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Not everyone gets to be the first to drive the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 on American soil. And it's even better that it's here at Daytona International Speedway, where so many Porsches have won their racing reputations.
A couple hundred yards away, somebody is cranking up a Porsche 917. Or maybe it's a Porsche 962. It's something expensive and exotic-sounding, but our ears aren't as finely tuned as many here at Daytona for Rennsport Reunion III.
There are experts in attendance who could tell not only if that sound is a 917 or a 962, but also whether the ignition timing needs to be advanced a degree or two.
It Means "Really, Really Fast"
Rennsport translates simply as "race sport," and it happens every three years. This is the second time hundreds of Porsches and thousands of Porsche owners and fans have gathered in tribute of these little overturned bathtubs and their motorsports progeny at Daytona. As the "race" suggests, this is not a Porsche gathering where you can display your primered-up 924 street car, but you can leave it in the parking lot, only just not too close to the entrance.
At this Rennsport, the spotlight is on the 917, and there were four examples from the Porsche Museum in Germany — among them the 1971 917K that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year. Of course the John Wyer Engineering-run 917s were made famous in the Steve McQueen film Le Mans (1971), which drew McQueen's son Chad to this event, a genuinely nice guy and a pretty good racer himself.
The Porsche 962 was also honored this year for its dominance of sports car racing in the 1980s. Others here included Porsche racers Derek Bell, Vic Elford, Hurley Haywood, Chip Robinson and, of course, Brian Redman, who now heads a company that produces big vintage car events, including this one.
Oh, and the Porsche 911 GT2
Rennsport was not just all about the past, as Porsche brought two examples of the 2008 911 GT2 for the first test-drives in the U.S. With a top speed of 204 mph, the GT2 is the fastest 911 ever, and that's covering some territory. After all, Porsche has been building the 911 since 1966.
And to say it's the flagship of the 911 model range is also saying something, as the company presently sells a startling 14 versions of the 911 aside from this one, beginning with the amusing little 325-horsepower 911 Carrera, which goes for a pocket-change $73,500. See how jaded you get after a few hours at Rennsport?
Like the 911 Turbo, the GT2 has twin turbochargers, but its 3.6-liter horizontally opposed six pumps out 530 horsepower compared to the 911 Turbo's 480 hp. As with GT2s before it, Porsche engineers have worked diligently to remove weight from this third-generation GT2, managing to knock off some 200 pounds thanks to deleting such extraneous nonsense as foglights and then utilizing such things as a titanium exhaust system. The lightweight, suede-covered, carbon-fiber bucket seats are part of the weight-reduction program, too. They look profoundly uncomfortable, but are, in fact, just about perfect.
One thing Porsche did not leave out is safety equipment: The street-legal but track-ready GT2 (it already has mounting hardware for a roll bar) has six airbags and all the usual electronic nannies, most of which can be either disabled or dialed back. The GT2 also features Porsche's active suspension.
Not only does the GT2 go, it also stops, thanks to enormous ceramic composite brakes. There are 15.0-inch discs up front, 13.8-inchers in the rear. The calipers are bright yellow, which doesn't help stopping distance, but sure looks great. Options are few, and include a navigation system, the Chronos package (which records lap times) and an upgraded 13-speaker Bose sound system. Frankly, we prefer to listen to the engine.
Ah, That Engine
We took it relatively easy on our laps around the 3.56-mile Daytona road course — easy being 135 mph. Then we thought, "Hey! Let's shift into 5th gear!" In 6th, the engine is practically loafing and 5th wakes it right up. The clutch effort is surprisingly stiff, the transmission throws are short and precise and the steering light and direct. The ride is abrupt but not punishing — you could drive this car every day. Power is right there, delivered linearly up to the 6,750-rpm redline.
Though we didn't get to test the Porsche Acceleration Performance System (PAPS), legendary driver Hurley Haywood did for us, and grinned every time he launched the car.
At a stop, you shift into 1st and simply floor the accelerator and the clutch. The engine revs to about 5,000 rpm and stays there; drop the clutch and the PAPS does the rest, leaving a little smear of rubber. Porsche claims a 0-60-mph time of about 3.6 seconds, which seems about right.
All this costs a lot, sadly — $191,700. The cars will begin showing up in February, and we should get a couple hundred of the 1,500 being built. The good news: No EPA mileage rating yet, but Porsche swears the GT2 is thrifty enough on fuel to avoid the gas-guzzler tax. Huzzah! That should guarantee a Sierra Club endorsement.
GT2 Means Rennsport
Driving the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 at Daytona — and at Rennsport — really reminded us again that every Porsche is a racing car at heart.
When Ferry Porsche first began building cars after World War II, he went racing with them. Since he had no money for advertising, racing was the best promotion he could afford. After all, racing proves something.
Porsche proved a lot at Daytona. It finished 1-2-3 at the 1968 race with its 907s, showing everybody that it was ready to win races overall, instead of just being best in class. The John Wyer Engineering 917 broke through by winning this race in 1970, then Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood won the race overall in the Porsche 911 RSR in 1973. Starting in 1978, a Porsche 935 won the race six times in a row, and then a Porsche 962 won for the first time in 1985. And a 911 GT3 RS won overall in 2003.
Maybe there are some who think of the Porsche 911 GT2 as simply some kind of super-fast trinket for guys who are more interested in profiling than driving. Kind of like the Piloto shoe option for the 911. But after driving this car at Daytona, we're reminded once again that racing is what has given Porsche the unique greatness that makes the company so special.
2008 Porsche GT2: The Fastest 911 Ever
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