2015 Porsche 911 GT3: The Ultimate Drivers 911?

MotorTrend

On this episode of Ignition

Transcript

00:00 (car engine revving)

00:03 If you were one of those people on the lunatic fringe

00:05 that thought the normal 911 S wasn't enough,

00:09 you were gonna wait for the GT3,

00:10 that this was the one to wait for,

00:13 you were right, this was the one worth waiting for.

00:15 (car engine revving)

00:18 (keyboard clicking)

00:27 (car engine revving)

00:30 (upbeat music)

00:35 We have high expectations when it comes to the GT3.

00:42 After all, this is the 911

00:43 for that crazed driving enthusiast fringe

00:46 that thinks other 911s aren't enough.

00:48 If you're in that group,

00:50 you'll be excited to hear that this GT3

00:52 has a monstrous 9,000 RPM redline,

00:55 but then you might be disappointed to learn

00:56 that this car doesn't come with a clutch pedal.

00:59 On top of that, it has a brake-actuated

01:01 full torque vectoring system,

01:03 four-wheel steering system, and active engine mounts

01:05 that can soften things up for when you're commuting.

01:08 But don't mistake the GT3 for having gone soft.

01:11 (car engine revving)

01:13 Its 3.8 liter flat six makes 475 horsepower.

01:17 It'll do a claimed 195 miles an hour.

01:21 Its optional carbon ceramic rotors

01:22 are 16.1 inches in diameter up front

01:25 and are capped with six piston calipers.

01:28 And its Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s are extremely grippy.

01:31 For good measure, the rear wheels are a foot wide each.

01:34 The body is wider and lower,

01:37 donning more aggressive enlarged air inlets and vents,

01:40 not to mention a bigger wing too.

01:42 The look is unmistakably 911,

01:44 still suave and somewhat refined,

01:47 but with decidedly more aggression.

01:49 (car engine revving)

01:52 (car engine revving)

01:55 (laughing)

01:59 (car engine revving)

02:02 I've been waiting for so long to drive the 911 GT3.

02:08 And in that time, my anticipation has been building,

02:12 my expectations have been getting bigger and bigger.

02:15 And now that I'm finally behind the wheel of one,

02:18 I can happily report that the GT3 has met everything

02:22 and it is everything I could want it to be.

02:25 Listen to that.

02:26 That wasn't even red line.

02:29 The 911 GT3 is without a doubt,

02:34 an amazing, amazing, amazing driving car.

02:38 And that's what we expect from the GT3 name.

02:43 You expect extreme amounts of performance,

02:45 but also extreme satisfaction

02:48 from behind the wheel and the car delivers that.

02:51 Now we know we have this super high revving,

02:55 monstrous flat six that makes a terrific sound

02:59 in the last 500 RPM of its power band.

03:01 What I'm also finding is that

03:06 it's a pretty broad power band too.

03:09 Pick up the throttle at 5,000 RPM

03:12 and it accelerates really nice in different corners.

03:15 And that's what I love about naturally aspirated engines

03:18 is the linearity through and to red line.

03:22 It feels just terrific.

03:24 The shifts happen so fast in fact,

03:30 that when you see the tack move,

03:32 you almost can't believe it.

03:33 You're anticipating a longer shift.

03:36 But it's not just the speed, it's the control.

03:39 And that really is what the GT3 is all about.

03:42 It's the supreme body control of the car.

03:45 (car engine revving)

03:48 When you find yourself on a curvy road

03:50 that has a few bumps,

03:51 you don't want a lot of movement

03:53 with the car bouncing around.

03:54 You want the car to feel planted and precise and controllable

03:57 and a lot of cars with really firm suspension,

04:00 that's where it kind of hangs them up.

04:02 This thing on this road, which is fairly bumpy,

04:08 not extremely bumpy,

04:09 the car always feels like it's in control.

04:13 The tires always feel like

04:14 they're firmly planted on the ground.

04:17 It's really satisfying in this car

04:19 to find a series of corners like a long chicane

04:22 and steer through them while you keep adding throttle

04:25 because the control of the car allows you to do that.

04:28 Being a rear engine car

04:34 with all the drive train happening back there,

04:36 we have a very light front end.

04:38 We also have a very visible front end.

04:41 That's one of the things people don't really talk about

04:43 is when you have your engine in the rear,

04:45 you don't need a tall hood

04:47 and that means you have better forward visibility,

04:50 which enables you to see more of the road

04:55 and drive more clearly.

04:56 The front end just feels so eager to turn

05:00 and the rear of the car follows in so nicely.

05:04 The car doesn't feel like it's gonna push,

05:05 doesn't feel like it's gonna oversteer.

