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Alex, thank you for your thoughtful and highly considered words! Its not bragging if you can back it up. I feel fortunate to own one of these awesome machines and echo your sentiments that there's no other car out there at this time which checks all the right boxes. It just feels sublime on so many levels.
While The world of sports cars has never been more saturated then today, remember that in production today there are maybe one or two naturally aspirated high revving engines left, the GT3 and the V 12 Ferrari... And there is only one left with a manual transmission.
ONLY ONE MANUAL NA HIGH REV CAR IN PRODUCTION IN THE WORLD. The gt3.2, which will have only ONE year of production, 2018.
That is no small fact, and it will keep this car extremely relevant for the for seeable future.
I'll also add something else. I get to drive almost every major sports car in the world on track. GT3RS/488/P1/CGT/918/F12-TDF/675LT/911R/458Speciale/SCG003 (development driver).. I could go on. And while I'm not wealthy enough to own these cars, I have had the incredible honor and experience of being able to drive each one very hard, with no restraint or consideration of value. I was able to live with a few for extended periods and high mileage trips across states. It enabled me to look at each one of these machines objectively and critically. This enabled me, in my own mind at least, to decide with certainty from experience which one I would want to own. Of all of these, if I could only have one, a keeper forever, there is absolutely only ONE which I would want in my garage, the 911R. And even the R I found slightly lacking for one reason, a relatively disappointing top end.. it went flat.. but it still won hands done overall in my mind.. when I could pick I let others take the hypercars, I would take the old school low power (comparatively) manual 911R.
All the other wunder cars were exciting but flawed, more a novelty than a comprehensive package. Or too much to enjoy in regular moments on road at normal speeds.. really only at home in extreme situations like track or illegal road speeds. All in my mind quickly become surpassed technology, falling in the shadows of whatever car comes next.. always what's next?
The 911R was never like this, always my go-to. Now, I can't have the 911R but I can the next best thing.. the manual 911 GT3.2. And luckily, porsche fixed the ONE issue I experienced with the 911R, namely the weak-ish top end. How lucky are we???... mere mortals with the very pinnacle of perfect sports car development??!!!!.
I say this with absolute certainty and excitement that the only car of these I can afford, is actually the only one I would want to have... the GT3.2 Manual. I can buy it KNOWING, just KNOWING, that I've driven almost everything the world has to offer and that this is my true CHOICE!
Hopefully this does not come across as braggadocious, that's really not my intent... I stay relatively quiet about stuff like this normally, And I'm not really a Porsche fanboy. I just think that this car is incredibly unique not only in today's environment, but for a long long time to come. The sum of its parts is so well measured, so ON POINT, that to surpass its ownership experience and driving engagement, especially in today's turbo flappy paddle environment.. will be IMPOSSIBLE.
Rejoice GT3.2 manual owners, because everyone of us who is getting an allocation is indeed the luckiest of all sports car owners. I am 100% certain of this, and I feel that lucky.
Alex,
Thank you for your beautiful review of the .2 GT3 MT. We are truly blessed to be able to afford and enjoy these wonderful cars. Mine enters body shop (V260) on 02/02/2018. It will be a PTS MT GT3. I can't wait for it to exit port Houston (U002) on 03/30/3018. I hope it arrives earlier!
Thank you again for such a glowing review that gives so much clarity and the right perspective about this car.
While The world of sports cars has never been more saturated then today, remember that in production today there are maybe one or two naturally aspirated high revving engines left, the GT3 and the V 12 Ferrari... And there is only one left with a manual transmission.
ONLY ONE MANUAL NA HIGH REV CAR IN PRODUCTION IN THE WORLD. The gt3.2, which will have only ONE year of production, 2018.
That is no small fact, and it will keep this car extremely relevant for the for seeable future.
I'll also add something else. I get to drive almost every major sports car in the world on track. GT3RS/488/P1/CGT/918/F12-TDF/675LT/911R/458Speciale/SCG003 (development driver).. I could go on. And while I'm not wealthy enough to own these cars, I have had the incredible honor and experience of being able to drive each one very hard, with no restraint or consideration of value. I was able to live with a few for extended periods and high mileage trips across states. It enabled me to look at each one of these machines objectively and critically. This enabled me, in my own mind at least, to decide with certainty from experience which one I would want to own. Of all of these, if I could only have one, a keeper forever, there is absolutely only ONE which I would want in my garage, the 911R. And even the R I found slightly lacking for one reason, a relatively disappointing top end.. it went flat.. but it still won hands done overall in my mind.. when I could pick I let others take the hypercars, I would take the old school low power (comparatively) manual 911R.
