GMA T.33 Hypercar: Inscrutable Name ... “Better Than the McLaren F1”?!
Is the GMA T.33 better than the McLaren F1? Gordon Murray smiles. "Oh, yes," he says. "The engine's better, the gearbox is better. It's lighter and has a slightly better power to weight ratio. The finish and the quality are much better."
The McLaren F1, created by Murray in the early 1990s at the height of his fame as a rock star grand prix race car designer, is widely regarded as the seminal hypercar, a car that set absolute benchmarks for on-road performance. One sold last year for more than $20 million. The GMA T.33, Murray's new ultralight, driver-focused mid-engine coupe will be priced from about $1.85 million, plus tax, when production starts in 2024.
In the context of today's McLaren F1 market, it sounds like a bargain.
The T.33 is the follow up to last year's T.50, the car Murray designed specifically as a 21st century successor to the McLaren F1 and a halo for his GMA brand. Like the T.50, it's powered by a high-revving naturally aspirated V-12 and will be available with a six-speed manual transmission. But beyond elements of the powertrain—and the air conditioning system and interior switchgear—the T.33 shares nothing with the T.50. It's a completely different car, designed for a completely different purpose.
The T.33's engine has less power, less torque, and a lower rev limit than the version used in the T.50 and T.50 Niki Lauda. Dubbed the Cosworth GMA.2 and distinguished by its yellow cam covers (the T.50's were orange and the T.50 Niki Lauda's red) it makes 607 horsepower at 10,500 rpm and 333 lb-ft of torque at 9,000 rpm, 47 hp and 11 lb-ft fewer than in T.50 spec. This is due to different cams, revised valve timing and engine mapping, and new intake and exhaust systems.
The decision to lop 1,000 rpm from the engine's top end wasn't just a case of ensuring differentiation between T.50 and T.33. "To be really honest," Murray says, "the main reason is that 12,100 rpm in a 4.0-liter engine with valve springs is getting right up there on the ragged edge. Going to 11,100 rpm makes much more sense." Just for reference, in T.50 spec the engine makes peak power at 11,500 rpm.
The other benefit is improved drivability. Murray says in T.50 spec the engine delivers 70 percent of its peak torque from just 2,500 rpm, but the T.33 version pumps out 75 percent of its peak torque at the same crank speed and 90 percent from 4,500 rpm. "I've never driven a V-12 with such low-down torque," he says of his test sessions in the T.50, "but the T.33 is on another level altogether."
As in the T.50, the T.33 V-12 drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission designed and developed by British motorsport specialist Xtrac. The T.33's transmission, which weighs just 177 pounds, shares its ultralight casing with the T.50 unit, but all the internals are new.
Unlike the T.50, the T.33 can be ordered with a paddle-shift transmission. Also developed by Xtrac, this transmission features the company's ingenious Instantaneous Gearchange System (IGS), which features an integrated ratchet and pawl mechanism between each gear hub and the main shaft so that two consecutive gear ratios can be selected and engaged simultaneously, but with only one set of gears driving. As there are no clutches to actuate, switching from one ratio to the next is, well, instantaneous, and there's no interruption to the torque flow.
Murray says the paddle-shift T.33 will be significantly quicker than the manual car, both in a straight line and on the track, but notes that of the 60 cars already pre-sold—like the T.50, just 100 are being built—only three have so far been ordered with the IGS transmission.
The T.33's chassis eschews the usual practice of bolting front and rear subframes to a central carbon-fiber tub. Instead, the car's central structure comprises Formula 1-style aluminum-core carbon-fiber panels bonded around aluminium tubes that run from front to rear. The carbon-fiber elements provide the essential torsional and bending stiffness, as well as a strong structure for crash safety, and the design eliminates the need for bolted joints.
"A bolted joint is messy and heavy, and it's flexible," Murray says. "No matter how well you do it, there's always a bit of joint movement at the transition from tube to carbon."
Up front, supporting the suspension, steering rack, and stabilizer bar, is a single aluminum casting, which Murray won't describe in detail other than to hint it's similar in concept to the organic Bionicast structure used at the rear of the Mercedes-Benz EQXX concept. At the rear, aluminum tubes simply cradle the engine, which is attached with just four bolts. The rear suspension is bolted directly to the transmission, and although the engine is rubber-mounted to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness, a clever trapezoidal link setup is used to lock the engine and transmission into place when subjected to loads through the rear wheels.
