Although more than a decade old, the Ferrari 430 Scuderia and Porsche 911 GT2 from the 997 generation are collectible material to this day for all the right reasons. The question is, how do these modern classics stack up against each other? Well, this older episode of Best Motoring is much obliged to answer that question with two roll races.
For this showdown, drift meister Keiichi Tsuchiya picks the Neunelfer because he has a soft spot for Porsche. 24 Hours of Le Mans-winner Seiji Ara chooses the Italian thoroughbred from Maranello for the automated manual transmission and much lower weight. The Ferrari tips the scales at 1,250 kilograms (2,756 pounds) as opposed to 1,440 kilograms (3,175 pounds) for the German rival.
The thing is, Stuttgart has the upper hand in terms of horsepower (530 PS vs. 510 PS) and torque (685 Nm vs. 470 Nm) thanks to a pair of variable-geometry turbochargers. Porsche also has an advantage in terms of rubber at 325/30 by 19 inches compared to 285/35 by 19 inches for the rear tires.
From 100 kph (62 mph) in full-throttle mode, the Ferrari dominates the 911 GT2 in terms of aural pleasure, but the Porsche pulls better thanks to more torque from lower engine speeds and over a broader rev range. First time out on the track, however, the 430 Scuderia wins by nearly a car length.
On the second attempt, Keiichi puts a little more effort into the shifts, translating to a loss for the Italian supercar. At the end of the day, however, it’s hard to choose between these two because they’re both extremely special and loads of fun. The Ferrari does have a little more of that certain something, though, and I’m not talking about the engine's sound.
The 430 Scuderia was revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show by none other than Michael Schumacher, the man who cemented Ferrari in the world of Formula 1 as well as Il Commendatore Enzo did when he was running the show. Oh, and by the way, the 430 Scuderia also happens to be the first Prancing Horse with a mid-mounted V8 not to feature a stick shift.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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