2 months ago
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The Connecticut Valley Region (CVR) section of the Porsche Club of America (PCA) organized a Porsche-themed lawsuit connected August 3, 2024 astatine Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, CT. Lime Rock Park (LRP) is among 1 of the US' oldest continuously operated circuits (www.limerock.com). The circuit is located successful a peculiarly picturesque portion of northwest Connecticut. LRP is astir 3+ hours northbound of New York City, and astir 3 hours westbound of Boston. The past clip I visited LRP was a fewer years agone to spot a festival of Ferraris, and erstwhile I work the CVR email announcing the Porsche event, I thought it would beryllium a bully thought to shingle disconnected immoderate summertime lethargy and rotation implicit to spot what the lawsuit would person to offer. In a nutshell, I thought it was good worthy the effort (though successful hindsight, I should person taken much photos).
LRP has a main 1.5 mile circuit that runs on the periphery of the ~400 acre property. On the wrong of the way determination are 4 wide areas (1) the main contention paddock and prep country (2) a ample paved wide parking area, often utilized for autocross events oregon arsenic a supplementary paddock (3) a mini circuit (they telephone it the proving ground), often utilized for demo driving and acquisition events (4) a ample grassy unfastened abstraction (campground) for events, camping, and truthful on. LRP has a large instrumentality pursuing and the spot is usually engaged twelvemonth circular with assorted events. One contented with the LRP website is their evident penchant to lone publicize events sponsored oregon organized by LRP. They thin to not advertise oregon notation immoderate nine oregon non-LRP events. So, unless you get to cognize astir nine events from different sources, relying connected LRP's website to archer you what is going connected each week could origin you to miss events that mightiness person been of interest.
Getting backmost to the Porsche event, by the clip I rolled up astatine a fewer minutes past 10AM, astir fractional the campground appeared to beryllium filled with Porsches connected display. The show peaked astatine astir 11:30AM and by noon immoderate participants had started to leave.
Though I americium guessing, I judge implicit 150 cars attended. I was somewhat amazed that the azygous largest contingent was the 911 (in galore flavors, exemplary years, etc.). This is somewhat inconsistent with what 1 sees connected nationalist roads. In the US, you are much apt to spot a Cayenne oregon Macan. You often spot Panameras and the occasional Taycan. I americium assuming that events specified arsenic these pull the Porsche enthusiast alternatively than a Porsche proprietor (nothing incorrect with that, of course).
Right astatine the entranceway of the event, I noticed a Shark Blue 992.1 GT3 parked alongside a metallic 991.2 GT2 RS. Further along, determination was a Ruby Star Neo (pink to you and me) GT4 RS (with each those singular carbon-fiber aero elements), and a achromatic Carrera GT. Each of these correspond important markers successful Porsche's pantheon of precise peculiar cars. The Carrera GT is simply a ample car and, successful my opinion, not a peculiarly good proportioned oregon bully looking car (but what bash I know). Almost 20 years since it was launched, debased mileage examples of the Carrera GT spell astatine auctions for implicit $1.2 million. Later successful the afternoon, portion wandering successful the paddock area, I besides saw a 992.1 GT3 RS (the 1 with the gigantic helping and the Weissach logo) that was being tracked. Those cars are rather uncommon and buying 1 caller usually requires precise bully connections, oregon a willingness wage tens of thousands implicit MSRP. In immoderate case, immoderate brave psyche had decided that was what helium wanted arsenic his way time tool.
On the campgrounds, determination were respective antithetic models successful a assortment of colors. At 1 extremity of the spectrum, determination were immoderate task cars that were inactive being restored, portion astatine the different extremity determination were immoderate comparatively caller 992.1 models. I did not spot immoderate 992.2s - apt inactive excessively new. Other sports car models included 928, 924/944, 718, 918, 914, 356, etc. There were a bully fig of cabrios, but I did not spot immoderate Targas. It whitethorn person been asking excessively much, but determination were nary 959's oregon 918's. There were a fewer Cayennes, Macans and astatine slightest 1 Panamera. I did not spot immoderate Taycans, though I observed that the campground had a radical of Porsche-badged electrical car charging stations.
Some notable cars and observations included the following:
1. A achromatic wrapped 992.1 with customized wheels (large discs with 5 holes). The proprietor indicated the underlying colour was besides black. Not truthful definite I liked either the wrapper oregon the wheels, though I appreciated the manual transmission. The proprietor did not inquire for my opinion, and I felt it wiser to support it to myself.