Murray reckons the innovative design of the T.33 chassis, which is loosely based on the iStream process he developed to build lightweight cars at low cost and high volume, makes it about 44 pounds lighter than a contemporary supercar chassis of a similar size. "It's taken two years to develop the technology, and we're thinking we might build the T.33 chassis ourselves to keep it in-house," he says.
Like all Gordon Murray cars, the T.33 is light. Target weight is just 2,403 pounds, a mere 230 more than the T.50 despite the car being engineered to be built in both left- and right-hand drive and meeting all U.S. and European crash regulations. That means the T.33 doesn't need massive brakes, wheels, or tires. The standard brakes are carbon ceramic, with relatively modest 14.6-inch-diameter rotors in front and 13.4-inch units at the rear. The tires are relatively modest, too—235/35 Michelin Pilot Sport 4s on 19-inch forged wheels up front and 295/30 items on 20-inch wheels out back. Power steering is by way of a new hydraulically assisted system specially developed for the car.
And like all Gordon Murray cars, the T.33 will have a relatively comfortable ride. "I never do stiffly sprung cars," Murray says. "I just don't like them. If you are going to drive it on a track, you're going to feel a bit of roll and pitch." However, for those customers who want to spend most of their time in their T.33s at track days, GMA will offer a sportier suspension setup. "The cars are so handbuilt, we can do virtually anything for the customers."
It's difficult to judge from the photos, but the T.33 is about the same length overall as a Porsche 718 Cayman even though its roofline is 5.5 inches lower and its 107.7-inch wheelbase is an astounding 10.3 inches longer. The pictures don't show the subtlety of its design, either, the overall flavor of which has been inspired by Murray's passion for 1960s mid-engine sports cars such as the Ferrari 206 SP Dino and the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.
The central driving position of the T.50 dictated a very cab-forward proportion. As the T.33 has a conventional driving position, which allows the pedals to be located farther rearward in the chassis, its cabin is, like those 1960s cars, more centrally located between the wheels. The wasp-waisted car also has a broad front air intake, pronounced haunches over all four wheels, and just the merest hint of a Kamm tail at the rear.
The relatively clean and simple surfacing belies some truly clever design details. There are no visible door handles; access to the cabin is via touch-sensitive buttons in the Gordon Murray Automotive logos at the base of the B-pillar. The fuel and oil fillers are hidden behind the panels on the pillars. The small vent at the base of the vertically stacked headlights not only ducts air to the front brakes but also allows the car to pass low-speed crash requirements while echoing iconic 1960s headlight graphics.
"There's nothing just for styling's sake on the car at all," Murray says. "Every single element has something to do. " The wide front air intake, for example, houses all the cooling hardware, which means there's no need for unsightly and un-aerodynamic ducts in the body side. Extra cooling air is ducted into the engine compartment from under the car.
The ram air intake above the cabin is another case in point. While in other mid-engine cars such intakes are part of the bodywork, in the T.33 it's mounted directly to the engine and stands proud of the bodywork so it can move. That eliminates the need for a flexible coupling, which means the internals of the entire intake can be kept perfectly smooth.
The other benefit, Murray explains, is more subtle: "If the intake is flush to the roof, you get a boundary layer buildup [of slow-moving air], which renders the bottom slice of the intake quite useless. By having the intake separate and floating above the car, we bleed off the boundary layer into the engine bay, which is low pressure, and then we can have a smaller, more aerodynamic duct."
Although the T.33 doesn't have the downforce of the fan-forced T.50, learnings from that car have been incorporated into the floor design. Two big diffusers at the front of the car help deliver downforce to the front axle. And while testing the T.50, Murray's team found the unique stepped diffuser at the rear of the car, which had been designed to work in conjunction with the fan drawing air through it, delivered 30 percent more downforce than expected with the fan switched off.
A revised version of the stepped diffuser layout is now a feature of the T.33's floor. "It was a happy accident," Murray says of the discovery. "But it means most of the downforce is developed at the front of the diffuser, near the car's center of gravity."
Combined with the two-thirds total downforce developed by the front diffuser, that means the T.33 doesn't need a splitter protruding from underneath the front air intake. The only active aero device on the car is a rear wing that tilts to maintain aero balance at high speed and flicks to near vertical under braking.
