991.1 911 GT3RS Drive

[Frisky Dingo]

Our big dog client who we get all the high end cars from just dumped a major load on us yesterday- 2018 Panamera Turbo S, 2017 M4 GTS, 2017 Civic R, 2018 M550i, 2017 Shelby F-150, 2017 California T, and a Lava Orange GT3RS. Being the Porsche fan I am, I of course chose the 911 when we picked them up. Impressions follow-

 

First off, this car just looks the damn business. It's not conventionally beautiful or full of stylized elements. This thing is all purpose. All function. It looks like it's ready to rip your face off, and pulverize any car it comes across. And it is.

I could go on about the interior and whatnot, but if you've seen the inside of a 911, you've seen inside this thing. There's a splash of carbon here, some alcantara there. A radio that I didn't even think to turn on. I'm sure it's fine. The windows rolled down, and I assume they roll back up too, but I never tried. So yeah. 

And there's buttons. Lots and lots of buttons. In particular, there is one- 'Sport Plus'- that I promptly pressed. After letting it idle for a bit to get temperature in it, and hitting the front end lift to get out of the parking lot, I was off. From there, it takes all of about 50ft to realize that this is one very special car. These thing doesn't beat around the bush about what it's intentions are. It wants you- goads you- into driving very quickly, very...err...quickly. 

Getting out onto the main road, I dip into it for the first time. Nothing crazy, just about 70% throttle to get a taste. It immediately skated the rear to the side a bit in a frenzy of sound and forward progress. The tires need a bit more heat them, then. I take it easy the next mile or so. I hit a cloverleaf twice to a) warm the tires up some more and b) get a feel for the handling a bit. Feeling a bit emboldened at this point, I exit the cloverleaf and just lay into it. And. My. Goodness. 

In a flash, it's beyond 8,000rpm and a pull of the PDK paddle delivers a shift so fast and seemless that were it not for that iota of a break in the crescendo of that apocalyptic noise, it would be imperceptible. Third gear, and this thing is just exploding forward. I back off. I don't know how fast I'm going, but I know it's enough. My heart is pounding. This car is mental. The engine's power delivery savage and yet micrometer linear at the same time. The throttle is the most precise I have ever experienced in a car. It is dead on accurate. Its travel an exact correlation of how much ballistic acceleration you are about to receive. Wow.

The next few miles are two lane-each way- highway separated by jersey barriers and punctuated by the occasional stop light. With each one comes thumbs up, stares, and looks of disdain. And with each one comes another blast through first and partially second gear to get that one more hit of vicious momentum accumulation and spectacular noise. This car makes people break their necks to get a look at whatever that is that sounds like it's splitting the Earth open. It's downright intoxicating.

I finally get to a stretch with some turns and get to run through some nice 2nd and 3rd gear turns. The steering is a revelation. Incredibly direct and responsive. With very good feel even, especially for an EPAS setup. Probably the best I've encountered. The grip this car exerts is just staggering. I can't even begin to nudge this car towards its limits. And yet it still laughs these turns off at 10 mph more than the myriad of cars I've piloted through them before. 

Coming through a residential area at a snails pace of 25 mph finally reveals the one drawback to car like this. Over expansion joint pavement, the ride is bouncy and sharp, even in the most relaxed setting. And there's a good bit of road and tire noise. But really, who cares. 

This is the kind of car that is very, very difficult to describe with words. It was simply gobsmacking. I can tell you that if anyone doubts the astounding prowess of Porsche's engineering and ability to built a driver's car, this car squashes it. It is on another level from anything else I've driven. It makes a Corvette Z06 feel like an overpowered kit car. It makes a GT-R feel like a fast SUV. It is a racecar for the road, in about the most literal sense you can apply. A GT3 racecar not even watered down, but reengineered just enough to wear a plate. 

I don't know where cars go from here. 

[oldshurst442]

You made me jealous. Your description made me want to see for myself what the devil you just drove.  But unfortunately where I live...for the last 2 days, snow and freezing rain is the reality so I cant get myself to visualize it...

Thank the Lord for Youtube though!

Thanx Frisky for making today a tad warmer for me!  Awesome read!!!