All the other wunder cars were exciting but flawed, more a novelty than a comprehensive package. Or too much to enjoy in regular moments on road at normal speeds.. really only at home in extreme situations like track or illegal road speeds. All in my mind quickly become surpassed technology, falling in the shadows of whatever car comes next.. always what's next?
The 911R was never like this, always my go-to. Now, I can't have the 911R but I can the next best thing.. the manual 911 GT3.2. And luckily, porsche fixed the ONE issue I experienced with the 911R, namely the weak-ish top end. How lucky are we???... mere mortals with the very pinnacle of perfect sports car development??!!!!.
I say this with absolute certainty and excitement that the only car of these I can afford, is actually the only one I would want to have... the GT3.2 Manual. I can buy it KNOWING, just KNOWING, that I've driven almost everything the world has to offer and that this is my true CHOICE!
Hopefully this does not come across as braggadocious, that's really not my intent... I stay relatively quiet about stuff like this normally, And I'm not really a Porsche fanboy. I just think that this car is incredibly unique not only in today's environment, but for a long long time to come. The sum of its parts is so well measured, so ON POINT, that to surpass its ownership experience and driving engagement, especially in today's turbo flappy paddle environment.. will be IMPOSSIBLE.
Rejoice GT3.2 manual owners, because everyone of us who is getting an allocation is indeed the luckiest of all sports car owners. I am 100% certain of this, and I feel that lucky.
god damn, this got me all weak in knees and a salty, watery discharge from my eyes!
can't wait for mine to arrrive! so damn lucky and fortunate
and for some reason, while reading your comment, I thought of this video:
Beautifully stated CAlexio.
Given your experience would love it if you could expand on each car in you list, maybe a short paragraph?
i have a 458 Speciale and awaiting a GT3 manual this March...would be interested in your thoughts. The Speciale is a precision weapon, but at relatively normal humane speeds it seems bored with what it is being asked to do.
i will try a brief review of each, although someone like CJ on here has vastly more breadth of experience (and talent) and would certainly do these cars more justice.. here are a few rough thoughts.
P1: front end like an RS.. grips and grips, but then the rear is playful and predictable. 2wd+v8+turbo+hybrid torquefill is an insane combo. The sounds it makes are very much like a live animal.. lots of wooshes and flutters from turbos and overhead intake. The low-end hybrid torque-fill is sensational, and then the turbos kick in. If i may say, the top end doesn't kick as hard as it could (918 is better in this respect). The steering rack is typical mclaren, which is to say sublime and one of the most memorable aspects of driving it. the suspension is very supple, have driven it all up and down the west coast on sh!tty california roads and it was luxury level comfortable. The major negative I would say is that it feels like the batteries or maybe the engine aren't low enough in the chassis.. there is a definite pendulum effect in quick transitions (fast chicanes for example) which leaves you aware that this is a relatively heavy car. It feels like a very very expensive and well-made prototype, but it doesn't feel like a porsche product. For example, there are specific rules to be followed while track driving it, including cool down laps for the battery "or else". Many small aspects of the car let you know, that it's a lot of delicate and expensive engineering made by a small company, going on making the thing hustle down the road. owning out of warranty would scare me..
BEST PART: racing mode.. drops the car and adds downforce.. on a faster track would make a huge difference. driving it an inch or two off the ground in race mode increases the fun factor even further. it's a badass option to have, goes from playfull mode to WEAPON.
in the end though.. the pedal car version was what I took home.
I have a really poorly shot and edited video.. just fun stuff i pieced together while driving it at the track and i'll post that here... second half is bearable to watch, small powerslide at 2.50 which was fun (my old dad was shooting from sidelines and you can hear him telling me off for sliding it a bit hahaha!)
675LT: the most competent and versatile road and track car.. the breadth of this machine is incredible. it does it ALL. if you track a lot, and you want to drive the same car home.. the 675LT can't be beaten... yes, it's better than an RS on track, and more comfortable on road. it's also 2-3x the price so that's to be expected. it's so light, engine has so much torque that for brief moments if can feel like a P1 level of acceration, but only for brief moments. the P1 warps space and keeps on going, the 675LT occasionally touches warp speed... On shorter tracks where aero isn't needed, this feels like a mini-racecar. it's fantastic. the steering is my favorite on mclarens.. so much feel. i wish porsche could come close but it just doesn't.. mclaren steering is the benchmark... the pinnacle. brakes are a bit wooden. carbon chassis is to die for.. the fact that the 570s is under $200k with the same chassis is incredible. yes the engine sound isn't the best, the interior isn't the best.. but lightweight really really counts, and makes for a transformative driving experience. i would pick this over a p1. i would also pick this over a 918. if i tracked A LOT i might consider this over a gt3RS.. maybe.. carbon chassis counts for so so much. price is high.
air-brake.. WORKS!
