Porsche 911 GT3 2010 First Test
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This isn't meant for L.A. It's too rough, too noisy, too harsh, and too low. Its clutch engagement is stupendously stiff (after 10 minutes of crawling along I-405 North, your left leg burns with lactic acid buildup) and its gigantic six-piston front brakes hurl you at the windshield with every slight pedal tap. Let's not forget about that 3.8-liter flat-six. The entire car is raw...organic even.
That's exactly why we love it.
The 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 is not a grocery-getter or a Hollywood Boulevard cruiser -- save those runs for the Cayenne on 22s. If confined to L.A.'s rough pieces of pavement, the GT3 fast becomes a royal pain in the glutes and kidneys. It isn't fun when perusing boring urban blocks. It isn't comfortable when entering parking lots with the slightest of curbs, even with the available front axle lift bringing the nose up nearly 1.2-inches. Those things are better accomplished while looking stylish in your 911, Boxster, or even, 911 Turbo.
Below 4000 rpms it's taxing to shift the extra-stiff clutch with its bicep-building lever. Keep at it long enough and you'll have a right arm toned better than Arnold's. PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) in its standard mode transmits each road imperfection with teeth chattering effect. Don't even think about switching it into "Sports Mode" when out in the real world -- all the jouncing is a recipe for a headache. The car lives at the limits of civility, barely streetable in between track sessions or secluded back road runs.
This is a German thoroughbred born of countless race wins. It abhors trotting and can't stand being pent up. It wants to run and loves being pushed.
We mentioned it was "organic." In other words, it features no turbo or supercharger additives to motivate it to abnormally high speeds. It can be specified with little to no interior comforts. In Europe, a roll cage and fire extinguisher are optional. Stick some numbers on the doors, let it loose on a track, and you'll likely end up on the podium.
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All that "-ness" (rough, low, raw, noisy) makes beautiful sense on a glassy serpentine path, either closed track or in civilization. Unlike other 911s in the stable, the GT3 is a colt bred with fixed aerodynamics, beefier active suspension, and a stouter naturally-aspirated motor replete with forged pistons, lightweight valves and cup tappets, and hollow camshafts. It shines while pushing at ten-tenths.
Feed throttle to the rumbling 435-horsepower boxer and its unique centrally-mounted twin pipes bark in a hungry tenor. At a magical 6000 rpm, it all awakens, revealing an entirely transformed Stuttgart stud awaiting its next velocity-engulfing command. Hit "Sport" on the dash and 14.7 more pound-feet of torque arrive at the forged centerlock wheels. Every nuance at the reins also translates to an even more instantaneous push at the wheels.
In a straight line the GT3 barrels to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds -- a notable feat considering it "only" has 435 ponies and a six-speed manual specially tuned for ideal power delivery (the dual-clutch PDK isn't an option). Jump in a 454-horsepower Ferrari California with a super fast twin-clutch gearbox and you'll hit 60 mph in the same amount of time. Mash the gas in a 542-horsepower Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni and it beats the Porsche by only a tenth.
Continue the feeding and it terrorizes 1320 feet in 11.8 seconds @ 119.1 mph -- a tick quicker, yet a bit slower, than our Long Term 2010 Nissan GT-R (11.9 seconds @ 120.1 mph). Luckily, those touchy binders (15.0-inch front/13.8-inch rear) are there to call on when the road runs out. They hustle the 3266 pound GT3 to a standstill from 60 mph in only 94 feet -- or as short as the $375,000-plus Lexus LFA. A $1 million Enzo takes 106 feet with its Brembo carbon ceramics.
No matter the configuration, every corner becomes a fast one in this Porsche. It demands heaps of driver focus to smoothly conquer every ebb and flow. Blip the throttle, rev-match into a lower gear (at speed, the clutch/gearbox works as slickly as a Hublot F1 King Power watch), touch the brakes, and it's time to charge. Front end bite is sublime. The semi-slick 235/35-19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cups should be labeled "Black Flag Flypaper;" the hind 305/30-19s, "Gorilla Glue." They hastily urge slight oversteer until the trailing rubber keeps everything in line, slingshotting the sports car towards the next challenging maneuver. For a rear-wheel drive, rear-engine car, the GT3's grip levels are ludicrous.
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Around our figure eight sans traction and stability control, it recorded a 24.0 second run at a 0.84 g average. On our 200 foot skidpad the GT3 measured a 1.04 g average. No wonder our drivers' necks were sore the next day.
But tires alone are only one variable in the GT3's complex handling equation. A lowered PASM setup reduces the center of gravity while likewise minimizing the amount of air flowing below the sealed underbody. Along with Porsche's variable dampening magnetorherological engine mounts, it distills drastic weight transitions. Plus, lowering the car takes functional aerodynamic bits (front and rear clips, splitter, sides) to a sinister level. While we don't usually like them on road cars, the GT3's huge adjustable back wing is oh-so-sexy.
For all this pure, organic, Stuttgart fun, Porsche charges a minimum of $113,150, including a $950 destination fee. Our Guards Red edition totaled $131,400 after adding some key options like front axle lift ($3490), navigation ($3110), adaptive sport seats ($2295), dynamic engine mounts ($1300), and self-dimming mirrors ($690).
Is it a lot of coin for a race-bred beast only best experienced only blue-ribbon roads? When compared to other astronomically priced supercars, no, it isn't. Besides, if you happen to find yourself requiring total comfort and convenience and mild speed on anything other than billiard smooth pavement, grab the keys to the Cayenne on 22s. Change your mind and head to the track, snatch this surefooted stud's reigns. He'll be happy to run fast.
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By Nate Martinez
/ Photography by Wesley Allison
