It seems a once-in-a-lifetime experience to drive any one of the three handsome German brawlers from BMW, Mercedes and Porsche. But to have all three?! I can't think of a metaphor grandiose enough to compare what that'd be like -- yet even so, it'd be nothing short of glorious.
In the video above, Chris Harris from the Drive Channel drives the BMW M3 GTS, the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series and Harris' own Porsche GT3 RS.
His complaints on the BMW go as follows: too expensive, too limited (in number of GTSes to be built), not enough doo-dads to justify the $50,000 premium and relative to the two other competitors, 50hp-less horsepower. However, he's a fan of the deep, bellowing V8. And that sounds about it. Until he drives the thing.
He likes the C63's automatic transmission mode, wider track and body kit that distinguishes it from the "normal" C63 AMG.
"The GT3 RS is so good that it doesn't have a direct rival," said Harris. The GT3 RS 4.0 is powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six, that according to Harris, is the most comfortable choice of the three on the street, what with its adjustable dampers, iPod connectivity and satellite navigation.
For Harris' second day of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, he takes the three track-day specials to Anglesey Circuit in... you guessed it, the Welsh island-county of Anglesey.
During his track time, he remarks about the GTS' lack of grip. Knowing BMW, and their insistence to use run-flats (even on M cars), the GTS is probably no different. But that isn't so much a problem when he decides to take the GTS for a "hoon." He talks about the car's tendency to overseer and its enormous balance. I just wonder, why didn't he feel its 50/50 balance when he was driving it right... as in, not drifting?
The GTS came in at a time of 1 minute, 39 seconds, the AMG, 1 minute, 39.10 seconds and the GT3 RS, 1 minute 36.10 seconds. As slight as it may seem, three seconds is massive. It could be any number of factors that kept "Monkey"from setting even faster lap times, but assuming all things are equal, three seconds is a large chunk of time on a racetrack. Perhaps that's why an average track day costs $400...
Ultimately, I wasn't completely satisfied with Harris' less-than-scientific road- and track-testing. After all, the goal of any Drive video is to get a huge amount of hits, so that at least in part explains the drifting. So I took the liberty of compiling the cars' data on my own...
All told, I'd take the C63 AMG Black Series on looks alone. I know it weighs the most and I know it likes to slide the most, but really if I wanted a track car, I'd strip it to the bare metal, and these lot are simply too expensive to do that to! The Mercedes looks the best, sounds the best and er... is the most comfortable... um, the best.
Much like Jeremy Clarkson has gone on the record saying, the Porsche 911 continues to resemble a Volkswagen Beetle. And that's not entirely for good. Yes the GT3 RS is the lightest, handles the best and has a proper manual, but I'd still take the Merc. And with all the money I'd save not buying the Porsche, I'd have enough to buy a set of sticky tires...
His complaints on the BMW go as follows: too expensive, too limited (in number of GTSes to be built), not enough doo-dads to justify the $50,000 premium and relative to the two other competitors, 50hp-less horsepower. However, he's a fan of the deep, bellowing V8. And that sounds about it. Until he drives the thing.
He likes the C63's automatic transmission mode, wider track and body kit that distinguishes it from the "normal" C63 AMG.
"The GT3 RS is so good that it doesn't have a direct rival," said Harris. The GT3 RS 4.0 is powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six, that according to Harris, is the most comfortable choice of the three on the street, what with its adjustable dampers, iPod connectivity and satellite navigation.
For Harris' second day of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, he takes the three track-day specials to Anglesey Circuit in... you guessed it, the Welsh island-county of Anglesey.
During his track time, he remarks about the GTS' lack of grip. Knowing BMW, and their insistence to use run-flats (even on M cars), the GTS is probably no different. But that isn't so much a problem when he decides to take the GTS for a "hoon." He talks about the car's tendency to overseer and its enormous balance. I just wonder, why didn't he feel its 50/50 balance when he was driving it right... as in, not drifting?
The GTS came in at a time of 1 minute, 39 seconds, the AMG, 1 minute, 39.10 seconds and the GT3 RS, 1 minute 36.10 seconds. As slight as it may seem, three seconds is massive. It could be any number of factors that kept "Monkey"from setting even faster lap times, but assuming all things are equal, three seconds is a large chunk of time on a racetrack. Perhaps that's why an average track day costs $400...
Ultimately, I wasn't completely satisfied with Harris' less-than-scientific road- and track-testing. After all, the goal of any Drive video is to get a huge amount of hits, so that at least in part explains the drifting. So I took the liberty of compiling the cars' data on my own...
Sources include: Motor Trend, Road & Track, Edmunds Inside Line and Fastest Laps.com.
My conclusion is if you have the money, means and access, go for the BMW despite its minor cosmetic tweaks (splitter, wing and black 19" competition wheels) and major price gap ($80,000). It is a limited-production car of only 150 in total, so they are all the rarer and more collectible.
All told, I'd take the C63 AMG Black Series on looks alone. I know it weighs the most and I know it likes to slide the most, but really if I wanted a track car, I'd strip it to the bare metal, and these lot are simply too expensive to do that to! The Mercedes looks the best, sounds the best and er... is the most comfortable... um, the best.
Much like Jeremy Clarkson has gone on the record saying, the Porsche 911 continues to resemble a Volkswagen Beetle. And that's not entirely for good. Yes the GT3 RS is the lightest, handles the best and has a proper manual, but I'd still take the Merc. And with all the money I'd save not buying the Porsche, I'd have enough to buy a set of sticky tires...
Bmw does not use run flats on any of their cars. Pretty sure the Gts is standard with Pilot Cup or Pirelli Corsa
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree, sit. I just called my local BMW dealership and every single BMW, including M cars, come with run-flats.
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