All this careful attention to aerodynamic detail has resulted in one very practical benefit: luggage capacity. In addition to being able to accommodate two cases in its full-width frunk, the T.33 can also carry two each in either side of the car, in compartments between the door opening and the rear wheel. To access the compartments, the entire rear quarter panels are hinged at the rear.
The GMA T.50, with its central driving position and fan-forced active aerodynamics, is a trophy car, the state-of-the-hypercar-art as expressed by the man who invented the concept 30 years ago. The GMA T.33 has been designed to similarly celebrate light weight and ultimate driving thrills, but also to have the ride quality and ground clearance and luggage capacity that allows it to be driven every day.
"I could see myself using one all the time," says Murray, whose current daily driver is the delightful, delicate Alpine A110. "If you had to have only one supercar, the T.33 is it."
There's another reason to desire a T.33, too. More V-12-powered GMA cars are coming—another two are planned over the next decade—but all will have some form of electrification to enable them to meet emissions regulations. "This will be our last nonhybrid car," Murray says. "If anybody wants the last, beautiful V-12 without any hybridization, this is the one."
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The investment in automotive electrification has ramped up sharply in recent years, with new advances in battery chemistry, motor and controller technology, and charging infrastructure being announced almost weekly. We've generally spared our readers the chemistry lesson required to describe every new battery electrolyte formula to come along, but we've passed along the most novel, interesting, and promising of concepts that promise to advance electrification. Here are highlights from just the past two years.Maybe Pair Capacitors and Batteries?Chemical batteries are great at storing energy. They just can't do it extremely quickly. Capacitors can accept and release huge amounts of energy quickly but can't hold this energy for very long. Capacitors on cars aren't new—Mazda introduced its i-ELOOP energy recovery capacitor on the 2014 Mazda6 sedan. But in November 2019 we reported on a joint research effort by Lamborghini and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to triple the energy storage capacity of ultracapacitors, by replacing the porous activated carbon used in most capacitors with a new powder composed of metal-organic framework compounds comprising primarily of nickel, copper, and molecular carbon that effectively doubles the surface area inside the same volume/mass of powder, which is how it doubles the energy density. Research continues, and although ultracapacitors will likely never replace chemical batteries, this Lambo/MIT ultracapacitor could greatly reduce the mass of the energy-storage battery required, guaranteeing both nimble handling, ferocious acceleration, and track-worthy regenerative braking.Mine the SeafloorA perennial and legitimate argument against complete electrification is the question of ethical and environmentally sensitive sourcing of the various metals and other materials required. So in June 2020 we reported on the discovery of naturally occurring polymetallic nodules that line the Pacific Ocean's abyssal deep seafloor in the Clarion-Clipperton zone (lying roughly between Mexico and Hawaii). These potato-sized blobs are typically composed of 29.2 percent manganese, 1.3 percent nickel, 1.1 percent copper, and 0.2 percent cobalt. They form naturally and sit in the silt, where they can be fairly easily scraped up using a drag bucket of sorts. This area is recognized as the planet's largest known source of battery metals and is thought to be capable of supporting production of 280 million EVs. But the metals supply and mining industries are awaiting a green light from various organizations studying environmental impact on fisheries, etc.The State of the Solid-State BatterySolid-state batteries promise to solve myriad nasty battery problems: Liquid or gel electrolytes are flammable and can freeze, so they need costly warming, cooling, and safety monitoring. Additionally, fast charging can result in the formation of lithium metal spikes that can pierce the battery's permeable "separator," short-circuiting the cell. One downside of solid-state is that lithium formation on the anode causes the cell to physically expand, which must be accounted for in the pack design. In December 2020 we reported on California-based QuantumScape's promising new solid-state battery, which claimed to boost range by 80 percent and to function at temperatures ranging from -20 to 80 degrees C, all of which attracted a huge investment from the Volkswagen Group. In the months since, we've reported on Toyota's in-house solid-state battery program, which is likely to see production in hybrid vehicles first, and on Factorial Energy of Massachusetts inking a development deal with Hyundai-Kia, claiming its battery can boost range by 20-50 percent.Gallium-Nitride Semiconductor