Even though the Porsche has 150 less horsepower, it was less than a half-second behind the Corvette Z06.
The 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 is an incredible machine, with the 4.0-liter flat-six Boxer engine laying down 500 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque. With the 7-speed PDK transmission, the GT3 weighs just 3,153 pounds, allowing it to dash from 0-60 in just 3.2 seconds en route to a top speed of 197 miles per hour. More importantly, the suspension and aerodynamic bits make this car a track terror.
To see just how good it is on a road course, the folks from the French YouTube channel Motorsport Magazine took the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in France and the results were pretty incredible.
911 GT3 on Magny-Cours
The video above shows the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 on the club configuration of Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. The channel uses this track for all of their testing, allowing them to compare the cars to each other on a level playing field and when comparing the GT3 to some of the other supercars that they have tested – the Porsche challenged some of the world’s greatest performance cars.
As you can see in the video above, the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 made it around the Magny-Cours club circuit in just 1:18.85. That is better than the test times for the Corvette Grand Sport, the Lotus 3-Eleven, the Mercedes-Benz AMG GTR and the BMW M4 GTS, ranking third on their overall list. The only two vehicles to have turned in quicker lap times were the McLaren 675LT and the Corvette Z06. In the case of the Corvette, the GT3 was only 39-hundredths back, even though the Chevy supercar packs far more power.
911 GT3 Vs Corvette Z06
As mentioned above, the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 is powered by a 4.0-liter engine that produces 500 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque. The C7 Corvette Z06 is powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 that delivers 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The biggest advantage for the Porsche is curb weight, tipping the scales roughly 400-pounds less than the Corvette, but even with that weight advantage, the Z06 still has a gigantic lead in horsepower and torque.
In lapping the French track 39-hundredths behind the Corvette Z06, the GT3 shows that it is one of the best-handling sports cars in the world. It makes up for the huge power advantage of the Chevy by getting through the turns more quickly and should Motorsport Magazine test the GT3 RS on this same track – it might just beat the supercharged Vette.
In the meantime, enjoy the in-car video of the Porsche 911 GT3 in action.
"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.
