2011 Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 - Driving Impressions
I’m not concerned with economy right now, and focus on entering the Estoril race track. I’m only a bit familiar with the course, thanks to YouTube videos and two laps in the passenger seat of a Carrera 4S piloted by Jörg. I think I know maybe two of the track’s 13 corners. Adrenaline flows and my nerves are lit up like the steering wheel’s shift lights. The engine tune we’re running today is allowing a redline of just over 9000 rpm and the majority of a lap is spent above a frantic 7000 rpm.
Some of the stickiest Michelin rubber on the planet is beneath me. I’m cautious in the slightly damp conditions, but find the lateral grip superb. The (30/65-18 front, 31/71-18 rear) Michelin race slicks allow a staggering 1.5g of lateral grip, and that’s not a peak reading. This type of grip takes some getting used to, and I find myself progressively probing the limits and routinely coming up short in braking distance and corner entry speed. Better this than the alternative I suppose, but the car is capable of so much more. I think an entire day of lapping would be needed to acclimate.
Man serious in hospital after crash on busy north Cumbria road
The 34-year-old, who was the back seat passenger in a Ford Focus, is believed to have been thrown from the car when it collided with another vehicle at Waverton, near Wigton, yesterday.
The driver and a front seat passenger had to be cut from the wreckage of the car by firefighters.
All three were taken to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle by ambulance.
The driver and front seat passenger were released after treatment for minor injuries.
The man from Aspatria was admitted to hospital where his condition today was serious but stable.
The accident happened at about 1.50pm when the Focus was in collision with a Mazda 6 estate.
The 43-year-old driver and 58-year-old front-seat passenger in the Ford, both from Aspatria, were initially trapped in the vehicle.
However, they were freed by the fire service using hydraulic equipment and airbags.
The Mazda driver, a 29-year-old Preston man, was reported to have been trapped in the vehicle but managed to get free.