Chips to Speed ChargingIf the long Chipocalypse, currently still crippling auto sales as we write this, has any silver lining, it might be that as the industry tools up to produce more chips, some of that new production can be dedicated to gallium-nitride, rather than silicon-based chips. This semiconductor material, which enabled the first white LED lights and powered Blu-ray disc readers, is able to simultaneously withstand higher voltages and present a smaller resistance to electric current flow relative to either the silicon (Si) or silicon carbide (SiC) materials. Lower resistance means less heat buildup, which can allow smaller devices to deliver greater power flow and faster switching, which in the case of an EV's onboard power inverter can equate to faster charging and/or greater range. Our July 2021 coverage of Texas Instruments and Odyssey Semiconductors GaN chips noted that engineering samples were to be available in late 2021, which should mean production might commence after a few years of development."Cylinder-Deactivation" for Electric MotorsIt's hard to believe, but the same concept that boosts fuel economy of a piston engine by shutting several cylinders down and making the functioning cylinders work harder can be applied to electric motors, as well. Tula Technologies, the folks who pioneered the Dynamic Fuel Management system in use on more than a million GM trucks and SUVs, has introduced Dynamic Motor Drive. During certain high-speed light-load conditions, where electric motors are not quite as efficient, DMD pulses brief bursts of higher torque to meet the steady-state need, which conserves energy by reducing heat buildup in the rotor core and the power inverter. The power savings are minimal on mainstream permanent-magnet and AC-induction type motors, but they're significant on the cheapest synchronous reluctance motors, which are only used in industrial applications today. The technology promises to eliminate some of the noise and "torque-ripple" vibration that currently disqualifies these motors from EV use. It could also make them more efficient than AC induction and sidestep supply-chain worries inherent in permanent-magnet motors.Lower Cost Via Simplified ManufacturingThis tech story ran in conjunction with our 2022 Lucid Air Car of the Year coverage, describing the nascent Tesla Model S fighter's many innovations aimed at efficient, lower-cost manufacturing. The battery pack, for example, consists of two injection moldings. One incorporates the sides, top, and all power-delivery busbars, and the other includes the cooling plate. Because this only needs to contact the ends of each cylindrical cell, dramatically less heat-conducting glue is needed than in the radially cooled Tesla packs. The Lucid packs can be robotically assembled in a dark plant. The motor's hairpin-style square-section winding consists of just 24 individual wires that are woven for ease of assembly into the stator and the need for only 24 solder connections. And extreme downsizing of the power inverter, final drive units, and more yield impressive weight savings that pay off in cost and range improvements.Lithium-Sulfur Triple ThreatSilicon Valley battery-tech company Lyten came out of stealth in September and revealed a battery chemistry boasting triple the traditional lithium-ion batteries' energy storage per pound. That's because a sulfur atom can host two lithium ions, while a typical NMC-oxide cathode can only manage 0.5-0.7 ions. But during charging, those lithium ions sometimes bring sulfur atoms along with them when they migrate to the other electrode, and this depletes the battery. Lyten's secret is to cage each sulfur atom in one of the millions of tiny boxes afforded by their proprietary 3-D graphene sheets. And because carbon is more conductive than sulfur, power flows better than in previous lithium-sulfur batteries. The company says it has demonstrated 1,400 charge/discharge cycles (sufficient for EV use) and that it plans to select a factory site in Q1 of 2022 to support incorporation of LytCells for use in vehicles by the 2025 or 2026 model year. Most experts we spoke with find that timing to be overly optimistic, but perhaps looming local content requirements the USMCA trade agreement calls for in 2023 will inspire overtime development, as all LytCell materials are abundantly available in North America."Massless" Structural BatteriesOne way to get weight out of battery electric vehicles is to force the batteries to "multitask," by serving as part of the vehicle's structure. Raw, uncoated carbon-fiber strands are great electrical conductors, and because they typically include tiny voids that can easily accept lithium ions, they function well as a battery's negative electrode. Apply a lithium-iron-phosphate/graphene-oxide coating to said fibers, and you've got a structural cathode. Now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden think they've found a suitable polymer electrolyte with a cross-linking monomer that enhances the material's structural rigidity while still conducting lithium ions. The team is targeting an energy density about one-third that of mono-tasking dead-weight lithium-ion. Still, studies indicate that replacing roughly 70 percent of the interior and exterior panels and 60 percent of the body structure of a Tesla Model S (85 kWh) or BMW i3 with SBC, should lower mass by 26 and 19 percent with range dropping by 36 and 17 percent, respectively. Alternatively, doubling the thickness and mass of these SBC panels to bring the cars back to mass parity should boost range by 20 percent in the Tesla and 70 percent in the BMW (while adding foot room). Cost estimates for this brand-new technology are not yet available.Lead image: Mina De La O/Getty Images
