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
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Hyundai’s Trucklet Gets A Lot Techier And A Little Truckier
Small trucks are once again a big deal here in the U.S., with more options to choose from than we’ve had since the 1980s heydays, including newcomers like this Hyundai Santa Cruz. And just like the Hyundai Tucson crossover that it’s based on, the Santa Cruz gets some major updates for 2025. So, it looks like it’s time for us to do some more tiny truckin’!
The Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck, and the Hyundai Tucson compact utility that it’s based on, get some significant updates for 2025, mostly revolving around style and tech. So, while our focus here is on the Santa Cruz, just know that most of what you see also applies to the Tucson.
The biggest changes happen inside where the Santa Cruz adopts Hyundai’s curved panoramic display that puts the 12.3-inch driver display and 12.3-inch infotainment screen into a single housing that stretches from behind the steering wheel to over the center stack. And while the center stack itself remains relatively minimal, they’ve redone the climate controls and actually added a few more physical buttons and dials back in. There’s also a better-looking steering wheel with a Driver Attention Sensor behind it; and while the Tucson moved its gear selector to the column, the Santa Cruz keeps its beefy old school shifter right there on the console. That, combined with an overall feel that’s not quite as open as the Tucson, goes a long way towards helping this trucklet feel more truck-like.
XRTs have a Surround View Monitor, Blind Spot Monitoring, and some branded logos. Rear seat room is more plentiful than you’d think seeing it from the outside, but you do sit very upright, and the seats themselves are not very comfy.
Exterior changes center around the usual new grille and wheel choices, but the off-road-inspired XRT gets a tiny bit more serious, featuring a unique front fascia with added tow hooks and a tidied-up undercarriage for better approach angles; plus, exclusive 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. No changes to the integrated 4-foot bed with all trims getting storage cubbies on the side of the bed as well as underneath the floor. The integrated bed cover comes with XRT and above or is available in SELs as part of an added Activity package which also adds a sliding rear window.
[It] is certainly one of the best riding vehicles around with a bed.
The Santa Cruz is certainly one of the best riding vehicles around with a bed, nothing rough or tumble here. In XRTs, you will hear a little more road noise from the more aggressive tires, but it’s far from being annoying. And the Santa Cruz’s size makes it very easy to whip in and out of parking spaces.
Nothing changes mechanically; that means a standard 191-horsepower, 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I4 engine in SE and SEL. While XRT and Limited get the turbocharged version of that engine with 281 horsepower, 311 lb-ft of torque, plus standard all-wheel drive. AWD is available on SE and SEL for $1,500. The turbo engine gets a unique dual-clutch transmission which gets an added tow mode for ’25, while the non-turbo works with a traditional automatic; both are eight-speeds. Max tow rating is 3,500 lbs. with the standard powertrain and 5,000 lbs. with all-wheel drive.
After towing our crew to Mason Dixon Dragway, the turbocharged Santa Cruz XRT delivered us to 60 in 6.6 seconds, about half a second slower than what we achieved back in ’22 with a Limited. Full power was a little late to arrive, but once it showed up, it was ready to get to work, providing steady power the whole way down the track. Our best quarter-mile time was a 15-flat at 96 mph. At wide open throttle, DCT shifts were smooth with no power loss moving through the gears, but it does still stumble a little at slower speeds around town.
The handling experience with the XRT was also different from Limited, as the off-road tires struggled to get a good grip on the pavement when we pushed hard; leading to oversteer and more roll than we remember. There was great feel and feedback coming from the brakes in our panic braking runs however; also, consistent fade-free stops from 60 in just 105 feet.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 19 City, 27 Highway, and 22 Combined; we averaged a good 23.1 mpg of Regular. That’s an average Energy Impact Score; consuming 13.5 barrels of oil annually, with CO2 emissions of 6.7 tons. Starting price is a low $30,100, but things get much more serious for the XRT which starts at $41,600, though that’s still well below the average transaction price for a pickup truck these days.
So, until Subaru brings back the Brat or Baja or something similar, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz will remain as the most car-like “truck” you can buy. For purists, that’s an absolute turn-off, but for a lot of others, it’s exactly what they desire.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 2.5-liter turbo-4
- Transmission: 8-speed DCT
- Horsepower: 281
- Torque: 311 lb-ft
- EPA: 19 City | 27 Highway | 22 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 6.6 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 15.0 seconds at 96 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 105 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 23.1 mpg