918: like a videogame. meaning it's so competent, you feel like you're just along for the ride. the sound is pure racing lemans V8 soundtrack, the only reason you know the hybrid is there is that it has just so much torque.. lifts your feet off the floor under full accel. Has beautiful low end plus a great top end. What i don't like is that it feels heavy.. downhill at the track braking hard you can occasionally feel some weight transfer, occasionally can feel brakes starting to feel a little mushy. it's just so big and competent, really feels like a videogame everywhere else.. untouchable.. like playing on easymode.. The steering is the weakest point, feels really remote, also the regen braking you can feel when it kicks in, not perfectly linear and clean like the P1 brakes are. The 918 feels very very solidly engineered, typical porsche just next-next generation... but i don't like it. it's just too heavy, too competent, as a driver you feel like you're just along for the ride. they've also had some serious battery recalls.. out of warranty coverage cost estimates make me puke a bit in the back of my mouth.
Pic from Smokies when we were hustling TWO of these babies up and down the dragon.. such an insane experience.. nothing could keep up.. NOTHING.
guys who went to smokies will remember this moment... just hold brake, press accel.. and hold on.
Ferrari 488: wallops of torque, surprising top end for a turbo, amazing job by engine management engineers.. super high quality interior.. feels like a luxury car. FAST undertired like all v8 ferraris.. feels GT-ish i don't like it... I'll take a slower 458 any day.
Ferrari 458 Speciale: like a screamy italian version of the gt3RS.. a road car which is thoroughly enjoyable on track. that engine.. OMG.. that engine.. it's delicious, like licking whipped cream off of *****. Transmission needs to be manually shifted.. it's not PDK-S, it has no clue what you want, it doesn't read your mind. holds gears too long, just.. doesn't work with same amazing intuitiveness of PDK-S. Handling, if you go into corner to fast, tires give out, front scrubs and everyone knows you're a fool. If you aren't delicate on throttle on exit it will slide the rear.. so, it really teaches you how to drive. really really comfortable on the inside, very roomy.. totally the opposite of a gt3RS which feels constrained.
gt3rs: i'm preaching to the choir here.. almost perfection. that wide front end feels like a P1.. super confidence inspiring, makes you look like a good driver. allows you to get in over your head a bit. engine with an aftermarket exhaust sounds like heaven.. almost my favorite sound of all.. almost. i wish it had a manual if i could only have one i'd want one with a manual....
911R: i got myself into trouble already with 911R owners with this, don't need to rehash old news at this point, porsche already fixed the issue with the gt3.2.. https://rennlist.com/forums/991-gt3-...ssions-29.html
but all i can say is that the manual with the "old" 4.0 engine has a lackluster top end. otherwise, this is it. I can say i felt a small sense of smugness when the gt3.2 came out with the revised top end, which in my mind, was exactly what this car desperately needed.. but no one had dared speak badly of the sacred 911R. Regardless of that minor niggle, This is the car that you can have for the rest of your life.. until the gt3.2 comes out.. haha!... ok, THAT"S the one I can have for the rest of my life.
Pagani: can't really discuss too much, but a brand, a family, and a company i respect so so much for how much they've achieved starting from scratch in one generation. Here are a few pics of the jewelry level of these machines. Here is an amazing success story, of pure passion and grit.. of a small business elbowing out some room for themselves at the pinnacle of the super car scene. An amazing success borne out of creating a product niche which no one had yet explored.. the cars as performance AND as detailed jewelry.
BELOW is a pic of a Huayra rear bumper.. as light as my skinny arms could hold, and as beautifully finished on the inside as it is on the outside. If a Pagani customer wants to unscrew his car and just sit in his garage oggling at the innards.. there are months worth of beauty to behold. If you can buy one.. i can't imagine a better machine for pure intrinsic value of workmanship and passion.