To the surprise of the few and the horror of those trying to purchase one for sticker price, the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 is MotorTrend's 2022 Performance Vehicle of the Year. The competition was fierce for this year's inaugural award, but in the end most of the judges voted for the GT3. The two who didn't score it first had Porsche's latest and greatest in second place—quite a close second place, at that. And yes, the word "greatest" is apropos here. That is, until the next GT3 iteration drops—which should be any time now. Why so dominant, why so loved, why so great? Several reasons, but first let's go backward.We considered ourselves fortunate to attend the launch of the old 991.2 911 GT3 in Spain back in 2017. Fortunate not only because that GT3 generation (the new GT3 is the 992.1) was magnificent but also because attendees got to chase rally legend Walter Röhrl around a racetrack for five laps. Life was good. On a personal note, I mention this because I distinctly remember writing this next part before I drove the 991.2 version: "[The 991.1] GT3 marked the first time in my career I had nothing negative to say about a vehicle." Followed by, "I don't have the foggiest idea how the wizards of [Weissach] can make the GT3 any better than it already is. Although I suspect Porsche will tell me once I get to Spain."In other words, it was impossible to conceive how Porsche could even kind of improve upon the already spectacular 991.1 GT3. But it sure did. Fast-forward to hours before the 2022 PVOTY competition began, and our judging panel collectively thought the same thing. Guess what? The unfathomable has been achieved. Again.A sampling of initial comments from meine Kollegen once they spun a turn behind the Porsche's wheel: "This is pure driving pleasure," features editor Scott Evans said. "Honestly, it's the only car that made me lose my breath." Features editor Christian Seabaugh added, "My gosh, this is such a good car." Deputy editor Alexander Stoklosa recounted, "I took this on two laps of the winding road circuit at the Hyundai Proving Ground, and by the time I exited, I was sweaty and feeling absolutely jacked, wanting more." Good thing for him we then went to the racetrack, no? Director of editorial operations Mike Floyd said, "Holy hell, this thing is amazing. Wow."Head of editorial Ed Loh went a bit cerebral trying to explain what's so great about the GT3: "It makes you feel sharper and more in tune with everything—from the soles of your feet to the pads of your fingertips, all the way to the base of your skull and the lizard part of your brain that ensures you don't die in your sleep." Executive editor Mac Morrison was more succinct, simply offering, "Sheeeeeezus H. Porsche. Maaaaannnnnnn."Yeah, friends, this car is absurdly great. It serves up unbelievable levels of performance paired with unbelievable levels of grip, head-ringing aural thrills thanks to a 502-hp humdinger of a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six that revs all the way to 9,000 rpm, and perhaps most important, the best manual transmission in automotive history. Hashtag fight us. Did we mention the gobs and bushels and duffel bags full of both horsepower and revs? Perhaps the 992 GT3 is not as laser-guided or quick as the other two big wingers present (the Lamborghini Huracán STO and the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series), a whole host of McLarens, or even Porsche's own upcoming GT3 RS. However, this car boasts a solidity, an everyday ease of use, and the resulting desire to just drive it more and more that separates the GT3 from the rest of the frontrunners for this year's PVOTY trophy. The 2022 911 GT3 is a deeply satisfying sports car that just so happens to have supercar reflexes.But what about the criteria? Oh yes, we are fully aware that transitioning away from our old Best Driver's Car competition to one of our signature Of The Year formats means any winner is subjected to our six key criteria. In case this is your first time, they are: Advancement in Design, Engineering Excellence, Performance of Intended Function, Safety, Value, and Efficiency. Even when keeping every one of these in mind when picking our winner, the Porsche excels. Hell, forget excels; the GT3 dominates.Advancement in DesignThis one is as simple as … just look at it. At first glance and across but two dimensions, you may not "get" the nostrils on the GT3's hood. We assure you