720s faster than Pista in Hockenheim GP (sport auto)

An amazing machine indeed, but I don't see how it is more track focused than a Pista. It is just harder sprung, without a good reason IMHO.

 

More to it than just hard sprung. Geared more aggressively, MUCH lower ride height, very little in terms of sound insulation just to name a few things.

 

How about this , who gives a s**t which car is faster around a track or and be grateful you can afford either rig or both. Best , Kirk.

 

Funny how the 720S interest has been resurrected because it was slightly faster than the Pista on a given track on a specific day. Anyone who has driven the 720S is well aware of its blistering speed. There is no doubt that it is a highly capable and technically stellar performer. But there is another vital ingredient in the super car ownership experience that cannot be quantified by specs or objective metrics. The joy and emotion the car imparts to the driver is ultimately what distinguishes the top tier super cars from one another. The F8 feels subjectively faster than the 720S and on the road, is more compelling and engaging to drive. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the F8 is a stunning design that arguably elevates its aesthetics to a singularly lofty plane. Without driving the Pista, it would appear to be a salient enhancement over the F8 in its ability to create even greater adrenaline inducing thrills.

 

so true. The analysis by some is funny. Whichever car they own is the greatest ever. I love em all And own multiple brands and am grateful to have that opportunity.

 

Lap time disqualified for exceeding track limits at the 0:40 second mark... don't even get me started on the active aero.

 

Every performance car is geared according to its engine characteristics. The 3RS needs to have very short gear ratios, as it has a N/A engine that needs to be revved hard. It was the same with the Speciale. The Pista has different ratios due to the characteristics of its turbocharged engine. Ride height is about the same, about 4.5''. Sound insulation is deceitful, as the GT3 has a screaming engine. If you compare apples to apples (Pista vs 2 RS) you will see that they are very similar. The difference is that the Porsche is very stiff and I attribute that to the limitations of the 911 chassis which doeson't allow for more supple settings for the hardcore version, without compromising the driving experience. There was a time when Ferraris were also very stiff (F40 anyone?), but Maranello managed to solve that conundrum.

It's just the sound of the N/A engine that deceives you.

 

I think a McLaren is beautiful because of its “exposed” engineering and how often times it brings out the best in us and wins/goes fastest around a circuit in our imperfect hands.

I think a Ferrari is equally beautiful because of those voluptuous curves and the way my heart pounds when I just look at it being still and how exhilaratingly dramatic it is to try to extract all of its performance and how severe the penalty is if you get it all wrong.

I think enjoying both is a beautiful life we should all be so blessed to have.

 

Making a car really stiff and tight is very easy. Drive a Megane RS-R and you will see what I mean. The magical thing is when you build an amazing driver's car, which is also supple.

 

Agreed. Who is actually racing these cars on the track in addition to street use?

FWIW, a 650S GT3 with air restrictors is faster than a Senna and can be had for low 200s.

 

Racing not many people, tracking a lot of people, and to those what a car has in them does matter.

Now, how many people can extract everything out of these cars on track to the degree that benchmark lapping matters is another question.

At some point it dawns on many of us who are passionate about being on the racetrack that street cars aren't the best way to go about it, and eventually switch to the safety and performance of race cars.

Enjoy cars like the Pista, 720S, GT2RS, etc on some nice back roads and impress gents and ladies with your success, then get in a little racecar with half the hp of a Pista for some actual driving.

 

Not sure either , next time I’m racing my 488 at Hockenheim I’ll call you so we can time my laps vs. a McLaren

 

Cars can be geared differently depending on their application. Yes the GT3RS has close ratios due to its engine configuration, but also due to what it is expected to do. If Porsche wanted to make it more "street friendly", they could do this by sacrificing some performance. But that is not what they want. They want it to pull hard and be in its torque band when driven hard. So yes, it is more than just a function of the engines performance characteristics. It is also a result of the cars intended use.

As for sound deadening. I have no experience with the GT3. From what I've been told, it is quite a bit different in this regard compared to the GT3RS. In the RS, not only is there the noise from the engine, but also a lot of noise from the gearbox, the diff, the suspension as well as tyre noise buzzing all the way up through the seats when on a highway. If you're two guys driving around on the roads for 4-5 hours, your throat is completely raw by the end of the drive due to the fact that you're constantly shouting over gear whine, rattling ball joints and suspension component, as well as tyres roaring away and the engine humming. From what I'm told, the GT3 is nothing like that.

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With all due respect, what you've been told is wrong between the 3 and 3RS.

I've owned a 3 as a daily driver for 3 years. And I've driven the 3RS for extended periods of time, mostly hours on end to/from the track. And while the 3RS is a bit more tin can like in its interior acoustics, neither car is so uncomfortable from a sound deadening (or road/engine noise) perspective to be an issue.

Let's not make out the GT3RS to be some Radical RXC. Yes, it's more track focused than a GT3, but it's still a very compliant and useable road car.

And for the folks up there who think the GT3RS is more "track focused" than a Pista. Totally disagree again. The two cars are simply track focused in different ways, but both are track focused. Let's just leave it at that.

 

Or an F3 car, with half the power of your racing Porsche, providing twice the thrills. I guess you understand the fallacy of this line of argument...

Are you insinuating that the Pista is less performance focused? Lat time I checked it had shorter ratios than the 2 RS, which is comparable due to its turbocharged engine...

+1

 

lol the argument you are agreeing with?
And it's not 'my' racing Porsche, it'a 'a' racing Porsche I rented last week.
I track all kinds of cars ...
And yes, light track cars sure are fun and fast as long as you remember not to lift mid corner.

 

I was not comparing it to the GT2RS. Yes, I do think it is less raw than the 3RS.

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No sir, I don't agree that a comparison between a road car and a race car is valid.

I beg to differ. The 3 RS is just louder (due to the N/A engine) and stiffer (worse chassis that requires rock hard suspension settings).

 

I never compared the two, all I said is many people including myself eventually stop using street cars on track both for performance and safety reasons, and just noted that you don't need crazy hp to have fun and go fast on the track.

 

Fantastic toys, my friend.

 

+1

Most fun I've ever had on a track was in an Atom, followed closely by a modified S2000 per NASA rules.

 

Most fun I've had is still in Miata spec cars, racing against other miata's...it was balls to the walls type driving and everyone had their elbows out; separates the men from the boys, skilled drivers from reckless ones and above all, is a refreshing contrast to the typical contest of who has the fatter wallet.

With that said, there's something really, really nice about being able to pull up to a track in a car, have your fun for the day and then just go home in the same car. Trailering and/or storage is such a chore and extra prep work and the costs (at least for me) did not justify some casual fun with the boys.