997 Turbo - controversial discussions/claims after AZ review
We have read so many reviews over the past few weeks, we've seen many pictures too and even car journalists don't seem to find a common ground of opinion regarding the 997 Turbo, the only thing they all seem to agree is the boring exhaust sound and the almost boring perfection of how the 997 Turbo performs.
It was also interesting to read the comments of current 996 Turbo/S, Ferrari F430 and even Corvette Z06 owners, most of them were pretty questionable because they were emotional and pretty far away from the truth.
Let me throw a few points into this whole discussion and I hope I'll clarify a few things by doing it:
1. Some people claim that the 997 Turbo isn't fast enough. Fast enough from 0-100 kph? From 0-200 kph? How about 3.7 seconds and 12.2 seconds? Not fast enough? C'mon guys, some of you had too many drinks during lunch? It isn't my fault that car magazines are testing manual only because with Tip, the values would look more like 3.6 seconds and 11.8 seconds during real life driving.
2. During the Auto Zeitung handling review, the 997 Turbo achieved the same or better track time than the F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo on street tires while both italian stallions were running on semi-slicks. So the 997 Turbo isn't faster? I get it.
3. The Ferrari F430 used in the Auto Zeitung review had no license plates. How come? Oh no, no ringer. I'm sure about it. I'm also sure that if Luciano, my local Ristorante guy, claims that he just got fresh calamari, they're fresh from the ocean...here in Bavaria.
4. To my knowledge, the track time AND test times in AZ achieved with the Corvette Z06 have been achieved by Kurt Thiim, a well known swedish race driver. He is not working for Porsche and he has a lot of experience driving high performance cars, especially normally aspirated ones with V8 engines.
5. Some Americans have the false impression that the Corvette Z06 has a bad press over here in Europe. On the contrary, the Z06 has been received pretty well, comments are almost all positive and full of admiration. So cut the crap out, US boys, nobody wants to bash the Vette.
6. It really is a mistery for me why some Users make comments like "Corvette, American sh.t" or "I would never buy an american sportscar...", etc. Guys...like it or not but the new Corvette Z06 is a very nice performer and this time, GM seems to have done a nice job. You don't like it? Don't buy it but please...these claims like "Americans can't build sportscars" are pure BS. Cut the crap out too, guys...the Z06 is a great sportscar and a bang for the buck. Don't like it? Don't buy it.
7. It is true, the 997 Turbo doesn't show the same performance advantage over the competition like the 993 Turbo did more than 10 years ago. But the truth is also this: the competition is much tougher than 10 years ago, Lamborghini is actually a second Porsche with Audi help, Ferrari eats up mother Fiat's money like nothing (development) and it is no secret that GM doesn't seem to make a dime with the Corvette Z06, some sort of sponsored car to raise the reputation for the brand. So where does the 997 Turbo fit in? The answer is simple: the 997 Turbo is some sort of "allrounder", it performs at supercar level under almost all conditions. Is it enough to justify it's high price tag? I don't know. The only thing I know is that you're not buying the top model, you're buying the "entry level" model. The 997 GT2 will follow, so does the 997 Turbo S sooner or later.
We should ask ourselves which car suits us best, not only which one is faster. And we should stop with insults and emotional statements because in the end, the truth always lies in the middle...or somewhere else. May I remind you guys of the SL55 AMG? We reviewed this car only a few months after the "SL55 is faster than 996 Turbo" hype. And surprise, surprise...the SL55 wasn't faster.
So please do yourself a favor and relax. We're soon doing some sort of "real life performance" test of various cars, including the F430, the Z06 and of course the 997 Turbo. And since this is going a back-to-back review (meaning that ALL cars will be together on the street at the same time), we'll know the TRUTH very soon. The best part about it: all drivers are sportscar enthusiasts and some even own several different brands at the same time. So you can expect a honest review of real life performance.
On July 1st, we're already having a "meeting" with various cars during our Rennteam summer party near Stuttgart (sorry, by invitation only...if you want to come and you OWN a supersportscar, pass me a PM and I'll see what I can do for you). Since I'm not sure if I'm going to have the necessary 3000 km on my 997 TT engine, I doubt we'll do a serious shoutout that day or the day after.
Be patient, the truth will come out but to make it clear: the 997 Turbo, the F430, the Gallardo and the Z06 are pretty close one to each other regarding straight line performance, no doubt about it. The question is: which one can be driven faster by a non-professional driver?! Unfortunately, the Z06 driver is a professional racing driver and he'll give me a very hard time, he already "promised" to a friend. Can't wait...