the two speed holes (they're actually part of the car's aerodynamics, similar to openings on the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ) grow on you after repeated viewings. Back to the launch of the old 991.2 GT3, I'll never forget something Porsche GT-division boss Andy Preuninger said during the press conference: "The GT3 has to be the most attractive 911." Targa fans might disagree, but the newest GT3 looks fabulous, even in muted orange sherbet (actual color name: Lava Orange). And that wing! A piece of functional sculpture. Anyone opting for the wingless GT3 Touring version is nuts. Ahem.We also loved the interior's design, specifically the well-executed sparseness. Countless gallons of ink have been spilled, both actual and virtual, rightly chastising Tesla for that brand's signature near lack of an interior, but the GT3 isn't that. No, this car's guts represent minimalism done right. "I love how simple it is inside—just get in and go," Stoklosa said. "There's a button for ESC, one for the shocks, and that's pretty much it. No fiddling, all fun." Yes, you get right down to business inside the GT3, the business of woohoo!Loh was particularly impressed. "The control layout is awesome," he said. "It's not as spaceship-weirdo-wild-looking as the Huracán STO. It's also not as plasticky as the AMG GT. I'm Goldilocks, and this supercar is juuuust riiiiight. Love the seats, love this vehicle. Awesome."Not only is the layout awesome, but the controls themselves also inspire awe. We've only partially told you about the fabulous gear lever. One reason it's so spot on is that the transmission's synchros are made from brass, not plastic; when you shift gears, you're actually pushing metal through metal. So cool. But just holding the stick feels wicked. The clutch is perfectly weighted, too. Porsche truly nailed the small stuff. "It's a little thing, but I love the steering wheel," Seabaugh said. "It's a dinky little 7/8ths-sized thing that just feels perfect in your hands." Amen.Engineering ExcellenceThe criteria's lines are easy to blur. For instance, the stick shift bleeds over from Advancement of Design into Engineering Excellence. So be it. As associate road test editor Erick Ayapana asked, "Why can't all shifters be like this?" It's no shock to say the latest from Porsche's freaking racing division—after all, that's what the GT crew does—is excellently engineered. But, brothers, sisters, this is one of those hard-to-overstate situations.As an example, let's look at the car's grip. We were impressed. "The amount of mechanical grip, aided at times by the aero, is stupefying," Morrison said. "Like, it's just criminal, and I use that word as a positive. You should not be able to drive the front end into corners as hard as you can, and you should not be able to go back to power so hard and early and easily as the new GT3 allows you to."Want to talk brakes? Evans does. "The brake feel is the real accomplishment here, and that's saying something," he said. "You can feel exactly how hard the pads are biting at every moment, intuit exactly how much braking you're using and how much you have left in reserve." Road test editor Chris Walton added, "The brakes are nuclear."Grip and brakes, that's just tires, right? Well, partially, sure, but we promise you that while slapping the GT3's sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R N0s on your car will improve its performance, the GT3 is better engineered. It pulled 1.19 g (average) on our skidpad, tying it with the 2019 911 GT2 RS for the highest average number we've ever recorded. Its figure-eight time was just 0.2 second off the 720-hp AMG GT Black Series, a car that makes 218 extra horsepower. And the GT3 beat the incredible 630-hp Lambo STO here by 0.2. If that's not engineering excellence, what is?Performance of Intended FunctionThe 911 GT3 crushes this category. This is the part where we break down both what a GT3 is and what makes a Performance Vehicle of the Year. Starting with the 911, it's the sportier, racier, harder-core, no-compromise version. And the 911 is a hell of a sports car to start with. From that not so humble origin point, the wizards and witches of Flacht work their magic, transforming a superlative sports car into an everyday supercar. Yes, supercar, because the GT3 certainly is.The ride isn't soft, but you can live with this car. "Old dudes like me might have some trouble with ingress and egress," Floyd said, "but once you get yourself snug in the seat, you can easily drive the GT3 all day in slow traffic or on a long highway stretch. The clutch pedal action doesn't punish your left leg, and loping around town is a breeze."You simply can't say the same about either the STO or the Black Series. Everyday? Maybe every track day, and even that's a stretch. For instance, assuming your head isn't too big, you might be able to fit your helmet—just one—into the Lambo's frunk. Emphasis on "might." The Black Series, while deeply impressive, is really just a bridge too far for a street car. The GT3? Let's just say we understand why people are paying $50,000 more than sticker