2010 Porsche 911 GT3
Back in the late 90s, Porsche set out to make its 996 generation 911 sports car into a bonafide track machine. From that effort emerged the highly revered GT3. In 2006, the GT3 showed up on the latest 997 platform. We said that car delivered the purest razor’s-edge performance of any Porsche we’d driven. Now for 2010, Porsche’s 911 GT3 gets tweaked with more power and a number of corner carving enhancements, all of which make for a racing bloodline that runs stronger than ever.
The ‘wow’ factors of the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 arrive on all fronts: power, dynamics, and visual cues. As the entire 911 family has just undergone a notable set of revisions, the GT3 got more than its fair share. And since this car is, after all, the road-going variant to Porsche’s GT3 Cup car, bringing it to our winter testing venue, Georgia’s Roebling Road raceway, was a no-brainer.
The new GT3 starts with an expanded 3.8-liter normally aspirated flat-six, now with Variocam technology on both the intake and exhaust valves. Horsepower goes to 435, or 20 more than before, while torque bumps up from 300 to 317. Redline also edges up to a robust 8500.
On its way to a top speed of 194 miles per hour, the rear-engine, rear drive GT3 rockets from 0-to-60 in a faster-than-fast 4.1 seconds. We clocked the quarter mile in 12.2 seconds at 118 miles per hour.
With a six-speed manual feeding a limited slip differential, this car just hooks up and goes. Power build is strong and the throttle pedal is extremely responsive. Adding to the exhilaration is an exhaust note that is mean and aggressive, at least for a Porsche. Gears are tightly-spaced and the shifter feels machine-precise… one of the best we've ever experienced.
As for hitting the turns, the new GT3 exhibits more agility and race track prowess than ever. Porsche Active Suspension Management – with Normal and Sport modes – comes armed with stiffer springs and anti-roll bars. Our car also featured optional Dynamic Engine Mounts, which magnetically tighten up in high-speed driving to form a more solid connection between engine and chassis. The result is a more rigid track car.
There's also newly standard Porsche Stability Management, which replicates the suspension mapping of the venerable GT2. This PSM has the ability to deactivate Stability Control and Traction control separately in individual steps, giving the driver unrestricted control.
Aerodynamics improvements include a doubling of downforce with a redesigned front-end with larger vents, and a new, wider, more steeply tilted rear wing. For even greater stability, the GT3's body height has been lowered by about 30 millimeters. But an optional front axle lifting system allows the front-end to be raised for steep driveways. Lighter 19-inch center-lock wheels wear fat and grippy 235/35s up front, and 305/30s in the rear.
The GT3 is clearly focused on one mission: to deliver outstanding lap times. It is super tight in corners and explosive on every exit, with less twitchiness than we found in the 2007 GT3. Feedback is instantaneous. And even after close to a hundred and fifty laps, our test car never complained, skipped a beat, or even showed signs of wear.
That goes for brakes, too, which have been upgraded over the previous model. Discs are now larger, better ventilated, with an aluminum hub to reduce weight. Stops averaged 121 feet from 60 to zero. For even greater stopping power, buyers can opt for the GT3's very pricey ceramic brakes. Off the track, however, we found the GT3 to be a little too skittish and rigid. Streetability is not—and has never been—this car's strong suit.
The GT3's new design is equal parts functional and striking. We mentioned the modified front air intakes and the revamped rear wing, which by the way, is marked on either side with a 3.8 to denote the car's new power unit.
The new GT3 also wears standard bi-xenon headlights with optional Dynamic Cornering, new LED running, and taillight designs, and restyled bumpers. As before, the center-positioned exhaust pipes mimic those of the Cup Car.
Inside, the GT3 cockpit conforms with the upscale high-performance look of other 911s. As before, there is no back seat. This helps the GT3 retain its previous weight at a trim 3,076 pounds.
What's higher, though, is the base price—by about $8,000. The new GT3 starts at $114,450, which includes a $1,300 gas guzzler tax. We've said it before and we'll say it again… The Porsche 911 GT3 is, without a doubt, one of the track-savviest street legal cars anywhere. And now more than ever. For the purest form of Porsche performance, there is nothing else like it.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.8-Liter Normally Aspirated Flat-six
- Horsepower: 435
- Torque: 317 Lb Feet
- 0-60 MPH: 4.1 Seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 12.2 Seconds @ 118 MPH
- 60-0 MPH: 121 Feet
2023 GMC Canyon
Canyon Goes Bigger
Most people know the GMC Canyon as the Chevrolet Colorado’s professional grade cousin. And while that sounds like just marketing speak, with an all-new design of GM’s midsize truck platform comes more genuine brand separation. So, let’s see what the third-gen GMC Canyon delivers in real time!
