At the last Schatt event, someone brough up a great point - it's not the driver that must be smooth, but the car. As a driver progresses in skill, the car will be going a lot faster, and so the quick responses necessary to keep the car doing what you want will start to seem less and less smooth to the uninitiated. Ever watch cockpit footage in a rally car? There's no way that can be described as 'smooth.'

Yeah Don, I guess it's not too hard to get me wound up as I sit home on a beautiful day while all my friends are at the track because my car is broken. I am sure you understand . . .

Hey, c'mon -- are you trying to say we are not your friends? :lol:

LOL. Ok, "some" of my friends ;)

it was 70's and sunny...... noah, eli and chris got promoted....... two boxsters suffered......... 360 challenge car ran laps on main (by himself) while we watched and had lunch............ we drank and barbecued under the soft light of 260 watts' worth of H4's........ you really didn't miss much

Congrats, guys!!

Three observations:

A rapid input can still be smooth.

The 996 (at least the one I've driven) is extremely forgiving and settles very rapidly, at least compared to the two SC's or the 964 that I've driven.

You can get a 996 to rotate very, very nicely using trailbraking or by lifting in a turn.

True, and I am not insulting the 996 or claiming that you cannot trailbrake. In many ways the 996 is "easier" to drive quickly than other cars. I do think that, since it settles so rapidly, or to phrase it another way, takes more to unsettle it, your inputs at some points must be greater or more abrupt than in other cars. If you tried to drive an SC or 964 exactly the way you drive the 996, you will probably have a few nice little spins.

Congrats on the promotions. Doesn't surpise me a bit!

Todd while I have not "drove" you particular 996 I have drive a few including a rather frisky TT. It might have been a 993 TT but ether way you get my point, (Or should I say, drift? ;) )

With respect to the steering input and chassis reaction times you might be confusing a system input reaction or lag time with chassis reaction time. Let’s use the manual and power steering as an example. There is no lag difference in manual and power steering in a Porsche. If you turn the wheel in a Porsche that has power steering the wheels respond just a soon as with Manuel setup. This is because it is a fully linked system just the same as with the manual system just power assisted. With this being the case you might be misreading the chassis timing as steering input lag. The power assist might be masking the system feedback or “feel”

Generally speaking the heaver the car and or the softer the suspension the slower or lets say the more lag there is in the cars execution of driver inputs. With this we are back to the hula dance. You have to keep up with your dance partner and also not get ahead of her. If the car is real hard to get the back out it is telling you something! Work with the tools at hand. If the car is sticking like glue give it more energy to deal with. That is, go faster, carry more energy through the corner. Instead of dropping to the mat and wrestling with her go with the flow. When you are near the limits of the traction circle the size of any inputs will be smaller to achieve the same result regardless of the car. All cars need a lighter hand when they are at the “edge”
As far as sliding the car. Personaly I try to keep the wheels planted as much as possible. I don't have the final answer to anything but I think TTO or hooking a corner is not the fastest way around if other methods work. It costs you tire life as well. Try opening up the turn a little bit and carrying speed through. Don’t quote me but try entering a tiny bit earlier and carry through, as you load up the suspension and get the tires close to limits you can make little adjustments to get the drift you want or need.

Congrats, guys!