Porsche Artic Experience: 911 GTS on Swedish Ice – Sports Cars

Porsche Artic Experience: 911 GTS on Swedish Ice – Sports Cars

What better way than celebrating 30 years of Porsche all-wheel drive on a frozen Swedish lake and a slew of 911s?

These days in Milan they complain that the temperature has dropped to -2 degrees Celsius, but here in Skelleftea, in the evening, there are -25... I have not been to this remote corner Sweden freeze to death or pet the deer, not even admire the northern lights (although I would really like it); I am murmuring here about something infinitely more hilarious. Porsche is celebrating 30 years of all-wheel drive, and the birthday party seems apt: porsche 911 gts, A 3-kilometer track, "sculpted" on the surface of a frozen lake, and a day of non-stop crossing. All with instructors Porsche Driving Experience to explain how to get the most out of 911 on this 70cm layer of ice.The instructors who, I have to say, more than just castrate and calm us down encouraged us to strive to reach the limit, in fact, some 911s have exceeded the limit, "Drowning" in the dusty Lapland snow.

HOLIDAYS

Porsche has a long tradition of building four-wheel drive vehicles, starting with Carrera 911 964... Almost all models in the Porsche lineup are now also available with four-wheel drive, but to celebrate on ice, none of them fit better than Porsche 911 GTS.

911 signed GTS è Carrera with all the plus: power, agility, performance and exclusivity. The bodywork is the same as the Carrera 4, with the addition of some sportier details and some tighter muscles; It comes standard with 20-inch wheels from its sister Turbo with one nut. Its trim is 20mm lower than the S, and a 7-speed PDK gearbox and sports exhaust come standard. But that's not all: the 3.0-liter twin-turbo boxer picks up 30bhp. and rises to a height. 450 CV (and 550 Nm of torque), this is enough to start a Porsche 911 GTS with 0-100 km / h in 4,1 seconds (3,7 with PDK) to maximum speed 312 km / h.

But what interests us most today is that version "4" sets Porsche Traction Management (PTM): Porsche's most advanced all-wheel drive system. Thanks to thousands of sensors and fast calculations that the electronic brain can perform, PTM guarantees maximum tractive effort in all conditions, distributing torque between the axles as quickly and accurately as possible.

La Porsche 911 GTS Coupe, at a price of 131.431 euro, located halfway between the Carrera S and the 991 GT3, and is also available in Cabrio and Targa versions, both with two- and four-wheel drive.

TWO GAMES

La The all-wheel drive Carrera GTS requires a different driving style... You have to be neater and cleaner to extend the traverse, and if 4 is really hard to hit the tail, then 2 you will always be hanging on a thin thread. Either way, the 911's rear engine keeps the wheels on the ground well, and grip out of corners is good: you just need to give the wheels enough spin and upshift as soon as you can. ... The beam angle is also much smaller than that of the GTS 4.while the steering will make you stretch a lot more. It's a more complex car, but that's why it is more fun.

The question we all ask is: which is better of the two? Probably a matter of taste. One thing's for sure GTS 4 is easier and faster in almost all situations, and in the snow she is simply lustful. The GTS "2" is more accurate on the track, cleaner and lighter, but also requires more experienced hands. For me, who loves to kick off the gas pedal and make traverses with unlikely angles (at least on snow), I have no doubt: I prefer the all-wheel drive version.

DIRECTLY NOT EVEN FOR A JOKE

I don’t deny it: snow driving is one of the things i love the most, especially if the considered four-wheeled object has four-wheel drive, studded tires and tendency to oversteer. The course is long, technical and designed for the maximum possible errors; There are also a couple of points where interesting speeds are achieved, two tricky chicanes and two tight hairpins where – with a little skill – you can reach on a pendulum with the car almost in reverse and with four that shovel snow like crazy. I lied: there is and in stock Porsche 911 GTS all-wheel drive, both for educational purposes and to point out the difference in four-wheel drive efficiency. However, I start with the number "4". The studded tires hold well, but not as tightly as I expected, so things are pretty slow. However, the deadlift is large and you have to go there, just not delicately, with your right foot to do some good traverses. When entering corners, the 911 GTS 4 behaves like rear-wheel drive: gas click and tail glides smoothly; at this point, however, if you want to extend the yoke, you must keep the steering closed and press on the gas until the vehicle reaches the desired angle. Straighten the steering, open the throttle and you'll be confused like ballistic missiles, but most of all with a smile that runs across your face. With such a wide and heavy underbody, the 911 "wastes time" it is a pleasure, especially if you help it with the click of the brake when changing direction. I can't think of a more fun way to spend your day.

PORSCHE DRIVING SCHOOL COURSES

Our snow skiing experience can be repeated by anyone on the slopes The Porsche Driving Experience. This is, in particular, called Ice Experience Artic, going on three days and no special skill level is required. It costs 3.900,00 euros + VAT, and apart from the excluded flight, it includes room, board and all minimum expenses. If you want to stay in the snow, there is also a course Ice Experience Italia, which takes place in Livigno. and lasts one day. Price EUR 1.200,00 + VAT. Porsche Italia, in any case, organizes numerous driving courses on the track, ranging from "basic". Warm up, precision and power, passing the most specialized Performance e High performance, to race, a course that includes the use of a racing Cayman GT4 with telemetry and all relevant data. Also there is no shortage of courses off-road with Porsche Macan and Cayenne cars and those Classic with historical cars.