2. One car that caught my attraction was a 992.1 Carrera (or Carrera S - not sure) successful Aventurine Green with a beige interior. The greenish is astir grey successful color, but I rather liked the interior/exterior combination. The beige interior was offered arsenic a no-cost enactment to the achromatic interior that is somewhat much common. The ocular entreaty of this peculiar car was improved by the chrome borderline trim surrounding the broadside windows. This is not a commonly selected option, but made this car basal out. The purchaser had besides selected the exemplary designation delete option, and replaced it with the "911" badging successful non-italicized font leaving an aerial of enigma astir what circumstantial exemplary the car was.
3. Two cars away, I noticed a 992.1 Carrera S successful Agate Grey. I notation this lone to item the subtle quality betwixt the Agate Grey and Aventurine Green paint. You tin besides spot the blacked retired model borderline trim and the quad exhaust outlets.
4. Most supercar oregon classical car owners apt instrumentality keen involvement successful keeping their cars successful bully condition. But determination was this 928 with immoderate harm connected the close rear fender. What caught my attraction was the quotation from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "...'tis but a scratch...". Monty Python enthusiasts who cognize the country and the condemnation from the movie volition admit the joke.
5. There were respective 992.1 GT3 and GTS cars. Most of them appeared to beryllium equipped with manual transmissions. The 992.1 GT3 appears to person rocketed to the apical of the Porsche pantheon and reviews look to tally retired of words to picture however large the car is. This was the closest I had been to 1 of them. They look good, and the conception of combining a people aspirated motor with a manual transmission is interesting. These cars bash not person a frunk. Most of that abstraction is occupied by a ample radiator and a immense electrical fan. Not definite however they are to thrust (more particularly, not definite they lucifer my driving style).
6. I besides observed that astir of the newer exemplary cars (e.g., 991?s and 992?s) had PPF installed. In astir cases I saw afloat assemblage installations, portion successful a mates of cases, owners had preferred covering the hood, beforehand fenders and a tiny spot connected the starring borderline of the roof.
7. On the taxable of roofs, astir 911?s appeared to person been configured with solid sunroofs. There were precise fewer that had the sunroof delete option. One 992.1 was absorbing - it was a paint-to-sample Gulf Blue Carrera T with a manual transmission but a metallic (non-glass oregon c fiber) sunroof. Someone indispensable person picked that enactment intentionally. Personally, the solid sunroof introduces a unsocial look. When you spot the car from a height, it looks arsenic though a azygous curved solid sheet extends from the beforehand to the rear windscreen (more commonly seen connected Teslas).
8. Many of the newer cars (e.g., 991 and 992) were outfitted with PCCB. Those person ample rotors that look arsenic though they person already developed aboveground cracks similar an aged porcelain meal plate. PCCB is an costly option, but is said to beryllium utile connected the way since they seemingly connection accordant fade-free performance. This is rather astatine the different extremity compared to immoderate SUV?s that are equipped with comparatively tiny rotors - bully for 1 blistery stop.
Over connected 1 side, determination was the accustomed postulation of food, portion and crystal pick vending trucks. There was a tiny swap conscionable with a fewer exhibitors selling a postulation of old, hard-to-find parts, store manuals, posters, the celebrated Fuch's wheels, and truthful on. There were besides a fewer tuning shops, autarkic specializer Porsche work companies, and 1 oregon 2 spare parts resellers (e.g., FCP Euro) who were advertizing their capabilities and entertaining visitors.
On the different side, connected the proving ground, determination was a alternatively distracting lawsuit successful progress. An exotic car rental institution had, precise inconsiderately, brought on a Ferrari 488 (?), Lamborghini Aventador, Lamborghini Huracan and a Maserati MC20 and were offering 4-6 thigh packages. People seemed to beryllium precise interested, arsenic were young children who were being offered a 2-lap ride-along for $20. The lines were agelong and by the clip I wandered implicit to check, the hold was astir 2 hours. It was amusive to ticker those cars spell astir the mini-circuit. If determination is 1 happening the Italian cars bash truly well, that would beryllium the exhaust note. A screaming Italian V8 oregon V12 is rather the pinnacle of automotive music. Enough said astir the competition, but the Porsche assemblage did not look upset.
As the lawsuit coiled down, respective participants lined up and were permitted to instrumentality a mates of laps astir the main LRP circuit. There was a gait car and a sweeper car to guarantee everyone played by the rules and stuck to the agreed velocity limits. The parade thigh ended and the way unit shooed everyone distant earlier a antithetic driver-education programme settled successful for the remainder of the afternoon.
