Yathi yatyhilwa eGeneva kwiintsuku ezine ezidlulileyo, iPorsche 911 GT3 ibuyele kwindawo yokubona: inamandla ngakumbi, ikhaphukhaphu kwaye iyakhawuleza. Kodwa ngeliphi ixabiso?
Ndandingekayikhweli iFlight ye EasyJet eya eGeneva intloko yayisele isemafini. Umoni? I-Porsche 911 GT3 entsha, isizukulwana 991. Konke kuba ndandisazi ukuba ndiza kudibana naye kwiiyure ezimbalwa. Enye…
Yayingengomhla "oyimfama", njengoko kwakunjalo ngeFerrari LaFerrari. Kwakufana nokubuyela kumhlobo wam wakudala. Siyayazi inkangeleko yakhe, inkangeleko yakhe yaye sinokumqonda naphakathi kweso sihlwele sikhulu. Kodwa emva kweminyaka embalwa "engathethi", phantsi kweso sibakala sele sineminyaka engama-50 ubudala, uya kuba njani? Ngaba watshata waza waba nabantwana? Ah… yima! Sithetha ngemoto. Kodwa sele ucingile ukuba ndifuna ukuya phi, akunjalo?
Bendisuke ndanexhala. Bendifuna ukwazi ukuba iPorsche ize ngantoni kuguqulelo olutsha lweyona moto iqaqambileyo, ihlekisayo nenika umdla “yabaqhubi” kwiminyaka yakutshanje. Ngaba iresiphi endala "yamakhulu alithoba aneshumi elinanye", kunye nethamo elongezelelweyo lokuzinikezela kumathambeka kunye nokuzinikela okuncinci kwe-estradista, kuzalisekisa isithethe? Kwabaninzi "i" 911!
Nje ukuba ilaphu liwe, umbono wam wokuqala ngulowo bendiwulindele – ujongeka njengawe, akukho mntu ukunika inkwenkwe eneminyaka engama-50 ubudala! Kulungile… qaphela ukuba wenze ijimu, kwaye imigca yakho ibukhali. Kodwa kuyabonakala ukuba uyafana namaxesha onke - ndiye ndacinga njengoko ndifumana iinkcukacha ezintsha zale ndoda yakudala. Ngelixa intelekelelo yam yayigcina amehlo am ejonge kuhambo olujikeleza iPorsche 911 GT3 entsha, uJürgen Piech, omnye wabamkeli bomboniso wePorsche eGeneva, weza kum. Ekugqibeleni wayethetha nomntu "wenyama negazi".
Ngomntu waseJamani, wayeyindoda enomdla kakhulu, wayesazi iPortugal kwaye wayesele ejikeleze i-Autodromo de Portimão. Wazingisa ekuqhayiseni esithi uyakwazi ukuthetha amagama ambalwa ngesiPhuthukezi. Ndamvumela ukuba abonise izakhono zakhe ngolwimi lwaseCamões kwaye yaba… yintlekele. Kodwa ndishwabene iintshiya ndakwazi ukuthetha amazwi aneentloni nelingaqinisekanga athi “kakuhle Jürgen!”.
Esandleni sam bendinencwadana eneenkcukacha zePorsche 911 GT3 kunye nemincili enokwenzeka kumaBavaria, uJürgen wandazisa kwiGT3. Ukuba yayilula, inamandla ngakumbi, ikhawuleza, njl. Kodwa njengoko sasithatha ukhenketho olukhokelwayo sijikeleze i-GT3 – ndihlala ndinekhamera ilungile – amehlo am abambe into ebendingayilindelanga: – Jürgen, yibhokisi yegiya yePDK leyo? – Apho waphendula, kanye njengoko ndaqhayisa ngesiPhuthukezi sakhe: – Ewe Guilherme, i… kodwa ikhawuleza ngaphezu kwencwadi yemigaqo!
Iintloni zokundazisa ngeyona moto yezemidlalo ecocekileyo enokuthengwa yimali nge-gearbox ye-clutch ephindwe kabini yayibonakala ebusweni bakhe. Kodwa ayingobuzaza kangako… – Jürgen, i-gearbox yesandla iyafumaneka njengokhetho, akunjalo? Abafuni kwazi impendulo...
Safika enjinini nenye iemele yamanzi abandayo. Injini ye-Metzger enamandla, ejikelezayo, ephumelelayo nengenakonakala exhobise ngokukodwa i-GT3 kunye ne-GT2 inguqulelo ye-Porsche 911 (ukususela ngo-1998) ayisekho kwesi sizukulwana. Kwabo bangayaziyo, le njini yeMetzger yayiyinjini eyanika iPorsche uloyiso lokugqibela kwiiyure ezingama-24 zeLe Mans. Ukongeza ekugqalweni ngokulangazelela kwayo ukujikeleza, ibisaziwa nangokuthembeka kwayo. Kwiimvavanyo, le injini yakwazi ukugubungela i-10 ye-Lisbon-Porto uhambo oluhlala luhamba ngesantya esiphezulu, ngaphezu kwe-9000 revolutions ngomzuzu, ngaphandle kokulahlekelwa kwamandla okanye ukunxiba kwangaphambi kwexesha.
Kwesi sizukulwana, iPorsche 911 GT3 iqale ukufaka injini efana naleyo isetyenziswa luluhlu lonke. Okuqhelekileyo ngoko. Oko kuqinisekileyo, ukuba i-injini ye-3800cc ye-atmospheric ingabizwa ngokuba yinto eqhelekileyo, ekwazi ukuphuhlisa i-475hp yamandla, i-torque ephezulu ye-435Nm kunye nokufikelela kwi-9000rpm! Ukukhawulezisa ukusuka ku-0-100km/h kwimizuzwana eyi-3.5 phambi kokuba ufikelele kwisantya esiphezulu se-315km/h. Ngaphandle kwayo yonke into, ndicinga ukuba siya kukwazi ukuhlala nale njini, akunjalo?
Kuyo yonke isethi, akusekho nto imangalisayo. Iziqhoboshi ezinkulu zecarbon-alloy, ukunqunyanyiswa okukulungeleyo ukuhamba ngokukhawuleza, i-chassis enokulungiswa okuthe ngqo kunye nentaphane ye-aerodynamic appendages ekwaziyo ukuvelisa ukuthoba ngakumbi. Akukho nto besingayilindelanga kuguqulelo lwe-GT3.
Kodwa masizibeke kwindawo efanelekileyo izinto. Ukuba kuyacaca ukuba le GT3 iziveza njengeyona GT3 incinci yamaxesha onke, inyaniso yeyokuba ingaphezulu kwe-GT3 kunayo nayiphi na eyandulelayo. Ndibe yi-Porsche buff kwaye ngenxa yoko ndinokwenyanya ukutshintsha. Ukuba ephepheni izinto azibonakali zidumileyo masibeke idayisi endleleni. AbakwaPorsche babanga ukuba le 911 GT3 iyakwazi ukugqiba umjikelo ojikeleze iNürburgring ngaphantsi kwemizuzu esi-7 imizuzwana engama-30.
Ukuziphatha kwebali? Zola, zola… IPorsche iyayazi into eyenzayo. Masilinde, sikhuphe i-911 GT3 kwindawo ebonakalayo kwi-Geneva Motor Show kwaye masenze elinye idinga, ngeli xesha kwisekethe yase-Estoril. Kwaye kwakhona, asiyi kuphoswa yiyo. Kuhlala kumnandi ukubona abahlobo bakudala, kuba ixesha liyahamba kodwa kukho izinto ezingatshintshiyo,
Umbhalo: Guilherme Ferreira da Costa