SCG003 massive respect for what this team has achieved. MASSIVE: 1st: what Jim achieved in project ideation, and Paolo Garella and his team at MAT achieved in execution.. is AMAZING. tiny team, tiny budget.. hit it out of the ballpark first time. one shot at making a brand new racecar chassis, something which you can also drive home.. and it qualifies fastest in its class in the VLN series, almost wins.. it's a fairytale story akin to the mclaren f1 at lemans, just with a fraction of the budget and team. reminds me of the kiwis with the Britten motorcycle at daytona. we are blessed people like Jim Glickenhaus exist to create and finance a project like this, and someone with the knowhow and ability of Paolo Garella and his team to bring something like this to life. what a project.
LEARNINGS: ok, one lesson learned though from an enthusiast standpoint - you can take a road car and make it into a racecar, but you can't take a racecar and make a good roadcar. The road version, the S, Jim's own car we were shaking down, uses the bmw m6 hot V turbo setup.. That i can think of, it's the only car which has a mid-engine setup like that.. when you accelerate and turbos light up.. so does your neck. Literally, your neck feels like it's going to catch on fire there is so much heat. Also, there are heat-exchangers by your feet, your ankles catch on fire. it has a very reduced turn steering rack.. means a small roundabout causes turning radius issues. also.. you can't create a finished product which stands up to mass manufacturing, with just ONE iteration or generation. The guys at MAT who built the SCG cars did an amazing amazing job, but, it feels like a show-car which runs, it feels like a racecar, but it does not feel like a finished roadable product. this isn't a criticism of their work, they achieved the impossible, i'm sure a 250 GTO in it's day felt like this.. But if you have a romanticized vision of taking a race car to the shops with your wife.. uhm.. within the first mile you'll turn back, and it will take you an 18 point turn to do so.
Assuming you are truly Nucking Futs, and a racecar for the road is actually what you want? .well, don't say i didn't warn you.. here is what it FEELS like.
.. you can feel aero working at even low speeds.. it's truly a race car.. LOOOONG gears, this means that even though it's super light with a fantastic power to weight ratio, you don't feel the mad rush like on a hypercar with hybrid for comparison. Its a lopey super fast car for autobahn top speed runs maybe??? the faster you go, the more it sinks to the road.. absolutely PLANTED. otherwise, doesnt' feel that fast in low speed situations. . x-trac straight-cut paddle gearbox with robotized clutch...like on a koenigsegg. we worked on shifting algorithms so that at part throttle it shifted smoother, and then at full throttle it shifted with max force. This means that you must lift off the throttle gently if you want to try to not give your passenger/engineer whiplash. good luck with that. when you sit inside, you feel like youre in a group C racer, amazing visibility, super low to the ground.. like a gt40 replica.. very special feeling. but, it's rough.. very rough.. long front overhang, take care everywhere. you think a gt3 scrapes.. HAHA! dont be silly.. the front end arrives a day before you do. it's loud, every single NVH parameter is completely shot. windows, they don't open, toll booths in italy are a PIA. if you think you want a racecar for the road, you better know what you're getting into. There is a reason a GT3 is the perfect car.. it's great on road and then adequate on track. The specialized weapon we all think sounds great in magazines is a short lived love affair.
(PC Police.. please skip this next section, i'm not interested in hearing your opinions).
ok, we were testing by Torino, no racetracks close by, and no budget to rent one anyway. Shakedown testing hours after the car was screwed together, is the local highway. testing sessions include runs between toll booths, really nice 250kph+ runs testing all different parameters, throttle position, shift paddle pressure, shift engagement force, braking pedal position, fueling.. logging everything, everything... beautiful. then we would stop at an empty gas station, support truck comes, datalog, discuss, tune.. back in the other direction. This is italy from the 60-70-80's.. supercar testing on empty autostrada. if I had a cigarette i would have smoked it just to stop myself from jittering when we would come to a stop. sheer lunacy.. i treasure every moment.
oh, and i caught it on fire.. i found out somewhere in 5-th gearchange... somehow, the heat on my neck was even warmer than usual if that was possible. felt like a solid 2nd degree burn happening... a "hair on fire moment" in a very literal sense.. i look in rearview and there are beautiful yellow flames roasting the bodywork.. flickering everywhere. tv/mirrors don't work, have a make a made dive to right side of exit, Paolo is radioing the support team... then we lost power.. i need to go from high speed to low speed, switch lanes, avoid traffic without mirrors and use the emergency door unlock procedure i had learned because the electronics were not responding. i had visions of Lauda in my mind.. but by the time we got a stop the flames had almost extinguished.. team was there.
now the embarrassing part.. spending time with engineers analyzing what happened..
