i-series have been inhaling R&D$$ like a black hole. now that BMW is past that hump it'll be interesting to see if upcoming M4/M3 get things back on track.

 

If you think that guy's driving was "a complete joke", then I would say the above "sweeping generalisation" applies perfectly to you.

 

Yeah, the suggestion the tester can't drive is absurd. Presumably these people have never watched the onboard cameras from an F1, FIA GT, or any other race and so don't realize that in fact perfectly smooth is not how the pros drive; it's really just how DE instructors suggest amateurs drive.

 

I don't doubt he is a great driver, that said that was probably an extremely poor example of his driving. No helmet, one handed driving..............sorry pros don't do it that way either.

This looks pretty smooth and the only time he doesn't have two hands on is shifting and e-brake.

 

The way he drives in that video reminds me of how my extremely competent ice driving instructor at Porsche Camp 4S was driving. So maybe he really is on the limit and slightly drifting the car! ;-)

 

I was in two minds whether to post this in a separate thread, or append it to the SA review, in the end, as I have no scans yet, I decided to post this here to contrast it with the SA review. The 991 GT3 has won the Autocar 'Britain's Best Driver's Car 2013' rating/test:


Quotes:

"Last year the standard 991-generation 911 trailed home a disappointing fifth (...) At the time I wrote: "Next year, we hope to have the new GT3 here and maybe that will have what it takes to put the 911 back on the top of the pile." To cut a short story shorter still, it does. (...) All five of us scored it in first or second place. There's a clue in the lap time. Given their relative power-to-weight ratios, the GT3 really shouldn't be circulating a track as Snetterton anywhere near the pace of the Ferrari flagship, let alone a fraction faster. True, it is explained in part by it's phenomenal grip and brakes, but it's" real advantage is the confidence it inspires in it's driver. In some respects, it takes the very best elements of it's two closest rivals and fuses them into an unbeatable whole. It's steering linearity and gentle rack speed are almost Aston-like, whereas it's ability to get into an apex and it's instant gearshifts are more the Ferrari way of doing things. To this it adds a few inimitable 911 traits, notably traction that lets you reapply power before the apex and the slow-corner nimbleness enabled by a wheelbase that, while lengthened, it is still short by these standards and, in effect, shortened further by four-wheel steering. Porsche's patter about the system providing agility in tight turns and stability in quick curves was utterly vindicated at Snett.

Even so, this is not the comprehensive dusting that you might be expecting, or might imagine when viewing the individual judging scores; statistics alone can show only so much. For although past winners of this contest have often attracted almost unalloyed praise from the judging panel, this year, every one of us felt the need to mitigate our praise; the word 'clinical' came up in the notes with, for Porsche, inconvenient frequency. We miss the manual gearbox and the hydraulic steering, however wondrously good their new electrified replacements have become. In the context of such strong competition, The GT3 isn't inviolable, but make no mistake: it thoroughly deserves all the praise and the podium placings awarded to it."

(...)

"Which leaves the less powerful but lighter GT3 to do what it does best: turning up and going faster than everything else, and feeling like it could do it all day, every day - for eternity."

(...)

"The Verdict: (...) But there was one car whose almost inevitable brilliance enabled it to emerge as a clear winner - although the score makes it's victory look more crushing than, in truth, it felt. Several testers held the opinion that the latest 911 GT3 has, in gaining a PDK gearbox and electric power steering, lost some of it's intimacy. Nevertheless, those testers placed it no lower than second, while those new to GT Porsches had no hesitation in putting it first. The Porsche 911 GT3 is a worthy winner."

Rank

1 - Porsche 911 GT3
2 - Aston Martin V12 Vantage S (joint 2nd)
2 - Ferrari F12 Berlinetta (joint 2nd)
4 - Radical RXC
5 - Toyota GT86
6 - Porsche Cayman S
7 - Ariel Atom 3.5 SC
8 - Ford Fiesta ST
9 - Jaguar F-type V6S
10 - Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG

Laptimes: Snetterton 300 (3 mile circuit)

- Porsche 911 GT3 - 2:08:6
- Ferrari F12 Berlinetta - 2:08:9
- Ariel Atom 3.5 SC - 2:10:6
- Aston Martin V12 Vantage S - 2:14:2
- Porsche Cayman S - 2:16:7
- Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG - 2:19:8
- Toyota GT86 - 2:28:9
- Ford Fiesta ST - 2:31:8
- Jaguar F-type V6S - no time set (due to the unpredictable English weather)
- Radical RXC - no time set (due to the unpredictable English weather)

 

^ Strange competition. Not liking the 'clinical' description, sounds like a car that will be fast, (too) easy to drive, and possibly eventually somewhat boring. Not what I want in a DE track car.

 

Thanks, Der-Schwabe. No doubt some will pick out the word "clinical" and go on about it (ah, too late I see ), but looked at as a whole (which apparently the Autocar editors wisely did) that's an impressive result for the GT3.

 

The car's great, but key question is whether it's really a better overall track car than the 997.2 GT3, all things considered.

 

True enough, and I guess we'll find out in due time. The fact that it's faster than a fairly uncompromised track car like the Aerial Atom 3.5C or a 730HP Ferrari is still impressive.....

 

I think this is all relative perspective to the individual... While the word "clinical" may conjure up images of loss of involvement, some like myself may look at it in terms of "clinical precision" as an example which may be viewed as not a bad thing...

As to "too easy" to drive, again from my experience in driving various race cars, when the limits of any given can is raised, not all drivers know how or are willing to find out where the new limit is and continue to drive within their comfort zone (nothing wrong with that) which leaves them with the impression that the car is now "easy to drive and boring"...Again, all perspective....

 

Not just that as just lap times would not have cut it (last year's winner of this contest was the Toyota GT86) but also how the car provides feedback to the driver, so much so that the journos placed it above track day tools such as Ariel & Radical...

 

+1

So true. If you find a car 'too easy' to drive. You're not driving it fast enough. A stable car gives you good confidence. Good confidence gets you more speed. How is that not fun? Why would driving a car slower because it is unstable/scary be more fun?

 

Manifold. Whens yours arrive again?

I think the interesting statement was that the testers that were new to GT Porsche placed it first and those not new placed it second (one assumes after Aston or F12). What that tells me is many still trying to compare it to old car. Its like me when I got my 996 GT3 after my 993RS it felt "clinical". Sold it shortly after. Guess what? Now the 996.1 GT3 is heralded as one of the most analogue cars out there LOL! Perspective is very difficult when nostalgia gets in the way. The 996 GT3 was a very good car - I was looking at it wrong. Should have stuck with it a bit longer. Amazing what age and wisdom will tell you. IM approaching 991 GT3 as clean sheet approach. I have 993(RS) and all good but Im not making the mistake of writing off the whole water cooled generation again by taking the wrong perspective and context...each to their own.

 

I find this article brings up a good point and is equally applicable to Porsche.

http://jalopnik.com/bmw-has-been-bui...ars-1452240056