There is always one version of the factory built Porsche 911 that stands head and shoulders above the rest of its backwards engineered brethren. The 911 GT3 is the choice of seasoned racers with a high revving naturally aspirated flat six and a track tuned suspension. The GT3 offers true race car performance in a street vehicle.
After driving Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS earlier this year, it comes as no surprise that the weekly mag Autocar has voted it as Britain’s best drivers’ car for 2010.
With 320 kW and a staggering 430Nm of twist from its 3.8 liter boxer 6 engine, Porsche’s slim and trimmed down version of the GT3 is most definitely a worthy adversary in today’s tightly contested super sports car market. Donington Park was the battleground for what turned out to be a landslide victory for Zuffunhausen. Autocar’s Editor, Chas Hallett was quoted: “The Porsche 911 GT3 RS was a clear winner; each of our seven judges placed the car at the top of their list. On the day of our road and track testing at Donington, the GT3 RS’ drive was simply the most involving, enjoyable and satisfying of all the sports cars involved.”
The other cars involved formed quite an impressive list of machinery valued at just under £ 1 million. Autocar’s judging team also tested the line-up on some of the UK’s best driving roads before making their final decision to give on-road manners a fair say in the outcome.
Noble’s M600 came in second place, with judges praising its polished, surprisingly forgiving chassis and steering, the predictability of its handling and brutal straight-line speed. Third place went to the brilliant Ferrari 458 Italia, the fastest car on the day around the Donington circuit at 1min 15.9sec.
German wheel manufacturers, ICW, have released an all-new design exclusively for selected Porsche models. The twin-five-spoke design, dubbed the i-BI, was inspired by dynamism and power, and is meant to evoke what ICW calls “optical sophistication”. Whatever that may be, one thing is for certain, they look a lot like the current GT3 wheel – with a bit more menace. The wheels themselves are milled from a single block of billet Aluminum making them strong and lightweight – two of the most functional aspects of a performance wheel. Fitment does require the use of high-tensile adapters to get the deep dish look without the nasty rubbing that can sometimes occur. Applications include the Porsche Boxster, Cayman, 911, or Panamera and will shortly include the Audi R8 and others. Customers have the choice of 18 or 19 inch options, in either hyper silver or matte black. Pricing starts from €244 per corner which is really not bad considering other options for these cars start at around the €300 mark.
Porsche’s racing laboratory, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, with 24 Hours of Le Mans champions Timo Bernhard/Mike Rockenfeller (both Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) aboard, was the 18th best finisher in a starting field of 41 cars.
“My job at the wheel of our rolling laboratory was a great experience for me," said Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard. "The hybrid system worked perfectly over the entire race distance. We achieved two important goals, and these were to present this unique car to the US fans and to further develop the hybrid drive under racing conditions." His factory pilot teammate, Romain Dumas, commented: "I’m pleased to have reached the finish line without any problems. Unfortunately, several punctures cost us a lot of time today. Still, it was a fantastic experience, because over the whole weekend the fans celebrated us like winners."
As they say in show business, "The show must go on!" After all of the problems Top Gear has had with their former colleague, Ben Collins, the men of the original Top Gear are pushing ahead rather effortlessly. They are currently filming their 16th season and these guys were able to record a video of them while they were shooting a show in our very own New York.
We’re not sure what the new season is all about, but driving around in three cars like that is sure to add up to some fantastic footage! The GT3 RS develops a total of 450 HP and can hit a top speed of 193 mph; the 458 Italia develops 570 HP and has a top speed of 202 mph; and the SLS AMG develops a total of 571 HP and can hit a top speed of 197 mph.
After revealing the GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche is at it again. This time the hybrid masterpiece will come in the shape of the Porsche GT3. There aren’t any pictures of the model - heck, there isn’t even a steadfast announcement that we’ll be getting the GT3 hybrid - but that doesn’t mean that Porsche won’t be developing one. And, according to a TeamSpeed forum member, it will look like this.
The future model will more than likely feature Porsche’s KERS system, which is why rumors are circulating that the GT3 sports car will be a hybrid. It will also feature a 4.0 liter RSR engine with 500 HP, extensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum, and a decrease in weight. The exterior of the car will see a larger rear wing, a new splitter, new graphics, flared fenders, intakes on the rear fenders, and a carbon hood. There might also be a PDK option optimized for the track and acceleration biased gearing.
The GT3 R Hybrid on the other hand is powered by a 480 HP 4.0 Liter flat six engine with two electric motors developing 60 kW each as well as an electrical flywheel power generator fitted in the cockpit next to the driver. This unit is used to deliver energy to the electric motors and is charged whenever the driver applies the brakes, with the two electric motors reversing their function on the front axle and acting themselves as generators when not providing four wheel drive traction.
Sounds pretty promising, even for a hybrid. And, if things keep going the way they are, we are pretty much going to have to get used to the idea of a speedy hybrid.
