hardware, we have found that the Manthey KW suspension offerings are the route to take. Porsche themselves will still allow their warranties to be unaffected by fitting Manthey suspension to circuit models, underlining the quality of their components.
There is a common misconception of fitting coilovers to your GT Porsche is that it will make the ride rock hard, whereas the benefit these springs and dampers give is actually the wider ranges of adjustment. This allows us to make the cars ride smoother than standard. The more sophisticated dampers can control chassis movements faster and smoother, whilst still supporting the weight of the car whilst ‘pressing on’.
This also reduces the ‘bounce’ you feel when a suspension is overly firm and allows the spring to work by giving it more travel to do its job.
Exhausts
We all know the noise restrictions circuits have these days, a standard Porsche on track can occasionally struggle to pass the noise tests on some tracks. However, if you are going to use your GT Porsche mainly for road duties, you are able to unleash the wonderful noise the flat six is capable of producing. With the various filters and limitations of the OEM exhaust systems removed, the cars sound so much better.
Just spend five minutes on YouTube checking out Porsche upgraded exhausts! OEM exhausts are also relatively heavy given that they are built to a budget and the filters can often negatively impact the power and responsiveness of the engines too.
So, for a relatively modest investment, you can enhance the sound of your GT Porsche, make it weigh less and release some extra BHP. The OEM exhaust is easy to swap back on the car if, and when, you sell it. It doesn’t stop you doing the odd track day, you just have to look out for the ‘noisy days’ and can still have your fun.
Tyres
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 or Cup2R tyres are the ‘go to’ tyre for track or dry use in your GT Porsche no question! However, if you are looking to use your GT Porsche all year around, there are other tyres which are quite brilliant.
The Pilot Sport 4S tyre is an epic all-rounder, these tyres will cope with any conditions that the weather will throw at it. The author has experience of driving Porsche GT’s in the snow on these tyres, which coped admirably well but equally is not compromised on a circuit in the summer at 30 degrees Celsius.
The 4S wins as an ‘all-rounder’ tyre because it will provide excellent dry weather grip, really exceeding what is required of it on the road. The tread pattern of the 4S tyre is also much better than a Cup2 or Cup2R at dispelling water, which means using it throughout the winter and in low temperatures is far more reassuring, and therefor allows more fun! The Michelin 4S tyres also have softer sidewalls, which have a surprising ride quality, further aiding that road car feel.
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If you own a GT and would like to enjoy it even more on the road, contact Ollie or Lydia in our workshop on 01296 663 824 or contact us via the form below.
