911 Turbo S or GT3: After a Battle on Both Road and Track a Clear Winner Emerges
Which is better a 911 Turbo S or GT3? Most will take the GT3 for the track and Turbo S for the street. However, one car is better at both.
The 911 Turbo S and GT3 are peak 911 at the moment. Ignoring the Sport Classic that no one can buy and GT3 RS that will rot in private collections. The Turbo S and GT3 are the top 911 models that people will buy to actually drive as intended. Assuming you can’t have both which would you rather have, the Turbo S or GT3? Conventional wisdom says that for the track you want the GT3 but for everyday driving you want the Turbo S. That thinking may be fine in theory but in reality, it might not be that simple. A recent test between these two cars shows that the Turbo S is objectively better than the GT3 on track and subjectively better just about everyplace else. Hmmm.
A video was recently posted on the carwow YouTube channel. And in this video the cars are driven by automotive journalist Matt Watson and racing driver Sam Maher-Loughnan. The cars are compared by each driver in all conditions. On rainy highways, winding back roads, and eventually at Spa-Francorchamps. Lap times are compared at Spa, and throughout the rest of the test the cars are compared to each other based on comfort, space, noise and everything else that is important in a road car. The GT3 has the edge when it comes to engine sounds, but the Turbo S dominates just about every other category including lap times. What happened and what does this mean?
My Bias
I must come clean at the outset that I am slightly biased towards the Turbo S. I own a previous generation Turbo S that I adore. In my opinion I think the Turbo S is the best everyday supercar you can buy. The GT3 I also have a soft spot for but as great as they are, I think they are a bit overhyped. I had the opportunity recently to buy a 992 GT3 with a manual transmission. But it would have cost me my car PLUS another $150K. The GT3 is amazing but not $150K more amazing than my Turbo S. I understand the dollar value and collectability aspect. The GT3 will likely be more valuable forever. But I buy my cars to drive not to build a financial portfolio so financial performance in a car has little value to me. That being said I would love to add a GT3 someday.
The Cars
By now everyone knows the basic stats and layout of the 911 Turbo S and GT3 so there is no need to delve into that here. However, there are a couple highlights that are relevant to point out. The GT3 is a PDK version, and it rides on the track friendly Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires. It also has the lightweight carbon fiber bucket seats, carbon ceramic brakes, and a roll cage. For attacking a track this is the GT3 setup you want. The Turbo S already has most performance options included and of course is PDK only. The only thing worth noting here is that this car does not have the lightweight package and it rides on the, mediocre at best, Pirelli PZero tire.
Rainy Start
The adventure begins on a cold and rainy day as Watson and Maher-Loughnan head to Spa. In these conditions the Turbo S is the clear winner. It is more comfortable and reassuring to drive in these conditions. The heated seats in the Turbo S are welcomed on a day like this. The GT3 is darty on the road and even the racing driver is not at ease driving it. The ride in the GT3 is also much firmer to the point of being almost uncomfortable. The engine in the GT3 sounds glorious when you are ripping through the gears. But when just driving on a long highway trip the cabin noise in the GT3 tends to become a bit overbearing. Although in a rev contest the GT3 is the obvious winner, the Turbo S overall takes this round.
Around Town
The next day the sun comes out and the cars are tested around town on some back roads before arriving at Spa. The GT3 is certainly more alive in this situation. It is the more thrilling car with the engine sounds and sharper turn in. But even here the Turbo S wins fans because it is significantly faster and far more comfortable. The Turbo S is just more relaxing to drive until you don’t want it to be. Then you stand on the gas and smash almost everything else on the road. You can put up with a GT3 as an only car, but the Turbo S you can love as an only car.
Track Day
Finally, time for the GT3 to shine. The big wing, fancy front suspension, the Cup 2 tires, lightweight seats this is a track weapon. You put up with the stiff ride and the noise around town so you can show up to Spa and leave the heavy, luxury cruiser Turbo S in your wake. Except the Turbo S crushes the GT3 here as well. Both Watson and Maher-Loughnan were a full 4 seconds faster in the Turbo S than in the GT3. The GT3 was consistently quicker in the corners but that was not enough for even a racing driver to make up the deficit in speed on the straights.
Spa is a long track, and it favors power over handling, so the Turbo S has an inherit advantage on a track like this. But 4 seconds is a large gap and if the Turbo S was on equal tires the gap would likely grow by a couple more seconds still. So, all the talk over you need to get the GT3 if you really want to set quick lap times doesn’t really hold up in the real world. At least not at Spa. Smaller and more technical tracks, maybe.
Conclusion
Let’s be honest, there are no losers here. Both of these cars are terrific. If I can swing it, one day I would LOVE to add a GT3 to my garage. And I would certainly make it a manual car so I could really have fun with that wonderful engine. But the Turbo S can just do EVERYTHING. That includes whipping the GT3 on a racetrack. And with the current market you can likely buy a Turbo S for less money than a GT3. So, Turbo S or GT3? You can’t go wrong either way.
Join the Rennlist forums!
