The steady march of progress often comes with some compromises. In Porsche's case, the naturally aspirated 981-generation GT4 has given way to faster and more capable turbocharged 718-generation mid-engine monsters. With a flatter torque curve and an earlier power delivery, the 718 Cayman GTS puts up a faster lap-time at nearly any track than the GT4 of just a couple years ago, even on less sticky tires. The chassis has been improved for maximum grip, a new turbocharged four-cylinder has been mounted where that glorious 3.8-liter flat-six once sat, and the electronics have all been exploited to make the driver near God-like. In many ways, yes. One only needs to watch this great video from Matt Farah on The Smoking Tire channel on YouTube to get a good comparison between the two Porsches. While Matt seems content to trade audible engagement for speed and torque, I am not quite as sold on the new car.
The first few minutes of the video are at the wheel of a friend's GT4, and that sound is second to none. It may well be one of the best sounding cars Porsche has ever built. It's high on induction noise and that exhaust note is just mind-bendingly lovely. Both the 718 and the 981 are incredible in their own ways, but I'll take the keys to the one with the wing every time. The rumor mill is churning with reports that a new GT4 is coming, and it'll be powered by a detuned version of the current GT3's 4-liter naturally aspirated flat six. I count that as a victory for potential GT4 buyers, because the improved 718 chassis will pair quite well with the big six. As long as it's still available with a manual transmission, it will take the new mantle. For now, maybe lease a 718 for a while and wait for the new GT4 to launch.
When you lift off the accelerator, there鈥檚 a muted crackle like a thousand ball bearings cascading over a wooden floor while the underlying bassy boom dies away with the fading engine revs. The disparate layers of sound seem to come form opposite ends of the car like two speakers each at end of a room. Walk around it and you hear different amounts of each. Music is often made by instruments - technologies not that dissimilar from machines and internal combustion engines. Those machines reflect the work of human beings who very creatively made artifacts of power and awe, that bluster their stuff in unique ways. There is one other aspect of the Riverside Records sports car series worth mentioning. Namely the record jackets are often works of art in their own right. Often the work of Bill鈥檚 wife Jane Grauer, the covers are at times stunning representations of cars, engines, and Bugatti grills. Art, jazz, and sports cars, along with watches and cameras, they all came together during the 1950s and 1960s. Riverside Records, still recognized for its achievements in the arts, also left a legacy in automotive history. 路 RLP 5001 V.S. 路 RLP 5002 V.S. 路 RLP 5003 V.S. 路 RLP 5008/5009 V.S. 路 RLP 5010 V.S. 路 RLP 5011 V.S. 路 RLP 5012 V.S. 路 RLP 5013 V.S. 路 RLP 5014 V.S. 路 RLP 5015 V.S. 路 RLP 5016 V.S. Grand Prix Of The U.S. 路 RLP 5017 V.S. 路 RLP 5018 V.S. 路 RLP 5020 V.S. 路 RLP 5021 V.S. Grand Prix Of The U.S. 路 RLP 5022 V.S. 路 RLP 5023 V.S. 路 RLP 5024 V.S. 路 RLP 5025/5026 V.S. 路 RLP 5027 V.S. 路 RLP 5028 V.S. 路 RLP 5501 V.S. 路 RLP 5502 V.S. 路 RLP 5503 V.S. 路 RLP 5504 V.S. 路 RLP 5506 V.S. 路 RLP 5509 V.S. 路 RLP 5515 V.S. 路 RLP 5516 V.S. 路 RLP 5517 V.S. 路 RLP 5518 V.S. 路 RLP 5519 V.S. 路 RLP 5520 V.S.
With about 15 laps left (which is pretty much means at the end of the race) he actually said that he thought the Bridgestone guys could make an impact on the race and fight for the overall win. With an interval of almost a minute? In F1, that may as well be an hour. What a moron. I hate coverage other than Speed TV and we collectively cringe when we hear another channel is providing coverage, unless Bob, David and Steve are doing the commentary that is. After Mansell faded from the F1 scene, I was in search of a new hero. I was never a huge Senna fan. I respected his talent and hated it when he died driving a Williams. I think it still haunts Frank and Patrick. But there was this new kid, this fearless German and he won back to back titles with the upstart Benetton team. His name of course is Michael Schumacher. By now I had kids of my own and they followed F1 with me and we all watched Michael week after week.