Porsche GT2 Wallpaper

Description: You can almost hear the engineers chuckling as you drive this car. "So," they're saying, "you thought perhaps the 911 had grown too soft? The rear-engine Porsche had evolved to be too easy, too forgiving, too user-friendly? You, Mr. Expert Driver, wanted to feel more challenged? "Then here, try this." Try it we did. And we salute-with a... ( +expand to view full text )

Description: You can almost hear the engineers chuckling as you drive this car. "So," they're saying, "you thought perhaps the 911 had grown too soft? The rear-engine Porsche had evolved to be too easy, too forgiving, too user-friendly? You, Mr. Expert Driver, wanted to feel more challenged? "Then here, try this." Try it we did. And we salute-with a sweaty-palmed hand-the engineers at Weissach, who were determined that we wouldn't be bored by their GT2. Bored? Uh, no. Focused? Definitely. It would be unfair (though not completely untrue) to call Porsche's GT2 evil. It isn't really. At least not unless you ask it to be. Plonk around in normal traffic, pull away easily from stoplights, and bend gently into curves, and you have a thoroughly driveable and even comfortable conveyance at your service. But decide you're going to dip into the GT2's reservoir of performance, and you'd better have a clear head and all your best reflexes on full alert. Because things happen very fast. It isn't all about going and stopping, but those are good places to start. In the GT2, Porsche's 3.6L twin-turbo six gets a boost to 456 hp, thanks to higher-flow intake tracts. One-piece calipers (six-piston in front) grab perhaps the coolest rotors on the road: Made of a ceramic and carbon fiber composite, they work spectacularly and save over 9 lb each. For our June '01 issue, Matt Stone braved the wilds of northern Italy to offer an introduction to the GT2, and we refer you there for all the technical background and an autostrada flying impression. But we recently had a Guards Red example here on our home pavement, and we didn't think you'd mind if we put some hard numbers on its impressive performance promise and investigated how the car works in America's driving environment. In short, it works fabulously. Like any modern 911, the GT2 feels solid and beautifully put together. It's balanced and responsive, functionally laid out inside, and a pleasure to drive. But unlike other 911s, this one has a dark side that in some ways turns back the evolutionary clock. Since the 911's mid-'60s debut, constant improvement has changed the model from an elemental sports car into a highly sophisticated, personal Grand Touring cruise missile. And a lot of the engineering work has concentrated on taming the inherent tail-happy nature of a high-performance rear-engine car. Early 911s popularized the "Don't Lift!" dictum, because that entirely natural reaction when getting into a corner too hot could have you and your tail-heavy car spinning like a rock on a string. The progress of the intervening decades blesses the GT2's stability as it does that of all other 911s, but the sheer thrust this car can generate peels away the veneer of civility and leaves you grappling with a heartlessly serious projectile. In the manner of a purpose-built race car, it responds to your commands with abandon, so you'd better be sending the right ones.