New GT2 RS takes on the Ford GT, Mercedes-AMG GT R, and Lotus Exige Cup. Which one will set the fastest lap time?
In automotive terms, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS is the best of both worlds. It’s also the most intense. It combines the rawness and purity of a high-performance rear-wheel-drive Porsche, such as a 911 GT3, with the neck-snapping power (and even more) of a turbocharged Porsche, such as the 911 Turbo. The new GT2 RS is more than a sum of those parts. According to evo‘s Steve Sutcliffe, it’s a lunatic.
It needs to be. In the video above, evo pits the GT2 RS against some intimidating machines at the Anglesey Circuit to find out which car can set the fastest lap time. One of them is the Lotus Exige Cup. Although it has old bones, it doesn’t burden them with much weight. At just over 2,400 pounds, it’s the lightest car in the contest. The 3,561-pound Mercedes-AMG GT R is the heaviest, but it’s a deceptive beast with undeniable focus and precise steering that seems faster than its 577 horsepower would suggest. The 647-horsepower Ford GT is even more powerful and has the race-car aero to match its race-car looks.
Despite its lightness, the Lotus sets the slowest time of 1:14.7 because it doesn’t have enough get-up-and-go in the straightaways. The Ford GT is only slightly quicker at 1:14.2 because of its size and the fact that it can’t fully utilize its aero package on a course laid out like Anglesey Circuit. The AMG GT R thunders to a 1:13.6-second finish.
High amounts of horsepower can be tricky to put down through only the rear wheels. Judging by its lap time, the 700-horsepower GT2 RS has no problem hooking up and blazing down the track. It beats the 2nd-place AMG GT R by more than 1.5 seconds, setting a time of 1:12 flat. In fact, it bests the time evo set at Anglesey in the 918 Spyder. Sutcliffe is right. The new GT2 RS is a lunatic. It’s crazy fast.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
