Porsche 911 Carrera S as a motorway cruiser

raptor2004

I know it is a powerful car but I don't drive fast, I like to cruise slowly and don't care much for performance or ragging it like a boy racer. This is why I decided to stick with budget tires

Herzlos

raptor2004 said:

I know it is a powerful car but I don't drive fast, I like to cruise slowly and don't care much for performance or ragging it like a boy racer. This is why I decided to stick with budget tires

Then why the fudge did you buy a high performance car? This definitely sounds like our old friend again.

In case you are serious; even if you're not driving 'fast', it's a very high powered rear wheel drive car that cost you £40k. You don't want to spin in at a roundabout and write it off over £200 worth of tyres.

raptor2004

Herzlos said:

raptor2004 said:

I know it is a powerful car but I don't drive fast, I like to cruise slowly and don't care much for performance or ragging it like a boy racer. This is why I decided to stick with budget tires

Then why the fudge did you buy a high performance car? This definitely sounds like our old friend again.

In case you are serious; even if you're not driving 'fast', it's a very high powered rear wheel drive car that cost you £40k. You don't want to spin in at a roundabout and write it off over £200 worth of tyres.

I like the looks of it, it has always been a dream car of mine since I was a young boy. I know it can go fast but for me its just the looks and styling

Goudy

raptor2004 said:

On my way home I filled up but only getting 25 mpg doing 60 mph?! Is this normal?

Yes, that's about right.
Think high teens for town and mid 20's for the motorway and if you really nurse it on the cruise you might see 30+ mpg (if you can nurse it long enough to get the average up).

I'll echo some other posters and wish you good luck with it.
By the sounds of the flaky service history, it's been out of specialist or dealer hands for a while but you could with some investment get it back on track.

Doing this should help protect it's value but I have no doubt that sending it to a specialist to do this is going to cost.

I also wouldn't chance those tyres, it's Michelin Pilot Super Sports or nothing on one of these.
Most owners from new couldn't get rid of the OEM Pirelli's fast enough, god knows what it'd be like on mid range tyres, let alone budget ones.
Good chance they won't last long anyway, what with all the weight and power over the back axle, chances are it's false economy.

Herzlos

raptor2004 said:

Herzlos said:

raptor2004 said:

I know it is a powerful car but I don't drive fast, I like to cruise slowly and don't care much for performance or ragging it like a boy racer. This is why I decided to stick with budget tires

Then why the fudge did you buy a high performance car? This definitely sounds like our old friend again.

In case you are serious; even if you're not driving 'fast', it's a very high powered rear wheel drive car that cost you £40k. You don't want to spin in at a roundabout and write it off over £200 worth of tyres.

I like the looks of it, it has always been a dream car of mine since I was a young boy. I know it can go fast but for me its just the looks and styling

A Carrera S PDK specifically? Because if you're not going to drive it sportily, why not spend a quarter of that on a cheaper Porsche, given they all look pretty much the same.

Though I'm more convinced this is a wind up. Do we need to go through the custard test farce again?

raptor2004

Goudy said:

raptor2004 said:

On my way home I filled up but only getting 25 mpg doing 60 mph?! Is this normal?

Yes, that's about right.
Think high teens for town and mid 20's for the motorway and if you really nurse it on the cruise you might see 30+ mpg (if you can nurse it long enough to get the average up).

I'll echo some other posters and wish you good luck with it.
By the sounds of the flaky service history, it's been out of specialist or dealer hands for a while but you could with some investment get it back on track.

Doing this should help protect it's value but I have no doubt that sending it to a specialist to do this is going to cost.

I also wouldn't chance those tyres, it's Michelin Pilot Super Sports or nothing on one of these.
Most owners from new couldn't get rid of the OEM Pirelli's fast enough, god knows what it'd be like on mid range tyres, let alone budget ones.
Good chance they won't last long anyway, what with all the weight and power over the back axle, chances are it's false economy.

I am a bit disappointed because the official MPG figures are:
Urban 25.20 mpg
Extra Urban 43.50 mpg

Combined 34.40 mpg

I understand its a 11 year old car so may not achieve 43.5 mpg on a motorway but I would expect mid-high 30s at the very least, especially doing 60 mph.

