Porsche 911 & Shelby GT350 Drive at Mithril Racing

After an 8 month wait, the day had finally arrived, today I would get to drive a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS and a 1966 Shelby GT350. My brother J accompanied me on this trip and he will will take the E-Type for a spin. (My thoughts on the E-Type can be found in an earlier blog post) It's an early start to get to Goodwood for 9am and the weather is looking damp. 

After a good journey we book in with the staff at Mithril Racing, collect our crash helmets and make our way to the cars. 

I start with the 911. This is one of the most iconic sports cars and it's shape is easily recognisable in all of its incarnations. The 911 has been with us now for 53 years and is still going strong. 

This car is rear wheel drive and has a 2.7 litre flat six engine that produces 210bhp, giving a top speed of 150mph. It's left hand drive with a 5 speed manual gearbox. It has torsion bar suspension, rack and pinion steering and vented disc brakes. A turn of the key and the 911 growls into life and settles to a nice idle. While the car warms up, I strap in and get comfortable. It feels a little strange to begin with as the pedals are off to the right instead of centred but I soon get get used to it. With the engine warm I make my way from the paddock to the damp track. On the track I make my way up through the gears, the clutch feels heavy and the engine sounds great. 

As we near Madgwick corner, I apply the breaks and turn I towards the yellow cones that mark out the racing line. At this point I will note that the break pedal is high and it does not take much pressure to apply the brakes There is a little body roll and the car grips. On the exit it's back on the accelerator, speeding up and heading towards Fordwater. Again a small touch on the brakes, turn  the corner and accelerate towards St Mary's. This is taken at a resonable speed towards and onwards to Lavant corner.

Onto the brakes and turn into the corner and accelerate out of the exit. We are now on the fast up hill Lavant straight  I accelerate before breaking and turning into Woodcote corner. A brief acceleration then leads to the chicane where we brake and change into third gear and it's down the start finish straight for another lap. At the beginning of the second lap, I spot an Alfa Romeo in the distance. The only thing to do is to see if I can catch it and overtake it. Through Madgwick and I'm closer to the Alfa. Accelerate to Fordwater and I'm close to the Alfa. On towards St Mary's and I overtake the Alfa. The more I drive the Porsche the more rewarding it becomes. I begin my third and final lap grinning from ear to ear. When I get to Fordwater, I see a familiar sight. It's my brother J driving the E-Type. Can I catch and overtake him before the lap ends. I accelerate as fast as I can go given the conditions. I edge closer to him through St Mary's and Lavant. On the Lavant straight I get closer still. Through Woodcote corner, I'm close but not close enough. My brother enters the Chicane first and I'm not able to overtake him. I pull into the paddock with a huge smile and take some photos while my brother finishes his drive.

So having handed the 911 back in one piece it was time to get into the Shelby GT350. This is a different kind of iconic car. Made as the ultimate upgrade of the Ford Mustang, this American Monster was built for tourque and straight line speed and is 50 years old. The GT350 is rear wheel drive and comes equipped with a Ford 289ci (4.7 Litre) K code V8 engine, giving the car 306bhp and a top speed of 124mph. It's left hand drive that uses recirculating ball steering, a four speed Borg Warner gearbox, leaf spring suspension with disc brakes at the front and drum brakes on the rear. This should make for an interesting drive as the rain is now really close. A turn of the key and the V8 roars into life and settles to a nice idle. The pedals are again off to the right and while the engine warms i settle into the black leather seat, I strap in and make note of the controls. Before I pull out, the instructor tells me to take it steady and enjoy it. The steering and the clutch in this car are heavier than the 911. I make my way onto the track and accelerate, the noise makes me jump initially and the front end lifts slightly. This car is all about the tourque. As I negotiate Madgwick, there is lots of body roll and the handling feels bad in the corners. My instructor then says that I should treat the car like a jet, small amount of steering and let the engine do the work. By Lavant corner, I get it right. The braking also takes a bit longer than you would expect but it's good fun to drive. Onto the Lavant Straight and I accelerate, the noise is terrific. As my time with the GT350 goes on my confidence increases. During the second lap the rain that had been looming starts, so it's on with the wipers. Luckily it's only a short burst. There is now a familiar sight in my mirrors in the shape and form of the E-Type. This time I'm being caught. As I make my way around the last lap, I'm able to keep my distance from the E-Type and the instructor is happy that I have got his steering suggestion under my belt. Reluctantly, I take the chicane and turn into the paddock. I get out of the car and the heavens open.

In summary, the 911 is the best handling classic I have driven and it's easy to drive. Get it wrong and it will not forgive you. It's easy to see why Porshe has such enthusiastic followers. Before today I did not understand it. I do now. 

To the GT350. The combination of brakes, suspension, steering and handling does not make it a great track car against the European cars. But it's all of the above that make it great fun. The engine and the noise are terrific and when you do get a lap right it really does make you smile. 

It's a dream come true to be able to drive both of these cars, for me the Porsche would be my choice for a track car, the Shelby would be my choice to cruise the streets in.

My brother and I would like to thank the staff at Mithril Racing for making us feel welcome and for allowing me to take the cars out of their packages. 

My brother enjoyed his drive in the E-Type and was happy I did not overtake him. Next time........