d56tuye

25
“The CSR is a
very convincing,
hugely desirable
911 that’s been so
well executed”
BELOW Built for fast road use, the
‘Snakebite’ CSR’s interior is well
appointed yet purposeful
The Recaro CS bucket seats hold me perfectly
and have the luxury of heating, which in winter is no
bad thing. In front of me is the glorious simplicity of
a Momo Prototipo, which if I’d specified would have
had the lettering painted in Brewster and, similarly,
the top dead centre marker in green leather instead
of the yellow. The gear knob evokes that of a 917,
its banded wood finish looking right, and certain to
look even better as use wears the polished lacquer
off it to give it patina. There’s a sensible PCM delete
here, nothing betraying a car’s vintage more than an
outdated sat nav module, with telephony, navigation
and audio all possible via a Bluetooth connection
to the owner’s smartphone. The rear seats have
been removed, a leather-covered parcel shelf now
in its place, and there’s even a refrigerated cool bag
trimmed in the same material to keep drinks chilled
on longer drives. Stripped it’s not then, but there’s
intent mixed with the obvious beauty.
The brief relating to how this CSR drives is pretty
much how most CSRs are specified. A fast road
car, owners unlikely to track them, the focus is on
engaging daily driving without the compromises that
having track ability brings. A great deal of tuning
work has been done on the suspension as a result,
RPM using ex-BTCC and Carrera Cup racer Tim
Harvey to help here. This 28th CSR comes with
CSR-specific KW Variant 3 coilovers, which work
with adjustable anti-roll bars, adjustable Eibach lower
suspension arms and polybushed mounts.
It’s taut, unsurprisingly, yet controlled, with the
CSR geometry adding significantly to the steering,
and that Momo steering wheel delivering plenty of
information about the road surface. It’s not overly
or hyperactively busy, just a nice, constant stream
of detail at your hands through the nicely weighted
steering, it working in unison with a front axle that’s
more eager to turn in. On lumpy British roads there’s
compliance, with only sharper crests upsetting its
balance, the dampers working better as the speed
increases. The low speed ride is accomplished
though, and as a nod to the usability there’s an HLS
front axle lift, which should prevent scuffing the front
edge of that painted splitter on ramps and kerbs.
To that chassis is an engine and transmission
that’s been similarly enhanced with quicker responses
to best exploit it. There’s a lightened clutch and
flywheel, the six-speed manual shifting with a shorter
throw, reluctant initially to select first but easing with
some heat in through it. There’s a mechanical limitedslip
differential, the brakes being a ‘CSR stock road
package.’ The engine revs with greater enthusiasm
thanks to the lighter flywheel; it’s still a development
unit, which features X51 upgrades to the heads,
combined with CSR manifolds and a CSR centre
exhaust system.
RPM Technik’s not quoting any figures for it until
it’s dyno-ed in the next month or so, but it’s got to be
around the 385-390hp mark; its greater immediacy
and stronger pull are apparent, and backed with an
exhaust note that’s more rousing, without straying
into the obnoxious. The greater keenness is apparent
everywhere: it’s an obviously more responsive engine,
with performance to match, but one that remains
different in character to the more extreme end of the
flat-six spectrum that you’d get with a Mezger GT3.
That’s both deliberate and welcome because it
fits so well with the rest of the brief, and the more
I drive it the more I want. Indeed, the CSR is a
very convincing, hugely desirable 911 that’s been so
well executed that it opens up a whole new world
for existing 997 owners, or those about to take the
plunge. With the stock of 997s plentiful, and many
needing some work anyway, a CSR conversion looks
like a clever way to get a 911 built as you want it. I’d
have this one as it is, with some back seats, please…