Chris Harris Finds the Best Road-Legal Track Weapon
New Mercedes-AMG GT R and BMW M4 GTS try to dethrone older Porsche 911 GT3 RS as track-toy supreme.
On today’s episode of “how to destroy all the tires in one day” we have Chris Harris at the Top Gear track, and he is comparing a trio of hardcore performance machines. It’s the new AMG GT R coming in to tackle the undefeated 911 GT3 RS, and the BMW M4 GTS is here too. For some reason. If you are familiar with Harris, you will know he’s not much of a fan of that particular BMW.
Moving on, the video starts out fast and sideways with the hilariously green Mercedes hooning around the track. The weather is typically British, so Harris is even more sideways than normal. It seems that he likes it as well. While he does say the car is a handful to manage, he heaps praise on the way the car felt in the dry. He likes the steering feel, the immediateness with which it changes direction, and all that immense horsepower launching him down the road. We’d say he is a bit smitten if we are honest. He spends nearly half the video in the Mercedes and barely has anything negative to say.
But being a great thing to drive, doesn’t make it the best thing to drive. So into the Porsche we go. Thanks to the rear-engined nature of the 911, front end grip is a concern for Harris. That said, he thinks the steering in the Porsche is better, and he likes the way the natural aspirated engine feels and responds better than the turbocharged motor in the AMG. Braking seems to be a wash between the two cars, leaving it down to handling and overall feel. Does the Mercedes really have what it takes to beat Porsche at its own game? You know how this works by now. We aren’t telling, you have to watch to find out.
Oh, the BMW is in the middle there for like three minutes. Harris says it’s cumbersome, difficult to drive, unrewarding and just overall not that inspiring. You’re better off with a normal M3 if you want a Roundel on the hood.