I have used budget tires for a while now and found they last longer than premium tires.

Tucosalamanca

Carrera S, damp British roads and budget tyres would be a recipe for disaster.

I don't think that @raptor2004 has ever driven a performance car. 

Basic servicing, budget tyres, mid 30s mpg, £40k car, visiting the tyre shop, only replacing two and leaving with tyres on 3-4mm of tread.
It's complete nonsense. Sorry, I don't believe you!

Wonka_2

raptor2004 said:

I have used budget tires for a while now and found they last longer than premium tires.

They won’t because you’ll either stick it in a hedge backwards or you’ll try to sell it because of the economy and it’ll be unsaleable because anyone coming to view it will just laugh 

There’s a massive difference between budget tyres on a Yaris and on a 911 - a bit like the brakes (where a 911 has rear ones as well as fronts)

And for the economy what did your Yaris do vs the published figures ??

Herzlos

raptor2004 said:

Goudy said:

raptor2004 said:

On my way home I filled up but only getting 25 mpg doing 60 mph?! Is this normal?

Yes, that's about right.
Think high teens for town and mid 20's for the motorway and if you really nurse it on the cruise you might see 30+ mpg (if you can nurse it long enough to get the average up).

I'll echo some other posters and wish you good luck with it.
By the sounds of the flaky service history, it's been out of specialist or dealer hands for a while but you could with some investment get it back on track.

Doing this should help protect it's value but I have no doubt that sending it to a specialist to do this is going to cost.

I also wouldn't chance those tyres, it's Michelin Pilot Super Sports or nothing on one of these.
Most owners from new couldn't get rid of the OEM Pirelli's fast enough, god knows what it'd be like on mid range tyres, let alone budget ones.
Good chance they won't last long anyway, what with all the weight and power over the back axle, chances are it's false economy.

I am a bit disappointed because the official MPG figures are:
Urban 25.20 mpg
Extra Urban 43.50 mpg

Combined 34.40 mpg

I understand its a 11 year old car so may not achieve 43.5 mpg on a motorway but I would expect mid-high 30s at the very least, especially doing 60 mph.

I have used budget tires for a while now and found they last longer than premium tires.

Yeah, there's no chance you're getting that unless you drive to the test cycle, and you won't. It's "getting overtaken by tractors" slow. You might get your 43.5mpg doing a constant 40-50mph on a good day.

I couldn't get 30mpg out of a 2.5l so I don't imagine you'll do much better with a 3.8l.

But what made you think you'd actually get 40mpg? Have you heard of any owners getting close to that? Did any of your previous cars get close to the manufacturers figures? Did you do any research?

A good rule of thumb I've  had is to just stick to the urban figure, 25mpg, which is pretty much what you get. The extra-urban is fantasy.

The reason your cheap tyres lasted longer is because they have a harder compound, which means less grip.

It's not a big deal in, say, a 60bhp front wheel drive Yaris, because even if you manage to lose grip you'll understeer. It's a big deal in a 400bhp rear wheel drive Porsche, because giving it a blip too much power on a greasy roundabout on cheap tyres will make it spin.

You said you spent £40k on this car, so why risk cheaping out on tyres? Why are you so obsessed with fuel economy? Are you doing a lot of miles?

raptor2004

Herzlos said:

raptor2004 said:

Herzlos said:

raptor2004 said:

I know it is a powerful car but I don't drive fast, I like to cruise slowly and don't care much for performance or ragging it like a boy racer. This is why I decided to stick with budget tires

Then why the fudge did you buy a high performance car? This definitely sounds like our old friend again.

In case you are serious; even if you're not driving 'fast', it's a very high powered rear wheel drive car that cost you £40k. You don't want to spin in at a roundabout and write it off over £200 worth of tyres.

I like the looks of it, it has always been a dream car of mine since I was a young boy. I know it can go fast but for me its just the looks and styling

A Carrera S PDK specifically? Because if you're not going to drive it sportily, why not spend a quarter of that on a cheaper Porsche, given they all look pretty much the same.

Though I'm more convinced this is a wind up. Do we need to go through the custard test farce again?

Yes it is the Carrera S PSK with the chrono (not sure what that does exactly but it was an optional extra from factory). I just happened to find it at a good price, I was not intentionally going for any specific model