911 Turbo
GT3
discussion should be a short one. Their characters are so different and their appeal so disparate that Turbo or GT3 just isn't a thought that tends to cross the minds of genuine buyers; they're not even the same people. Besides, the UK's initial allocation of GT3s is already accounted for and its lack of rear seats immediately rules it out for some. For those of us who can only discuss these cars in fantastical terms, however, Turbo or GT3 is a point of pressing concern.
Numbers and chassis tech more similar than ever
A person's preference either way says a lot about the qualities he or she values in a performance car. The Turbo has clearly become the day-to-day go-faster 911, whereas the GT3 is the much less compromising, more hardcore variant.
Now in its sixth generation the 911 Turbo is even more mind-alteringly rapid than ever, if a little unrewarding with it , while the latest GT3 is the third in a bloodline that's not yet 15 years old. At some point during that decade and a half a paradigm shift has occurred; the Turbo has been usurped by the GT3 as the poster boy of the 911 range.
Porsche has had to work hard to define separate identities for the two models, but with a PDK gearbox and more daily usability than ever , is the GT3 beginning to encroach on the Turbo's territory?
"Independent characters," says Porsche's Achleitner
independent characters
," reckons August Achleitner, head of the 911 model-line. "We did some comparison test drives together with the guys from the Motorsport department. We took some GT3s and some Turbos and we're quietly satisfied with their different characters. One has a normally aspirated engine, which needs revs, and the other one is just standing above all!"
Whether sticking to the corporate PR line or simply telling the truth, Achleitner insists there is no rivalry between the Turbo and GT3 engineering teams and is quick to highlight shared intel that has improved both cars. "The main development work for the rear-wheel steering had been made on the Turbo and the guys from the Motorsport department made a special application for the GT3," he says. "The hardware is the same and the software architecture is also the same, but of the course the data is a little bit different.
"The steering calibration is also similar. There is a difference to the regular Carrera, which has been possible because of the rear-wheel steering. It's a little bit more direct. It wouldn't make sense to take the same data to the Carrera because it works with the rear-wheel steering."
Would the GT3 be 'allowed' a faster 'ring lap?
In the raw figures alone the Turbo has the a clear edge on the GT3, particularly in S guise. 560hp plays 475hp, while 553lb ft is in a different ballpark to the GT3's 325lb ft. Four-wheel drive helps the Turbo S hit 62mph in 3.1 seconds compared to 3.5 for the GT3. The Turbo S goes 2mph harder at the top end with a maximum speed of 198mph. You'll pay for it, though; at £140,852 the Turbo S is more expensive than a GT3 and a Cayman 2.7 combined.
Has the Nurburgring lap time soap opera reached the point where a single second - Porsche quotes 7min 24secs for the Turbo S, versus 7min 25secs for the GT3 on the same tyres - counts for something? Achleitner isn't concerned. "The 'ring times are almost the same. If you look at the past these cars have always been quite similar in terms of lap time, but the character of course is completely different."
Neutral Achleitner may be, but when asked about the Turbo's rivals from outside of Porsche he can't help but blow its trumpet. "The Turbo has no enemy on the road, it is faster than everything. The acceleration comes so easy. Just by the torque it is easy to drive and so fast."
Different paths but ultimately similar destinations
And compared to the Ferrari 458 and McLaren 12C? "These supercars are very good, but the Turbo is easier to drive fast. We did some comparison tests with some competitors and everyone has been really surprised how easy it is to drive fast."
That's central to the Turbo's appeal, reckons Achleitner, but GT3 customers surely want more of a challenge. Perhaps it's the level of input required to extract the full performance from each that separates and defines these cars. That begs two questions: how many of us would take the GT3 over the Turbo as an only car, and would any of us choose the Turbo over the GT3 as a weekend car?
