Porsche 911 GT3 Drag Races Bentley Continental GT, Cross the Line Holding Hands

Given the current trend, most people will take a sports car with a naturally aspirated engine without fussing about it. When every manufacturer seems to be busy making its models turbocharged, electric, or both (that would be hybrid), the Porsche 911 GT3 remains one of the few old-school models out there that tingles every real driver's ego.

It's all down to the classic combination of a high-revving N/A engine - in this case, a 4.0-liter flat-six developing 500 hp and 339 lb-ft (460 Nm) - a superb chassis, rear-wheel-drive, and a manual transmission. The car here, however, doesn't feature the stick shift, its owner opting instead for the seven-speed auto with paddle-shifters.

The GT3's opponent for the day is another GT car, though one that follows a slightly different recipe. You could argue the Bentley Continental GT is a lot closer to what those two letters stand for than the Porsche - a car that eats mile after mile of asphalt while pampering its occupants in complete comfort - and you would be right. However, is it also the quicker of the two in a straight line?

Well, its monstrous 6.0-liter W12 turbocharged engine would like to make a case for itself. It opens its plea by mentioning the 635 horsepower it produces, then quickly moves over to the 664 lb-ft/900 Nm of torque. It is then joined by the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission while the all-wheel-drive makes the closing argument. Its weight of 2.24 tons raises an objection but it's quickly overruled on the basis that nobody likes to talk about weight. Weight is boring.

Right, so on to the drag race itself. As usual, you'll have to watch the clip to find out which way it goes but, as the title suggests, expect a very close finish. Very, very, very close. It's one of those races you go into having no idea what's going to happen, which is probably our favorite kind.