2007 LA Auto Show: 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 Preview

There are a handful of cars that can honestly claim to be street-legal racers, and the GT2 is one of them. Sitting atop the 911 model range, the car picks up where the GT3 RS leaves off with a boat load of features and technology with the single purpose of going really, really fast. Top speed is just over 200 mph, and the GT2 reaches 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and 99 mph in 7.4 seconds. Twin turbochargers will do that for you. So will using lightweight materials from carbon fiber seats to titanium tailpipes.

Porsche created this car for competition, then they added airbags and smog stuff – it’s actually a Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) – so make no mistake, this isn’t some body-kitted posermobile. It’s right there with the latest from Ferrari and it’s faster than the Lamborghini Gallardo. Even more important, this car carries the torch for a brand with more class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans than any other automaker. The GT2 is so track oriented that it has roll bar mounting points and can be ordered with different gear ratios.

Ferdinand Porsche’s first flat-four engine had less than one-twentieth of the 530 horsepower in the GT2’s twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter, six-cylinder boxer. Torque checks in at 505 lb.-ft., making this the most powerful road-going Porsche. All that fury is funneled through a reinforced six-speed manual gearbox. Large composite ceramic brakes take care of the stopping. Launch control, active suspension and Porsche Stability Management, which can be completely shut off, has been specifically set up for track driving with brake distribution, traction and Engine Drag Control. That’s more driver aids than Formula One cars ever had. All of that is in 3,175 pounds.

We could lie and say it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but it’s really a dragon in wolf’s clothing. Scratch the fog lamps, add larger front ducts for the radiators, side intakes for the turbo’s intercoolers, a vent on the hood, front chin spoiler, rear fixed wing, paint the huge brake calipers yellow and you have a 911 that stands out even more than the others. It’s also a two-seater, unlike other 911s, which have the 2+2 configuration. 

The company is extremely proud of its efforts here. It’s as if they’re saying, “If you buy this car, please be so kind as to take it the track and wring every ounce of performance from it. By the way, we’ve taken care of your safety on public roads and, to the extent possible, the environment. So, enjoy!”

As if Porsche needed a halo car, the GT2 takes up that mantle from the discontinued Carrera GT supercar. Powered by what is arguably the most race-proven engine ever from the company that perfected turbocharging in competition, this car combines heritage with 21st century technology. If words like “track days,” “homologation” and “customer car” are part of your regular vocabulary, this car is for you. You can drive it to the race course, throw down some hot laps and then head out for dinner on the town. Is this a great world or what?

By Bob Beamesderfer Photo Credit: Ron Perry