for a street car that can also rip up a racetrack."It's just a joy to drive hard on a circuit, which is what the GT3 is absolutely made to do," Floyd said. "It's so obvious how long Porsche has been developing this car and the 911 in general. There's a next-level feel you just don't get with the Huracán or GT Black." In other words, it's a special 911 doing precisely what its maker intended. Talk about performance of intended function, indeed. That alone makes it a great candidate for Performance Vehicle of the Year.ValueIncome inequality must be causing mass psychosis for us to say a car with a base price of $164,150 and an as-tested kitty of $195,850 is a great value, but humor us for a moment. When you consider the two cars in this test that most closely compete with the Porsche—the $355,595 AMG and the $442,033 Lamborghini—the GT3 looks like a steal. Toss on that $50,000 ADM (adjusted dealer markup), and the Porsche is still a steal.EfficiencyWe cannot, however, with a straight face tell you a car that carries an EPA rating of 16 mpg combined is efficient. But this is Performance Vehicle of the Year; none of the competitors was designed with astounding efficiency in mind. Additionally, the GT3's fuel economy is in line with the other contenders in its performance plane. Hot tip: Opt for the extended-range gas tank, and you'll feel as if you're getting great mileage.SafetyCars like the Porsche 911 never get crash ratings, never mind the GT3. That's just how it is. So we can't tell you about its passive safety worthiness. However, a car that superlatively grips and stops the way the GT3 does is inherently safe in the hands of a skilled driver. Oh, and we seem to remember it has adaptive cruise control, too.Dominant Winner WinsThere's so much more to say. We haven't mentioned the Davante Adams-like way the GT3 changes direction. Or the switch to a double control arm suspension up front. Or how for the first time in Porsche 911 history, you don't need to trail-brake your way into every corner, because (surprise!) the front suddenly has copious grip. The front end is like a race car, or as Seabaugh put it, "It digs hard into corners like a skate into ice." There's also the part about how with only 2 additional hp, the 992.1 GT3 is nearly 18 seconds quicker around the Nürburgring Nordschleife than the 991.2 GT3 it replaces. If only we could show you all the notes from all the judges, including our dedicated test team, just so you could see how consistently overwhelming the superlatives are. It's without end.Anything we don't like? Evans and Loh thought the ride quality was lacking, to the point Evans recommends never putting the dampers into Sport. Not everyone agreed with him. But that's about it for the negatives. Looking over my own notes, one line caught my eye: "If the GT3 isn't second place, it's first." As much as I and the rest of the judges loved the Porsche, the Lamborghini STO was also exceptional. But by a vote of five judges to two, the GT3 claimed the crown.EpilogueAfter the vote, and because I was the judge writing this winner story, I took the new Porsche 911 GT3 home for about a week. A friend of mine owns a 991.2 GT3 Touring; we decided to drive them back to back. I figured this new GT3 would be slightly better, but I quickly learned it's about 70 percent better. The 2022 model made the old one feel like a couch. I'm not kidding. And remember, this was a couch that at one point in time we said was the best-driving car in the world.If that's not enough, I'll leave you with something 20-year veteran auto scribe and motorsports/track-driving aficionado Morrison wrote in his notes. "This might sound nuts," he said, "but I thought hard about it for several days after our PVOTY activities concluded: I'm not sure I've ever driven a better car. In my entire career."Nicely played, Porsche, and congrats on winning the first MotorTrend Performance Vehicle of the Year award. Now comes the hard part: Do it again next year. As I wrote before about the 991.2 GT3, "How do you take something with no apparent flaws, no visible weaknesses, and improve upon it anyway?" None of us knows the answer, but we're sure Preuninger and the gang have some ideas. We can't wait to test them out.POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 SPECIFICATIONS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Rear-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE Direct-injected DOHC 24-valve flat-6, alum block/heads DISPLACEMENT 3,996 cc/243.9 cu in COMPRESSION RATIO 13.3:1 POWER (SAE NET) 502 hp @ 8,400 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 346 lb-ft @ 6,100 rpm REDLINE 9,000 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 6.4 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.09:1/2.72:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 11.2-14.2:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.4 BRAKES, F; R 16.1-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc; 15.4-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc WHEELS, F;R 9.5 x 20-in; 12.0 x 21-in forged aluminum TIRES, F;R 255/35R20 97Y; 315/30R21 