The Porsche 911 has come a long way over the decades, so much so that the entry-level variant can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in a touch over 4 seconds and exceed 182 mph (290 km/h). However, does this mean it can challenge the latest 911 GT3 in a straight line?
To see the performance discrepancy between the base 911 Carrera and the GT3, Carwow pitted them against each other for a series of performance tests. It’s not difficult to predict which of the two comes out on top but it is nevertheless interesting to see how the two compare.
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Initially, the 911 Carrera and the GT3 are lined up for a straight-line drag race. The driver of the entry-level model actually gets the better start in the first race and initially holds a small lead. However, the GT3 quickly makes up for the deficit and overtakes the Carrera. A second race was then held and this time, both drivers got good starts, meaning the GT3 sprinted off the line slightly quicker and continued to pull away.
The GT3 ultimately finished with a quarter-mile time of 11.4 seconds while the Carrera needed 12.1 seconds – perhaps not quite as big of a difference as you may have expected.
A pair of rolling races are then held for the duo. With the cars left in their automatic modes, the transmission of the GT3 kicked down gears much quicker, helping it accelerate away into the distance. In the second race, both are locked in third gear at 50 mph (80 km/h) and this time, the race is much closer thanks to the low-end torque mustered up by the Carrera’s 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six.