MAT ENGINEER-"what the **** did you do?" was asked a few times...
ME: "uhm?.. nothing, this was a full power run right?.. i dunno, flames, lost power..."
MAT ENGINEER-"lets look at the charts.. uhm.. you overrevved it you idiot"
ME: " i overrevved it?.. **** me, where was the redline we never talked about that, did we?"
MAT ENGINEER: patient withering look thinking.. last time this dumbass test drivers for us...
then they talk about you like you're not there because.. you were just the fleshy piece, totally unneccesary.. the data speaks for itself.
this is where lies get uncovered.. data logging where the engineers ask you what you did, you tell a lie, they tell you you just told a lie, so then you have to think of a new one.
fun times... a few pics.
heat from exhaust melted everything.. required redos of titanium shields.. 3D printed on site.. on the spot engineering work.
the Modulo..
first shakedown with Paolo Garella. For those who don't know, this is THE MAN who did the sultan of brunei cars.. all the special editions, crazy stuff like putting williams F1 transmissions into Testarossas.. and so much more one-off work that his stories could go for weeks.
endless front overhang.. Front axle lift?.. yes please.
an engineering work of art.. no iterations.. from blank canvas to record breaking race car, to road car. this is a big deal.
the song "I didn't start the fire" kept playing in my head.
knight rider dash.. tvs are rearview mirrors.
the Apollo was being created while i was there.
the face of goofy **** who is in over his head but really really should consider getting down to business. 270kph repeat test runs in a one-off cars shake down test will make you look this dumb too.
this is the racecar.. didn't get to drive it. just sat in it.
Astons: ****, pure ****.. all of them that I've tried. maybe things have changed with the new db11, i don't know.
running out of time, i'll add more if anyone wants it, or answer any further questions. Again, i'm sure there are many more qualified drivers/reviewers on here, like Nuvolari, Trakcar, CJ and the list goes on and on.. my opinions are solely my own.. namely, just those of a lucky enthusiast.
EDIT: My apologies for the massive off-topic. back to why the damn magazines aren't talking enough about the 911 gt3.2 manual.. which, in case i wasn't clear enough.. is THE car I want above all of these. PEACE!
EDIT X2: while i'm on this topic.. i thought I'd mention this experience which could be nice for a few people.
Paolo and his team will be unveiling a very very special limited series sports car at Geneva Auto Show. I can't say what it is, but think along the lines of a modern recreation of a very famous 80's rally legend, but with modern underpinnings. If you see what he did with the P4/5, P4/5Competizione, and Sultan of Brunei cars.. well, you know this car will be of the very highest execution. I'm very informally collecting early interest in this project, meaning, I have no financial gain.. just passing on info. If you are heading to Geneva, with the ability and intent to write serious checks for the right machinery to add to your collection, I can get you a very early previous of this amazing machine. What i can say about this vehicle is that it will occupy a space which no supercar currently occupies.. namely the tight-twisty specialty, a car which will take hairpins like dogs to bacon.. (terrible analogy). it will be based on a high quality production chassis, and will be completely bespoke.
if you're in the shopping mood, i can include press-day passes/ VIP treatment.
I realize this is vague info, but it's all I can do at the moment. Happy to help create an amazing Geneva autoshow experience for able and willing collectors who would consider adding a one-off vehicle to their collection. Then you can come back here on Rennlist and tell everyone about the new hotness.. i promise, i won't steal your thunder. ;-D
think along the lines of a modern recreation of a very famous 80's rally legend, but with modern underpinnings. it will occupy a space which no supercar currently occupies.. namely the tight-twisty specialty, a car which will take hairpins like dogs to bacon..
That sounds sweet if they chose the right inspiration. Out of my price range but right up my alley.
Thanks for taking the time to post all of the above. Living the dream- be safe and enjoy it!
i will try a brief review of each, although someone like CJ on here has vastly more breadth of experience (and talent) and would certainly do these cars more justice.. here are a few rough thoughts.
