Porche 2008

Spied: 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 - Car News
Porsche’s 911 flagship GT2 is spotted undergoing mandatory—but likely unnecessary—cold weather testing. BY JARED GALL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANS G. LEHMANN/HIDDEN IMAGE March 2007

Of all the variations of the current 911—Carrera, Carrera S, Carrera 4, Carrera 4S, Cabriolet and Targa versions, GT3, and Turbo—nothing quickens the pulse and spins the tires so readily as the GT2, the upcoming version of which is seen here. To create the GT2, Porsche starts with a 911 Turbo, adds power, reduces weight, and removes the all-wheel drive, creating a much more demanding vehicle to quiet all those complaints that the 911 Turbo is just a soulless high-speed appliance.

The previous-generation GT2 boosted engine output 51 horsepower and 52 lb-ft over the Turbo, so expect this new car to boast around 525 horsepower and 540 lb-ft of torque. Without the traction benefit of all-wheel drive, the GT2 will probably have a difficult time besting the Turbo’s 3.4 second 0-to-60-mph blast, but with the extra power and a weight reduction of about 220 pounds from shedding the all-wheel drive, all of the 911 Turbo’s higher acceleration benchmarks—including its 185-mph top speed—will be packing their bags and heading for second place.

The GT2 is differentiated from the tamer Turbo by different wheels, massive fixed spoiler, the awkwardly grinning cooling vent at the leading edge of the hood, and those nasty gills carved into the rear valance.