Trackrat, TRACKCAR, FTS, thanks for the warm welcome and your super-fast responses (given the question, all the more valuable from guys who track their cars).
Regarding "ice pedal" my takeaway is that there is little reason to be concerned should one stick to OEM spec wheels, tires and brake pads.
It would be intriguing to find out from Porsche whether or not the coolant issues have been addressed. I'm going to put the question to the dealer and will post the response should there be one.
Thanks again!
p.s. Great encouragement to take the plunge on the 4.0 BTW! Once the dealer is 100% on the allocation, still to decide on White vs. PTS (if available), and steels vs. PCCB.