P1: front end like an RS.. grips and grips, but then the rear is playful and predictable. 2wd+v8+turbo+hybrid torquefill is an insane combo. The sounds it makes are very much like a live animal.. lots of wooshes and flutters from turbos and overhead intake. The low-end hybrid torque-fill is sensational, and then the turbos kick in. If i may say, the top end doesn't kick as hard as it could (918 is better in this respect). The steering rack is typical mclaren, which is to say sublime and one of the most memorable aspects of driving it. the suspension is very supple, have driven it all up and down the west coast on sh!tty california roads and it was luxury level comfortable. The major negative I would say is that it feels like the batteries or maybe the engine aren't low enough in the chassis.. there is a definite pendulum effect in quick transitions (fast chicanes for example) which leaves you aware that this is a relatively heavy car. It feels like a very very expensive and well-made prototype, but it doesn't feel like a porsche product. For example, there are specific rules to be followed while track driving it, including cool down laps for the battery "or else". Many small aspects of the car let you know, that it's a lot of delicate and expensive engineering made by a small company, going on making the thing hustle down the road. owning out of warranty would scare me..
BEST PART: racing mode.. drops the car and adds downforce.. on a faster track would make a huge difference. driving it an inch or two off the ground in race mode increases the fun factor even further. it's a badass option to have, goes from playfull mode to WEAPON.
in the end though.. the pedal car version was what I took home.
I have a really poorly shot and edited video.. just fun stuff i pieced together while driving it at the track and i'll post that here... second half is bearable to watch, small powerslide at 2.50 which was fun (my old dad was shooting from sidelines and you can hear him telling me off for sliding it a bit hahaha!) https://youtu.be/YLVif_Bc5bg?t=168
675LT: the most competent and versatile road and track car.. the breadth of this machine is incredible. it does it ALL. if you track a lot, and you want to drive the same car home.. the 675LT can't be beaten... yes, it's better than an RS on track, and more comfortable on road. it's also 2-3x the price so that's to be expected. it's so light, engine has so much torque that for brief moments if can feel like a P1 level of acceration, but only for brief moments. the P1 warps space and keeps on going, the 675LT occasionally touches warp speed... On shorter tracks where aero isn't needed, this feels like a mini-racecar. it's fantastic. the steering is my favorite on mclarens.. so much feel. i wish porsche could come close but it just doesn't.. mclaren steering is the benchmark... the pinnacle. brakes are a bit wooden. carbon chassis is to die for.. the fact that the 570s is under $200k with the same chassis is incredible. yes the engine sound isn't the best, the interior isn't the best.. but lightweight really really counts, and makes for a transformative driving experience. i would pick this over a p1. i would also pick this over a 918. if i tracked A LOT i might consider this over a gt3RS.. maybe.. carbon chassis counts for so so much. price is high.
air-brake.. WORKS!
918: like a videogame. meaning it's so competent, you feel like you're just along for the ride. the sound is pure racing lemans V8 soundtrack, the only reason you know the hybrid is there is that it has just so much torque.. lifts your feet off the floor under full accel. Has beautiful low end plus a great top end. What i don't like is that it feels heavy.. downhill at the track braking hard you can occasionally feel some weight transfer, occasionally can feel brakes starting to feel a little mushy. it's just so big and competent, really feels like a videogame everywhere else.. untouchable.. like playing on easymode.. The steering is the weakest point, feels really remote, also the regen braking you can feel when it kicks in, not perfectly linear and clean like the P1 brakes are. The 918 feels very very solidly engineered, typical porsche just next-next generation... but i don't like it. it's just too heavy, too competent, as a driver you feel like you're just along for the ride. they've also had some serious battery recalls.. out of warranty coverage cost estimates make me puke a bit in the back of my mouth.
Pic from Smokies when we were hustling TWO of these babies up and down the dragon.. such an insane experience.. nothing could keep up.. NOTHING.
guys who went to smokies will remember this moment... just hold brake, press accel.. and hold on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P_Sz2esUT4
wanna race??
Ferrari 488: wallops of torque, surprising top end for a turbo, amazing job by engine management engineers.. super high quality interior.. feels like a luxury car. FAST undertired like all v8 ferraris.. feels GT-ish i don't like it... I'll take a slower 458 any day.
Ferrari 458 Speciale: like a screamy italian version of the gt3RS.. a road car which is thoroughly enjoyable on track. that engine.. OMG.. that engine.. it's delicious, like licking whipped cream off of *****. Transmission needs to be manually shifted.. it's not PDK-S, it has no clue what you want, it doesn't read your mind. holds gears too long, just.. doesn't work with same amazing intuitiveness of PDK-S. Handling, if you go into corner to fast, tires give out, front scrubs and everyone knows you're a fool. If you aren't delicate on throttle on exit it will slide the rear.. so, it really teaches you how to drive. really really comfortable on the inside, very roomy.. totally the opposite of a gt3RS which feels constrained.
gt3rs: i'm preaching to the choir here.. almost perfection. that wide front end feels like a P1.. super confidence inspiring, makes you look like a good driver. allows you to get in over your head a bit. engine with an aftermarket exhaust sounds like heaven.. almost my favorite sound of all.. almost. i wish it had a manual if i could only have one i'd want one with a manual....
