Yethulwe e-Geneva ezinsukwini ezine ezedlule, i-Porsche 911 GT3 isibuyile ekukhanyeni: inamandla kakhudlwana, ilula futhi iyashesha. Kodwa ngamanani?
Ngangingakayigibeli indiza ye-EasyJet ebheke e-Geneva futhi ikhanda lami lase lidumele amafu. Umlandu? I-Porsche 911 GT3 entsha, isizukulwane 991. Konke ngoba ngangazi ukuthi ngizohlangana naye emahoreni ambalwa. Okunye…
Kwakungeyona "idethi eyimpumputhe", njengoba kwakunjalo ngeFerrari LaFerrari. Kwakufana nokuvakashela umngane wakudala. Siyazi ukuthi ubukeka kanjani, ukuthi unjani futhi singambona ngisho naphakathi kwaleso sixuku esikhulu. Kodwa ngemva kweminyaka embalwa «engakhulumi», ngaphansi kwaleso sici esivele sineminyaka engu-50 ubudala, wayeyoba kanjani? Ingabe washada futhi waba nezingane? Ah… linda! Sikhuluma ngemoto. Kodwa usuvele ucabangile ukuthi ngifuna ukuya kuphi, akunjalo?
Ngangikhathazeke kakhulu. Bengifuna ukwazi ukuthi iPorsche iqhamuke nani ohlotsheni olusha lwezimoto “zabashayeli” ezikhanya kakhulu, ezihlekisayo nezijabulisa kakhulu eminyakeni yamuva. Ingabe iresiphi yakudala "yamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye neshumi nanye", enomthamo owengeziwe wokuzinikezela emithambekeni kanye nokuzinikela kancane kancane kwe-estradista, ingafeza isiko? Kwabaningi «the» 911!
Lapho nje indwangu iwa, umbono wami wokuqala yilowo engangiwulindele - Ufana nawe, akekho okunika umfana oneminyaka engu-50 ubudala! Kulungile... qaphela ukuthi wenze ijimu, futhi imigqa yakho ibukhali. Kodwa ngokusobala uyafana njalo - ngacabanga njengoba ngithola imininingwane emisha yalo mngane omdala. Ngenkathi umcabango wami ugcina amehlo ami egxile ohambweni lokuzungeza i-Porsche 911 GT3 entsha, u-Jürgen Piech, omunye wabasubathi bombukiso we-Porsche e-Geneva, weza kimi. Ekugcineni wayesekhuluma nomuntu "wenyama negazi".
Kumuntu waseJalimane, wayengumuntu othanda kakhulu, wayazi iPortugal futhi wayesevele ezungeze i-Autodromo de Portimão. Waphikelela eqhosha ngokuthi uyakwazi ukusho amagama ambalwa ngesiPutukezi. Ngamvumela ukuthi abonise amakhono akhe ngolimi lwesiCamões futhi kwaba… inhlekelele. Kodwa ngokuhwaqabala ngakwazi ukusho amazwi anamahloni futhi angagculisi athi “kahle kakhulu Jürgen!”.
Esandleni sami bengiphethe incwajana enemininingwane ye-Porsche 911 GT3 futhi ngesasasa elingase libe khona kumaBavarian, u-Jürgen wangethula ku-GT3. Ukuthi bekulula, kunamandla, kushesha, njll. Kodwa njengoba sithatha uhambo oluqondisiwe sizungeza i-GT3 - njalo ikhamera ilungile - amehlo ami abamba engangingakulindele: - Jürgen, ingabe i-PDK gearbox? - Waphendula, njengoba nje ngaqhosha ngesiPutukezi sakhe: - Yebo Guilherme, ... kodwa ishesha kunemanuwali!
Amahloni okungethula ngemoto ehlanzekile engathengwa ngemali ngo-gearbox oyi-dual-clutch yayibonakala ebusweni bakhe. Kodwa akuyona into engathi sína kangako… – Jürgen, i-gearbox yezandla iyatholakala njengenketho, akunjalo? Abafuni ukwazi impendulo...
Safika enjinini nelinye ibhakede lamanzi abandayo. Injini ye-Metzger enamandla, ejikelezayo, ephumelelayo nengashabalali ehlomise ngokukhethekile i-GT3 ne-GT2 ye-Porsche 911 (kusukela ngo-1998) ayisekho kulesi sizukulwane. Kulabo abangayazi le njini yeMetzger kube yiyona enikeze iPorsche ukunqoba okokugcina emahoreni angama-24 eLe Mans. Ngaphezu kokuqashelwa ngokulangazelela kwayo ukushintshashintsha, yaqashelwa nangokwethembeka kwayo. Ezivivinyweni, le njini ikwazile ukumboza okulingana nohambo lwe-Lisbon-Porto oluyi-10 njalo ngesivinini esigcwele, ngama-revolutions angaphezu kuka-9000 ngomzuzu, ngaphandle kokulahlekelwa amandla noma ukugqokwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi.
Kulesi sizukulwane, iPorsche 911 GT3 iqale ukukhweza injini efana naleyo esetshenziswa lonke uhla. Ngini ezivamile ke. Lokho kuyiqiniso, uma injini yasemkhathini engu-3800cc ingabizwa ngokuthi eyejwayelekile, ekwazi ukuthuthukisa amandla angu-475hp, i-torque enkulu engu-435Nm futhi ifinyelela ku-9000rpm! Ukusuka ku-0 iye ku-100km/h kuyithatha imizuzwana engu-3.5 ngaphambi kokuthi ufike ejubaneni elingu-315km/h. Naphezu kwakho konke, ngicabanga ukuthi sizokwazi ukuphila nale njini, akunjalo?
Kuwo wonke amanye amasethi, azikho izimanga. Amabhuleki amakhulu e-carbon-alloy, ama-suspension alungele ukuhamba ngokushesha, i-chassis enokushunwa okukhethekile kanye nenqwaba yama-appendages aerodynamic akwazi ukukhiqiza amandla aphansi kakhulu. Ayikho into ebesingayilindele enguqulweni ye-GT3.
Kodwa ake sibeke izinto ngombono ofanele. Uma ngokusobala le GT3 iziveza njenge-GT3 encane kunazo zonke, iqiniso liwukuthi i-GT3 kakhulu kunanoma yibaphi abandulele ngaphambili. Kuyenzeka ngibe yi-Porsche buff futhi ngenxa yalokho nginenzondo ethile yokushintsha. Uma ephepheni izinto zingabukeki zidumile asibeke idayisi endleleni. I-Porsche ithi le 911 GT3 iyakwazi ukugcwalisa i-lap ezungeze i-Nürburgring ngaphansi kwemizuzu engu-7 imizuzwana engu-30.
Ukuziphatha kwendaba? Yehlisa umoya, yehlisa umoya… IPorsche iyayazi into eyenzayo. Asilinde, sikhiphe i-911 GT3 ku-Geneva Motor Show futhi senze esinye isikhathi, kulokhu kusekethe yase-Estoril. Futhi futhi, ngeke siphuthelwe. Kuhlale kumnandi ukubona abangani bakudala, ngoba isikhathi siyahamba kodwa kunezinto ezingashintshi,
Umbhalo: Guilherme Ferreira da Costa