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I do not doubt most people buy Porsche in part for performance. That said how does one explain not buying a Chevy Corvette Z06 which is half the price and probably would spank the GT3 as it has done to the TT? Or the Viper which is even faster? Today both of these makes have more racing heritage than Porsche. They have been the winners in all of their class of racing.
I remember we had a long long discussion on this issue around two years ago when the test has been published and I still think that test was pure BS.
Here's something maybe you didn't know: GM flew in to Germany a US spec'd Z06 for a comparison to the (old) GT3. SPORT AUTO did that comparison test in Hockenheim and yes, the Z06 was slightly faster than the GT3 by a fraction(!) of a second.
The Z06 was almost at the 996 Turbo level...in Hockenheim.
Again: this was a factory prepped car imported to Germany just for the test because the Z06 isn't street legal over here (well, I wonder why...maybe because it didn't pass some endurance tests?
).
At the Nuerburgring, things are different. The Z06 stands no chance against the (old) GT3 or even the 996 Turbo. And drive a Z06 for 5 minutes at top speed on the german Autobahn and you probably can wreck the engine (I did 309 kph or 193 mph(!) on the speedo in my Mercedes E55 limousine(!) this summer at an outside temperature of around 100*F for almost 5 minutes NONSTOP in bright sunlight and nothing wrong with my car).
The Viper GTS was 3 seconds(!) slower than the GT3 or 996 Turbo in Hockenheim and as far as I remember more than 10 seconds slower than both on the Nuerburgring Nordschleife.
We're always talking about stock cars, of course I can modify a Viper in such a way that it outruns even the Ferrari Enzo.
The point I want to get to is: US cars are usually made for the US, german or italian cars are made for international customers. And this is a huge difference, not only regarding driving conditions but also regarding drivers. I do speeds over here in Germany (not only on the Autobahn) which most people in the US can't even do on the track. This is part of our automotive culture, as strange as it might sound. Not having a speed limit on certain streets might be one plausible reason. Same applies to other countries.
And the best proof for what I say is actually the fact that german car manufacturers deliver US bound models with different suspension setups (usually more comfortable and less "spicy" to reduce the risk of a rollover or accident).
Fact is: I owned a 996 Turbo for more than 3 years and there was NO car to be faster on the street or on the track. Sorry to say that but this is true. Nobody passed me (not that they didn't try...
). And I consider myself a good driver but not one like Walter Roehrl or HH. The 996 Turbo is a fantastic car in the right hands but can be very slow in the wrong hands. From my personal experience, people in cheaper cars usually have more racing experience and risk more. People track racing in expensive cars usually are more careful or don't have enough experience because they actually only want to show off their baby or just think that a fast car makes a fast driver. I don't know if this is valid for the US too but over here in Germany, it definetely is.
but if it's true, it's true!
