The ultimate handling mod for an old muscle car
We all know muscle cars were never any good in corners, and modern cars have made their handling...
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Yes, yes - the 911 GT2 RS is the fastest road-going production car on the Nurburgring. We know, and for bloody good reason. It's big news! But remember, it wasn't the first.
First off - congratulations to Porsche! Chopping off a colossal 4.31 seconds off the Huracan Performante's 6.52.01 lap time (which was already so frighteningly quick that people thought that the video was sped up) is no easy feat. Particularly when the Lambo is not what you'd call slow - or Lada-ish. It's a full-on super-serious supercar, and I doubt anyone other than Porsche could've smashed those stopwatch digits.
However, given the amount of effort Porsche put into the lap time - they even put tyre warmers on the thing beforehand - we'd expect nothing less. They're German after all, and this was in Germany. #Represent.
But hey, it wasn't the first time a yellow Porsche made headlines at the 'Ring.
Back in 1987, when 'turbo'-motif branding could be found literally anything, from engines to vacuum cleaners and razor blades, a small German manufacturer named RUF was busy making their own Nurburgring monster - the CTR. Or, as it's more commonly known, the "Yellowbird".
Powered by a 350kW (469hp) twin-turbo flat-six that blew out 553Nm of torque, the Yellowbird could hit 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds thanks to its featherlight 1150kg mass and superb rear-end traction.
It even ended up being so fast that it posted an unofficial Nurburgring lap time of just 8:05.00, a time that would stand strong until the Bugatti EB110 SS beat it in '93.
Now remember, this is the mid-80's, so turbo lag is loud and proud, and a huge hindrance to those who don’t know how to overcome it.
There’s also no traction control, no ABS, and no airbags. And there’s also plenty of lift-off oversteer too, thanks to its rear-engined layout. Which, in theory, makes it one of the most scariest road-legal cars to drive fast.
Which only makes the following video even more impressive. I mean, who needs racing gloves and a helmet when you just have a pair of jeans, right?Â
But hey, who cares about its back to basics approach? It’s a car that represents the peaks and flaws of the '80s so brilliantly, and for that alone, you just have to love it.
Which car would you prefer to own? Porsche's new GT2 RS or the classic RUF "Yellowbird"? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
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