Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes
The thing is, they could go mid-engine and keep nearly the same proportions. It would still look like a 911. I'm not sure why that is such blastphemy. Every iteration of the 911 is more of a challenge to keep on top of other cars as far as performance. It's possible, it's called exotic engineering, and it just takes money to do it. You have to keep them getting ever-wider, add tricks like active swaybars, rear-wheel steering, and the list goes on and on, but the cost keeps going up and up at the same time. I think the hey-day of slinging the engine past the rear axle is gone. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples with the horsepower too, only dyno amounts matter, if porsche is advertising and making 500 at the wheels, it's definitely not the same as SAE at the crank. A 2017 Camaro ZL1 1LE bests a same-year 911 GT3 at "the ring" and it doesn't have nearly the extensive exotic-engineering feats to accomplish it. Power to weight, they are pretty close. Driver's videos show they can gnaw down on GT3s and it becomes a driver's race. If the 911 went mid-engine, it'd put some serious distance between cars like this.
|
Well, a Camaro doesn’t beat a GT3 at the Ring. The GT3 was still faster despite the fact that it has less downforce and a worse power to weight. The GT3 ran 7:12.7 and the Zl1 7:16. That is still a pretty decent gap, especially when considering the better power to weight (6.15 bs 6.4 isn’t that close) the Camaro has, and the fact that it’s makes what 100% more torque too. No one said you need exotic feats to be fast...the viper ACR is proof.
As for “driver videos”, you don’t know the skill level of both, so I don’t usually put too much weight in those and focus on when a pro like Randy P can put each same day in his hands.
A 991.2 GT3 makes 450-460 rear wheel hp, at a 10% drivetrain loss that is just about exactly what Porsche states. A zl1 1LE makes about 570-58x wheel hp so it’s right around it’s stated power too if not just a tad bit more.
Furthermore, if you compare to a GT3 RS which doesn’t make much power over a GT3, at 6:56 again is further proof that with low hp the 911 just lays down lap times that are next level. That time for 520 hp no other manufacturer could come close to.
I would bet the next GT3 (non RS) does under 7 min.
I don’t think it’s been a challenge for Porsche at all - and test results, both objective and subjective would tell a completely different story. They still have pretty low hp numbers and are still some of the fastest cars out there if not the fastest.
Once you hit about 75k, performance at and above that line is relatively flat so really you’re paying for other things. As far as programs, trickery, etc. everyone is doing it and will continue to do so. It’s part of the game.