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
2024 Hyundai Kona Electric
Plugging In And Riding The Wave
With Hyundai expanding their fantastic lineup of IONIQ EVs, it’s easy to forget about the Kona, which has been available in all-electric form since 2019. In fact, this second-gen Kona was designed as an EV from the get-go and adapted to employ ICE powertrains for those who are either not ready or not willing to go down the full EV path. It’s a great strategy, one we’re about to dive further into.
As we nudge closer to the theoretical end of the internal-combustion engine for our personal transportation, it’s vehicles like this 2024 Hyundai Kona, available with both ICE and electric powertrains, as in this Kona Electric, that are best equipped for this transition, allowing consumer demand to be the sales driver.
All Kona Electrics are front-wheel drive, available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims. The base SE gets a 133-horsepower motor and a range of 200 miles from its 48.6-kWh battery. SEL and Limited get a larger 64.8-kWh battery, and a bigger 150-kW motor producing 201 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. This Limited is rated for 261 miles, but based on our highway-heavy driving loop, we’d put the actual range closer to an impressive 290 miles. With DC Fast charging, the Kona Electric can get to 80 percent in 43 minutes, and with the charge port mounted right up front, we like the convenience of being able to just pull right up to the charger without worrying about which side the port is on.
Now, this is not the kind of EV that feels crazy fast wherever you go, but like most EVs it clearly has an edge over gas-fueled competitors. And it was plenty quick at our test track, where despite a hesitation to deliver full power immediately off the line, 60 mph arrived in just 7.1 seconds; plenty quick for a commuter car and half a second quicker than its turbocharged ICE counterpart. Power did seem to taper off towards the end of the track, but we still managed to clear the quarter in a decent 15.6 seconds at 92 mph. Stops from 60 were well-controlled and consistent, averaging 110 feet with good initial bite, and an acceptable amount of nosedive.
This is not the kind of EV that feels crazy fast wherever you go, but like most EVs it clearly has an edge over gas-fueled competitors.
Carrying its powertrain weight down low instead of over the front axle, the Kona EV felt even more stable in our handling course. The front end will start to slide as you reach its limits, but we’ll chalk that up to the hard, eco-minded tires as much as the chassis. The steering feel tightens up quite nicely in Sport Mode.
This second-generation Kona is much roomier inside than the first gen, and while there are some EV-oriented aspects to the new design, the overall layout appears fairly traditional, and it shares everything with the ICE version. Front seats are firm but supportive, and covered in H-Tex simulated leather, helping top Limited feel a tad more lavish than it should at its price point. The large horizontal 12.3-inch touchscreen display with navigation sits more in front of the dash than on top of it, and merges directly with the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display; both are standard.
Using 29-kWh of electricity per 100 miles, the Kona Electric is quite efficient. Pricing starts at $34,070; that’s about eight-grand over a base ICE Kona, but certainly at the low end when it comes to battery electric vehicles. Top Limited comes in at $42,440. A sportier N Line version is set to arrive next year.
The Kona design is a great package, made even better with the option to go Electric. And even with all the push to go full EV, there are still relatively few inexpensive options for buyers to choose from. This 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is one of the best yet, making it one of the easiest ways to join the EV lifestyle.