911R: i got myself into trouble already with 911R owners with this, don't need to rehash old news at this point, porsche already fixed the issue with the gt3.2.. https://rennlist.com/forums/991-gt3-...ssions-29.html
but all i can say is that the manual with the "old" 4.0 engine has a lackluster top end. otherwise, this is it. I can say i felt a small sense of smugness when the gt3.2 came out with the revised top end, which in my mind, was exactly what this car desperately needed.. but no one had dared speak badly of the sacred 911R. Regardless of that minor niggle, This is the car that you can have for the rest of your life.. until the gt3.2 comes out.. haha!... ok, THAT"S the one I can have for the rest of my life.
Pagani: can't really discuss too much, but a brand, a family, and a company i respect so so much for how much they've achieved starting from scratch in one generation. Here are a few pics of the jewelry level of these machines. Here is an amazing success story, of pure passion and grit.. of a small business elbowing out some room for themselves at the pinnacle of the super car scene. An amazing success borne out of creating a product niche which no one had yet explored.. the cars as performance AND as detailed jewelry.
BELOW is a pic of a Huayra rear bumper.. as light as my skinny arms could hold, and as beautifully finished on the inside as it is on the outside. If a Pagani customer wants to unscrew his car and just sit in his garage oggling at the innards.. there are months worth of beauty to behold. If you can buy one.. i can't imagine a better machine for pure intrinsic value of workmanship and passion.
SCG003 massive respect for what this team has achieved. MASSIVE: 1st: what Jim achieved in project ideation, and Paolo Garella and his team at MAT achieved in execution.. is AMAZING. tiny team, tiny budget.. hit it out of the ballpark first time. one shot at making a brand new racecar chassis, something which you can also drive home.. and it qualifies fastest in its class in the VLN series, almost wins.. it's a fairytale story akin to the mclaren f1 at lemans, just with a fraction of the budget and team. reminds me of the kiwis with the Britten motorcycle at daytona. we are blessed people like Jim Glickenhaus exist to create and finance a project like this, and someone with the knowhow and ability of Paolo Garella and his team to bring something like this to life. what a project.
LEARNINGS: ok, one lesson learned though from an enthusiast standpoint - you can take a road car and make it into a racecar, but you can't take a racecar and make a good roadcar. The road version, the S, Jim's own car we were shaking down, uses the bmw m6 hot V turbo setup.. That i can think of, it's the only car which has a mid-engine setup like that.. when you accelerate and turbos light up.. so does your neck. Literally, your neck feels like it's going to catch on fire there is so much heat. Also, there are heat-exchangers by your feet, your ankles catch on fire. it has a very reduced turn steering rack.. means a small roundabout causes turning radius issues. also.. you can't create a finished product which stands up to mass manufacturing, with just ONE iteration or generation. The guys at MAT who built the SCG cars did an amazing amazing job, but, it feels like a show-car which runs, it feels like a racecar, but it does not feel like a finished roadable product. this isn't a criticism of their work, they achieved the impossible, i'm sure a 250 GTO in it's day felt like this.. But if you have a romanticized vision of taking a race car to the shops with your wife.. uhm.. within the first mile you'll turn back, and it will take you an 18 point turn to do so.
Assuming you are truly Nucking Futs, and a racecar for the road is actually what you want? .well, don't say i didn't warn you.. here is what it FEELS like.
.. you can feel aero working at even low speeds.. it's truly a race car.. LOOOONG gears, this means that even though it's super light with a fantastic power to weight ratio, you don't feel the mad rush like on a hypercar with hybrid for comparison. Its a lopey super fast car for autobahn top speed runs maybe??? the faster you go, the more it sinks to the road.. absolutely PLANTED. otherwise, doesnt' feel that fast in low speed situations. . x-trac straight-cut paddle gearbox with robotized clutch...like on a koenigsegg. we worked on shifting algorithms so that at part throttle it shifted smoother, and then at full throttle it shifted with max force. This means that you must lift off the throttle gently if you want to try to not give your passenger/engineer whiplash. good luck with that. when you sit inside, you feel like youre in a group C racer, amazing visibility, super low to the ground.. like a gt40 replica.. very special feeling. but, it's rough.. very rough.. long front overhang, take care everywhere. you think a gt3 scrapes.. HAHA! dont be silly.. the front end arrives a day before you do. it's loud, every single NVH parameter is completely shot. windows, they don't open, toll booths in italy are a PIA. if you think you want a racecar for the road, you better know what you're getting into. There is a reason a GT3 is the perfect car.. it's great on road and then adequate on track. The specialized weapon we all think sounds great in magazines is a short lived love affair.
