Evora GT430 has a similar ethos to the GT3, but can it keep up with the Porsche track-day special?
The Porsche 911 991.2 GT3 is known for being one of the most track-ready, road-legal cars in the world. While Lotus is well-known for offering great-handling sports cars, we seldom see the British brand’s models compared head-to-head to the best from Germany. Fortunately, the DrPittenstein YouTube channel put together a side-by-side video showing the GT430 and the 991.2 GT3 lapping the Castle Combe Circuit in the United Kingdom. With the help of the simple analysis, we get a great look at how well both cars get around the 1.85-mile track and where each shines over the other.
The Competitors
In case you aren’t familiar with the 991.2 Porsche 911 GT3 or the Lotus Evora GT430, here is a quick, simply rundown.
The Porsche packs 500 horsepower from a Boxer flat-six engine and has a curb weight around 3,150 pounds. The Lotus has a supercharged Toyota V6 that delivers 430 horsepower while weighing just 2,773 pounds, so while the GT430 packs a bit less power, it weighs almost 400 pounds less and that is significant. Both cars have a manual transmission, track-tuned suspension systems, chassis and aero bits.
In short, the Porsche 991.2 GT3 and the Lotus Evora GT430 have some distinct differences on paper, but as we see in the video above, those differences even each other out in the real world.
The Analysis
The video begins with footage of the Porsche and the Lotus lapping the road course side-by-side, giving us a chance to see how each car and driver approaches and exits the turns. After that first lap, the voice-over analysis begins, with DrPittenstein pointing out where each car outshines the other.
Most notably, we can see how much the Porsche uses the bigger power to pull away on the straightaways. Even on short sprints, the 500-horsepower 911 pulls away from the 430-horsepower GT430, and that plays the biggest role in the lap differences. However, we can see that the Lotus closes the gap during braking exercises, while also being able to power deeper into the turns.
In other words, the Lotus is able to get in and through the turns more quickly, but the bigger power of the Porsche allows the 911 GT3 to get around the track a tough quickly.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
