Porsche 911 Three-Way Battle: Can a GT3 Outrun Two Turbo Rivals?

It won't be long until Porsche celebrates 60 years since the launch of the 911. They've sold over 1 million units in six decades and there are no signs of slowing down yet. The 911 has evolved considerably since its inception, even though there are still those that cry out for the air-cooled engine days. Those cars are getting rarer and more expensive each day, especially if we're talking about the high-end variants.

Buying a Porsche 911 isn't going to be an easy thing to do, even if you don't have budget issues. As with every vehicle purchase, you need to figure out what it is that you want that car for. Do you want a water-cooled or an air-cooled engine? Should it be naturally aspirated or turbocharged? Also, can you handle an RWD Porsche or would you rather play it safe with an AWD one? Today's video might help you answer part of those questions.

Because we're looking at an all-out Porsche 911 battle. A 992 Turbo S is going up against a 991 GT2 RS and 992 GT3. If there's one prediction you can make before following the race, it's that the GT3 will probably be left behind. The 911 Turbo S makes use of a twin-turbo, 3.8-liter flat-six engine. That means the driver has access to 641 horsepower and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. Thank God for AWD!

Just bear in mind that prices for the 911 Turbo S start at $207,00 before tax ($1,350 handling fee). This isn't the lightest sports car in the world either, weighing in at 3,615 lbs (1,640 kg). Next to the 911 Turbo S there's the almighty 991 GT2 RS. While using a similar engine layout, we're now talking 690 horsepower, but just 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque. The GT2 RS is about 374 lbs (170 kg) lighter than the Turbo S, but getting a good launch with RWD only is going to be tricky.

Another downside to the GT2 RS is that you might have to pay $400,000 or more for a 2018 or 2019 one with less than 8,046 km (5,000 miles) on its odometer. The last contestant of today is the 992 GT3, a true underdog in this race. It has a naturally aspirated, 4.0-liter flat-six, that is rated for 503 horsepower and 347 lb-ft (470 Nm) of torque. This is also an RWD vehicle, which means it's pretty light at 3,163 lbs (1,435 kg).

But we all know how important horsepower and torque figures are in a quarter-mile (402 meters) battle. The Turbo S also comes with AWD, so at this point, it does look like the main contender. The GT3 is a more affordable performance-oriented 911 at $161,100 before tax ($1,350 handling fee), and it's probably a real blast around the corners too! From the get-go the 911 Turbo S jumps into the lead, while its two competitors are struggling with excessive wheelspin.

The second the GT2 RS hooks up it starts gaining on its AWD opponent, while the GT3 is left struggling in third. For the re-runs, nothing changes. One can only wonder how things would have unfolded at the drag strip, with VHT applied at the start line. The 911 Turbo S crosses the finish line in 10.2 seconds. The GT2 RS is just 0.2 seconds behind, while the GT3 clocks in at 11 seconds.

But everything changes with the rolling race. The GT2 RS reigns supreme at this level, while the 911 Turbo S just barely takes 2nd going across the 1/2 mile finish line. After using the sportiest setting on the gearbox, the Turbo S manages to gap the GT3, but still can't get near the GT2 RS. We won't spoil the result of the braking test for you, but the outcome is pretty obvious!