(PC Police.. please skip this next section, i'm not interested in hearing your opinions).
ok, we were testing by Torino, no racetracks close by, and no budget to rent one anyway. Shakedown testing hours after the car was screwed together, is the local highway. testing sessions include runs between toll booths, really nice 250kph+ runs testing all different parameters, throttle position, shift paddle pressure, shift engagement force, braking pedal position, fueling.. logging everything, everything... beautiful. then we would stop at an empty gas station, support truck comes, datalog, discuss, tune.. back in the other direction. This is italy from the 60-70-80's.. supercar testing on empty autostrada. if I had a cigarette i would have smoked it just to stop myself from jittering when we would come to a stop. sheer lunacy.. i treasure every moment.
oh, and i caught it on fire.. i found out somewhere in 5-th gearchange... somehow, the heat on my neck was even warmer than usual if that was possible. felt like a solid 2nd degree burn happening... a "hair on fire moment" in a very literal sense.. i look in rearview and there are beautiful yellow flames roasting the bodywork.. flickering everywhere. tv/mirrors don't work, have a make a made dive to right side of exit, Paolo is radioing the support team... then we lost power.. i need to go from high speed to low speed, switch lanes, avoid traffic without mirrors and use the emergency door unlock procedure i had learned because the electronics were not responding. i had visions of Lauda in my mind.. but by the time we got a stop the flames had almost extinguished.. team was there.
now the embarrassing part.. spending time with engineers analyzing what happened..
MAT ENGINEER-"what the **** did you do?" was asked a few times...
ME: "uhm?.. nothing, this was a full power run right?.. i dunno, flames, lost power..."
MAT ENGINEER-"lets look at the charts.. uhm.. you overrevved it you idiot"
ME: " i overrevved it?.. **** me, where was the redline we never talked about that, did we?"
MAT ENGINEER: patient withering look thinking.. last time this dumbass test drivers for us...
then they talk about you like you're not there because.. you were just the fleshy piece, totally unneccesary.. the data speaks for itself.
this is where lies get uncovered.. data logging where the engineers ask you what you did, you tell a lie, they tell you you just told a lie, so then you have to think of a new one.
fun times... a few pics.
heat from exhaust melted everything.. required redos of titanium shields.. 3D printed on site.. on the spot engineering work.
the Modulo..
first shakedown with Paolo Garella. For those who don't know, this is THE MAN who did the sultan of brunei cars.. all the special editions, crazy stuff like putting williams F1 transmissions into Testarossas.. and so much more one-off work that his stories could go for weeks.
endless front overhang.. Front axle lift?.. yes please.
an engineering work of art.. no iterations.. from blank canvas to record breaking race car, to road car. this is a big deal.
the song "I didn't start the fire" kept playing in my head.
knight rider dash.. tvs are rearview mirrors.
the Apollo was being created while i was there.
the face of goofy **** who is in over his head but really really should consider getting down to business. 270kph repeat test runs in a one-off cars shake down test will make you look this dumb too.
this is the racecar.. didn't get to drive it. just sat in it.
Astons: ****, pure ****.. all of them that I've tried. maybe things have changed with the new db11, i don't know.
running out of time, i'll add more if anyone wants it, or answer any further questions. Again, i'm sure there are many more qualified drivers/reviewers on here, like Nuvolari, Trakcar, CJ and the list goes on and on.. my opinions are solely my own.. namely, just those of a lucky enthusiast.
EDIT: My apologies for the massive off-topic. back to why the damn magazines aren't talking enough about the 911 gt3.2 manual.. which, in case i wasn't clear enough.. is THE car I want above all of these. PEACE!
More and more credibility given to your opinions on the .2 GT3 (MT in my case). Not sure I will sleep now till its safely tucked in my garage...... Thank you indeed for taking the time and interest to post your thoughts on these special cars.
01-21-2018, 11:43 AM
