From the in-process Motor Trend "Best Handling Car" comparo test, which is being posted in installments on their website.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/p.../photo_24.html

Winners announced tomorrow (seems like the R8 may come out on top).

BTW, despite great time (only faster car was the 600HP Viper race car on Cup tires), Pobst gave GT-R a low subjective ranking.

Not trying to rekindle the GT-R fanboy wars (OK, maybe a little bit), but I think this test (from a Pro Drive who races 911s) is a lot more impressive/credible compared to some of the prior tests.

If you click around the rest of the article, you will find that the GT-R spanks most everything else on the quantitative handling tests as well.

It's getting pretty hard to dismiss this car (apart from calling it ugly).

-Chris

Full disclosure: I took delivery of one last week.

 

Doesn't suprise me man... you're going to have fun!

 

Yep GT-R is faster than a stock 997TT. Remember that 997TT is no track car, Porsche has the GT models for that. But of course a TT with mods is a very fast on track.

About those times: thankfully the Turbo guys can get a set of semislick tires like Cups and add a set of coilovers and have fun even with GT-R's that are driven by a bit better driver.

(Yeah yeah I know that the GT-R guys can mod their cars too...This was just an example that in real life with similar drivers the differences are small, 2.1 seconds is not THAT bad because the stock 997TT is not a track weapon)

EDIT: No hate for GT-R, I just cannot drive it before next spring when they come here....So no personal opinions yet.

 

GT-R is no track car either. It's a fat GT cruiser that should be compared to an M6 or SL. That's the cool/funny thing.

FYI, GT3 (on Cup Tires) was about 1 second faster in last year's test (which the GT3 won) than GT-R time this year (diff drivers, however). In my experience, Cups are worth AT LEAST 2-3 seconds a lap. So I suspect GT3 v. GT-R would be very close on comparable rubber.

-Chris

 

Well I just need to get that new 93 tune on there for you and then you _can_ use the GT-R as a cruiser

 

Thanks for sharing. Randy is a very good driver.

 

Was that another 'special car'.......no thanks I'll keep my turbo.

 

That is really odd.... i can run 1:40 flat with a 996 TT with a passanger/ spare tools up front/****ty tires that were worn down (falkens/mooty was there to see me run 42's on tires showing wires !)-- that was pre alingment, and now i think its good for 1-2 secs more.

As for mods i just have a flash and dv's....also this was on pagid orange pads... i think the yellows are much much better and more confident in breaking deeper... oh well these test mean nothing to me ... i would really expect the 997TT to be way faster then my car since its better sorted out, no ?

 

haha yea its still ugly

 

First of all, that's a very impressive laptime. Certainly much faster than I have ever done in my modded 997TT.

Second, these comparos are tough because drivers (no matter how great) only have a few laps in each car. If you do a 1:40 now, how fast were you on your second or third lap ever at Laguna in that car? Also, other than the Viper (which was tuned on-site by company engineers), the other cars were 100% bone stock.

Mag tests are just mag tests, but I think with a great drive (Randy qualifies), the relative laptimes are informative. Some members here discounted prior test results because the drivers lacked 911 experience. I don't that objection can be raised here.

This is a $70K, 4000 pound car that was faster than everything other than a Viper racecar on massive Cups with a fully adjustable suspension / aero that arrived at the track with a pit crew....

-Chris

 

The TT result is not surprising when you consider the super lame alignment specs that are set from the factory. You can easily change the chassis geometry with GT3 alignment specs which provide a far more neutral track-in on the car.

 

I ran 1:35 in my 997 GT3 last weekend at LS on worn tires. So the GT-R with a much better driver is 5 seconds slower than a GT3 and it's not a Porsche!

No matter what a Corvette is a Chevy and a GT-R is a Nissan!

Oh yeah, my GT3 is slightly modified

 

"slightly" is an underdstatement!

 

Stock 997 GT3 did 1:39 last year in same Motor Trend test (on Cup tires).

There's always a better driver or a better modded or set-up car, these mag tests are useful (if at all) only on a relative basis. I'm sure there's a race-prepped EVO out there doing <1:35. That's not the point.

grussell: just imagine how fast you'd be in GT-R!!! ;-)