Last time I wanted to discuss slipping and sliding-- it was largely to vocalize that I didn't feel that the indicator light served a respectable purpose. Today I have something quite different to discuss-- how much fun it can be to drive in (controlled) conditions where that particular light stays on the whole time! As a girl from the West Coast, I really never learnt how to do a doughnut-- when there was snow, it usually wasn't very much and the whole city was often cloaked in a blanket of nervous anxiety. Motor-vehicle accidents would rise exponentially. The thought of finding an empty lot to spin your car around in circles on purpose just wasn't a natural one. Hmmm… maybe I just had unadventurous friends...
Last week we took the cars to an all-year track facility “Mecaglisse” to test a group of Porsches (a Cayman, a Cayman S and a Boxster S) as winter vehicles. Sound crazy? It did to me! I guess I'm still caught up in what I have been educated is an 'old school' mentality-- the frame of mind of 10-15 years ago when it would be absolutely absurd to keep your sportscar on the road for the winter months. The technological advances that have been made in the last decade mean (in theory) that with the proper set of tires, should the owner of a Porsche possess the desire to drive their car year-round-- they can. In the case of Porsche, this is largely (but not exclusively) thanks to 'PSM,' a system that effectively corrects and maintains your traction control.
Now what good is a theory without being put to the test? Armed with an open mind and accompanied by some of the finest pros, we put the Porsches to the test! 'PSM' certainly goes a long way! When behind the wheel, even a regular Joe like me can feel the system at work! But the real fun, if you ask me, is when (under safe conditions like a closed winter track) you turn the 'PSM' off! I've never spun like that before! What a riot! Ok, so it made my co-pilot/boss a little nervous-- but hey, you only live once right?! Wheeeeee! LOL! Watch for the piece on the show-- it will be featured next week as part of our “Winter Wheels” series!
Last week we took the cars to an all-year track facility “Mecaglisse” to test a group of Porsches (a Cayman, a Cayman S and a Boxster S) as winter vehicles. Sound crazy? It did to me! I guess I'm still caught up in what I have been educated is an 'old school' mentality-- the frame of mind of 10-15 years ago when it would be absolutely absurd to keep your sportscar on the road for the winter months. The technological advances that have been made in the last decade mean (in theory) that with the proper set of tires, should the owner of a Porsche possess the desire to drive their car year-round-- they can. In the case of Porsche, this is largely (but not exclusively) thanks to 'PSM,' a system that effectively corrects and maintains your traction control.
Now what good is a theory without being put to the test? Armed with an open mind and accompanied by some of the finest pros, we put the Porsches to the test! 'PSM' certainly goes a long way! When behind the wheel, even a regular Joe like me can feel the system at work! But the real fun, if you ask me, is when (under safe conditions like a closed winter track) you turn the 'PSM' off! I've never spun like that before! What a riot! Ok, so it made my co-pilot/boss a little nervous-- but hey, you only live once right?! Wheeeeee! LOL! Watch for the piece on the show-- it will be featured next week as part of our “Winter Wheels” series!