Small trucks are once again a big deal, and part of the reason is that they are no longer small. There’s not much about this 2023 GMC Canyon that resembles the ¼-ton Sonomas, S-10s, Rangers, and Datsun trucks that were wildly popular in the 1980s.
Of course, then, people were willing to sacrifice certain “big-truck” things for an easier to use and more economical pickup experience. Well, we don’t seem to be big on compromise for much of anything these days, and the current midsize crop of trucks deliver more than ever. So fittingly, the 2023 Canyon will be available as a Crew Cab only with a 5-foot bed. No more extended cab or long bed options. Wheelbase is about 3-inches longer than before, with the front wheels pushed more towards the front. It definitely looks tougher, and they’ve even eliminated the much-hated front air dam that protruded well below the front bumper.
The Canyon also comes exclusively with the high-output version of GM’s 2.7-liter turbocharged I-4, with a stout 310-horsepower and 430 lb-ft. of torque. At times it feels even more powerful than those numbers would indicate, with its diesel-like torque delivery enabling a best-in-class max tow rating of 7,700-lbs. No choice of transmission either, strictly 8-speed automatic, but you can still decide whether you want rear or 4-wheel-drive.
At minimum, ground clearance is 9.6-inches, which is more than an inch taller than last year, and almost 2-inches over Chevy’s base Colorado. And since it’s all about the off-road packages these days, our AT4 tester comes with 4-wheel drive, off-road suspension, locking rear diff, 2-speed transfer case, hill descent control, and 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires.
And that’s just where things get started, as at the top of the heap, there’s a new AT4X with 10.7-inches of ground clearance, enhanced front and rear e-locking differentials, 33-inch mud terrain tires, Multimatic dampers, and an additional Baja Drive Mode. We’ll have more on the AT4X real soon.
But for all Canyons, including this AT4, GMC went tech-heavy, as all get 11-inch infotainment screens and a fully digital driver display in either 8 or 11-inches. Plus, an available head up display comes with most trims, and there are even optional underbody cameras.
Unique AT4 features include a Jet Black and Timber interior motif with stitched logos on the leather front seats. Those seats are definitely comfortable, and it feels maybe a tad roomier than before, but still well shy of the sprawling space in a full-size truck. It’s even more noticeable in the rear, though there are more practical storage options back here.
The AT4 gets a sliding rear window, along with a tailgate storage system to complement the integrated ruler, and bed side-mounted 120-volt power outlet. The Canyon already delivered one of the best rides in the midsize class, and the taller suspension seems to only improve on that; it’s not quite crossover plush, but certainly great for a body on frame truck.
Though the higher ground clearance and off-road emphasis kept it from being a track star. Indeed, healthy amounts of understeer and body roll greeted us in our handling course. It was a little hesitant off the line in speed runs, but once rolling, power poured on steadily. 0-60 in only 7.5-seconds, and through the ¼-mile in 15.6-seconds at 91 miles-per-hour.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the AT4 are 17-City, 21-Highway, and 19-Combined; we averaged an acceptable 18.2 miles-per-gallon of Regular. Pricing starts with a 2-wheel-drive Elevation at $38,395. That puts it at midlevel Chevrolet Colorado, with is consistent with the mission of the new Canyon. All other trims come with 4-wheel drive, this AT4 starting at $45,395, and the AT4X now eclipsing Denali as the highest offering at $56,995.
So, as small trucks have grown, so has the price of entry. But if that doesn’t scare you off, there is no denying the 2023 GMC Canyon is yes bigger, but also bolder and badder than before. Does that necessarily make it better? We say positively yes!
Specifications
- Engine: 2.7L Turbo-4
- Horsepower: 310
- 0-60 mph: 7.5 seconds
- 60-0 Braking: 121 feet (avg)
- MW Fuel Economy: 18.2 mpg (Regular)
- Transmission: 8-speed auto
- Torque: 430 lb-ft.
- 1/4 Mile: 15.6-seconds at 91 mph
- EPA: 17 City / 21 Highway / 19 Combined