05:07 You feel balanced and neutral

05:10 and I love it.

05:11 Launching the GT3 couldn't be simpler.

05:30 Mash both pedals and just release the brake.

05:33 The resulting acceleration is mighty impressive

05:36 from a naturally aspirated 475 horsepower car

05:40 that just wants to go around corners fast.

05:43 60 miles an hour takes just 3.1 seconds

05:46 and the quarter mile pass is done at 11.3 seconds

05:49 at 122.9 miles an hour.

05:52 Those very sticky Michelin Cup 2 tires

05:55 and optional carbon ceramic rotors work extremely well,

05:59 halting the GT3 from 60 and just 98 feet.

06:05 The GT3 posted a 22.8 second lap around the figure eight,

06:09 making it tied for third fastest around this track.

06:12 It's also the only car that makes less than 500 horsepower

06:17 in the 22 second range.

06:18 That's a massive accomplishment.

06:20 And we know there's more time in the car

06:24 in the suspension setup.

06:26 Even as is, average lateral acceleration was 1.11 G.

06:30 (car engine roaring)

06:33 This is my first attempt at the newest GT3.

06:43 I've driven all the variations.

06:45 It's really interesting watching the evolution

06:49 as they get bigger, faster, more sophisticated,

06:54 higher red lines.

06:58 The red line on this GT3 is 9,000 RPM.

07:02 That's insane.

07:09 Channel into turn eight here at Willow Springs.

07:15 It's very rough, but the 911 does a superb job

07:22 of absorbing the bumps without harshness.

07:26 (car engine roaring)

07:29 145 miles an hour into turn one.

07:33 Into the carbon brakes, they take a fair amount of effort.

07:39 I think they actually get a little bit better

07:42 as we warm the tires.

07:43 The turn in of this 911 is so accurate.

07:48 Could be the best I've ever felt in a 911.

07:54 Middle of the corner, tightening the line.

07:56 Yeah, see the steering responds,

07:59 but the rear will let go in the middle of the corner.

08:02 It's drifty, it's alive.

08:04 911 still has a lot of personality.

08:06 Lot of race car in the street 911 GT3.

08:13 It is very much in many ways a race car for the street.

08:17 (car engine roaring)

08:20 (car engine roaring)

08:23 (car engine roaring)

08:26 (car engine roaring)

08:30 (car engine roaring)

08:33 (car engine roaring)

08:36 (car engine roaring)

08:44 (car engine roaring)

09:02 (car engine roaring)

09:05 (car engine roaring)

09:29 (car engine roaring)

09:32 (car engine roaring)

09:43 (car engine roaring)

09:58 (car engine roaring)

10:01 (car engine roaring)

10:11 The GT3 makes the experience of driving fun and rewarding.

10:21 It sounds tremendous and feels terrific

10:23 while revving the engine up to 9,000 RPM

10:26 over and over again.

10:27 The acceleration and response are simply addicting.

10:30 The chassis provides its driver

10:33 an immediate sense of confidence,

10:34 but that confidence doesn't feel simplified or dumbed down.

10:38 The car feels constantly encouraging.

10:40 Its numerous electronic aids and adaptive devices

10:44 make the GT3 nice to drive normally,

10:46 but they hide in the background if you want to have fun.

10:50 The completely adjustable suspension and adjustable wing

10:52 means you can tailor the driving experience

10:54 to match the track or your tastes or both.

10:57 (car engine roaring)

10:58 These things make you want to explain to people

11:00 that the GT3 isn't a numbers car,

11:02 that it's all about the experience.

11:04 But then you take a look at the test sheet

11:06 and see that it puts down really good numbers too.

11:09 Look at what the chassis can accomplish

11:10 with just 475 horsepower.

11:13 Simply, the GT3 is one of the absolute best driver's cars.

11:19 (car engine roaring)

11:23 - It's a bummer, you know, to drive it

11:25 and realize how good it is,

11:26 and then realize you won't be able to drive it ever again.

11:29 - Oh, don't say never.

11:30 - Well, you know, like, I won't go home to this.

11:33 (laughing)

11:34 You know?

11:35 Imagine having the best day of your life

11:37 with like the most beautiful, amazing woman

11:39 you've ever known,

11:40 and then like, you go home with your apartment

11:43 and there's nothing, you know, and it's just like, oh man.

11:45 - Whoa, we're getting a little darker.

11:47 - No, no, no, you know what I mean?

11:48 Like, it's kind of like,

11:50 you know, you get to experience this amazing experience,

11:52 but you know, like in the back of your head,

11:53 like it's only for this fleeting moment.

11:55 You know, like, that's it.

11:57 only for this fleeting moment.

11:59 - Yeah.

Category

Transcript

Recommended