That Grand Sport looks amazing and goes like stink. Heck of a deal!

 

Aerodax,

Your numbers are why I asked about year to year comparisons of times. The GS shouldn't be too far off the Z06. It's down about 70hp and a few extra pounds. I'm not sure if the springs and shocks are the same. The brakes and tires probably are.

Either way, we would expect to see the Z06 set the faster time. Well, if the track conditions were less favorable in '07 that likely made up all the time. However, we don't really know. It would be nice if C&D would offer up some hints to that end.

 

I can see the appeal of the 911. My dad had a '79 911 SC, and I've been a big fan of them ever since. If I was going to get another Porsche, I'd prob. lean toward a 911 for (a) the tiny rear seats than would enable me to take my wife and son on drives, and (b) just to "check the box" since I feel like I need experience 911 ownership at least once in my life.

I know it doesn't handle as well as the CS, but it does have a lot more grunt...and I've noticed that on public streets I can use the M3's power advantage more readily than I could the CS' handling advantage. I'd expect the same to apply for the 911 vs. CS...911 for street use, CS for track use if I could afford the consumables and financial risk.

But for now, I'm very happy w/ my M3, which provides a great combination of performance, comfort/luxury, and utility in a package the entire family can enjoy.

 

[QUOTE=rockville,Jan 6 2010, 07:47 AM] Interesting.

 

Think before saying foolish things.

I asked if the track conditions were different or if something else explained why the GT-R was soundly beaten by the ZR1. In other comparisons they seemed close.

So now you have presented the 2008 time. Well, can you say if the track was faster or slower during the 2008 test? It would be foolish to not take that into account. It is foolish to assume the same car will turn the same time each year (even if the car and setup are identical). Then again I trust you understood that and just wanted to make sure we all did to.

PS: The GT-R can't outrun ugly

 

The same can be said of the Vette.

You do realize the ZR1 has 640hp and weighs ~500lbs less? It has always been faster on the tracks, but I would attribute that to the faster straight-line speeds. The Z06, on the other hand, is a completely different story. It has similar pricing, more hp, weighs less, traps faster in the 1/4mi, is faster in a straight line, but never has it been close to the GT-R on a track. But people always neglect to compare it to the GT-R because they all know it would be a waste of time.

P.S. Of course everyone would know track and weather conditions, drivers, etc. affect the results. So to answer your questions, yes, each year's results differ from each other because of those attributes. However, the GT-R you mentioned had all-season tires; the one that didn't, posted a much faster time. Here's a hint to make it easier for you: any time you'd see a GT-R's tracktime being slower than a Z06's, then something was not right with that GT-R or that GT-R was parked. Otherwise, not even when hell freezes over would the Z06 post a faster tracktime, because then, the GT-R does have AWD to drive on hell's ice.

 

Except the Vette isn't ugly

I also realize the GT-R is AWD and thanks to the torque curve of the turbo it's average power delivery is going to be higher than a NA or SC motor of similar peak power. So the HP gap between the two cars isn't as big as all that.

More to the point, we don't know what the condition differences were between 2007, 2008 and 2009.

BTW, the GT-R can't outrun ugly

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think the GT-R is ugly. In fact I think it looks great in a mechanical sense. I don't think the Vette is ugly either.

I'm not going to hate on a car because its a domestic or foreign. I find we have too many of those people on this board - the Domestic defenders (and foreign naysayers) and conversely the Japanese Defenders (domestic naysayers). In pretty much every thread you can predict who's going to jump in a bash a car and who's going to defend it.

 

Huh, fascinating! Because my dad had a '72 911E while I was growing up. And I want one (or a 993, my second favorite 911 version) for the same (b) reason. No kids of course, the back seats don't matter, but the sound of that air-cooled engine with megaphone exhausts... yum.

I guess I shouldn't be poo-pooing the 911 for you guys too much - I spent a lot of my childhood in the back seat of that car. (The time spent in the back of the '79 928 that replaced the 911 was eventually MUCH more comfortable though - especially compared to the '86 911 Carrera. )