105Y Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R N0 DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 96.7 TRACK, F/R 63.0/61.1 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 180.0 x 72.9 x 50.4 in TURNING CIRCLE 34.1 ft CURB WEIGHT (DIST F/R) 3,188 lb (40/60%) SEATING CAPACITY 2 HEADROOM, F/R 37.9/ — in LEGROOM, F/R 42.2/ — in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 52.6/ — in CARGO VOLUME 4.6 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.5 sec 0-40 2.0 0-50 2.8 0-60 3.4 0-70 4.2 0-80 5.2 0-90 6.2 0-100 7.3 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.5 QUARTER MILE 11.4 sec @ 126.0 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 93 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.19 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 22.1 sec @ 0.95 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 2,500 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $164,150 PRICE AS TESTED $195,850 AIRBAGS 8: Dual front, front side, front curtain, front knee BASIC WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 4 yrs/50,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 23.7 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 14/18/16 mpg RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium ON SALE Now Show All
It's finally happening: The iconic Meyers Manx is being reborn for a third time, now as a pure electric vehicle. No, it's not the ID Buggy concept Volkswagen cruelly teased us with a few years ago before crushing our dreams, it's an all-new model from the original outfit. Meet the Meyers Manx 2.0 Electric.Real DealLest you think this is another one of those startups that has nothing to do with the original, the EV dune buggy is being produced in California by the Meyers Manx company in partnership with "a U.S.-based manufacturing entity." Manx fans will know that founder Bruce Meyers died in February 2021 at age 94, and a year prior had sold his eponymous company to Trousdale Ventures to ensure its continuation after his passing. Trousdale founder and Meyers Manx chairman Phillip Sarofim hired legendary car designer Freeman Thomas, who penned the Volkswagen New Beetle among other notable projects, to create this next-generation Manx EV.Thomas' work is refreshingly true to the original while incorporating modern components and working around a wildly different drivetrain. Even so, it likely has more in common with the original Manx than the later models you know. The first Manx featured a custom fiberglass monocoque body with embedded steel mounting points and reinforcements. Too expensive to mass produce, Meyers switched to using a shortened Volkswagen Beetle platform with a fiberglass body after 12 unprofitable cars were built.Small Battery, Lightweight, And Plenty Of RangeThis new model utilizes an aluminum monocoque covered with a body made of an unspecified material. Indeed, a number of technical details are unclear or unannounced at this time. Regardless, hidden somewhere under the retro body work is a choice of two battery packs, one 20 kWh and one 40 kWh. Those are small by EV standards, but unlike a Tesla, the Manx 2.0 Electric only weighs an estimated 1,500 to 1,650 pounds depending on battery size.Thanks to its low weight, Meyers Manx estimates the buggy will go 150 miles with the small battery and 300 miles with the big battery. A Level 2 (6 kW) onboard charger is standard and DC Fast charging capability is optional, though only at 60 kW. Here again, the stats are unimpressive for a road-going EV, but the Manx 2.0 Electric's batteries are so small they shouldn't take too long to charge even at those speeds. We can't say for sure, though, because the company has not shared charging times.Regardless of battery size, power will be sent to a pair of electric motors mounted on the rear axle, one driving each rear wheel for precise traction control and torque vectoring. Meyers Manx doesn't have specs on the motors paired with the smaller 40 kWh battery but says that model buggy will hit 60 mph in an estimated 4.5 seconds. Go for the big battery and the motors will put out 202 horsepower and "up to" 240 pound-feet of torque. The company didn't provide a zero-to-60 estimate for that model but it'll certainly be quicker.Ready To Go Off-RoadLike the original, the Manx 2.0 Electric will feature independent front and rear suspension, but we don't have any details on the design used. Photos indicate a trailing arm front suspension like the original air-cooled Beetles and the original Manx. The rear, however, appears to be a modern multi-link design rather than old swing arm setup. Both look to have plenty of travel as an off-roader should, but the company hasn't provided those specs or official ground clearance.Unlike the old Beetle-based kit car, this new one features disc brakes all around instead of drums and also adds regenerative braking on the rear axle, not to mention an electric parking brake. Up front, the Manx 2.0 Electric gets electric power steering and even windshield wipers.In all the most important ways, though, it's true to the original. It's rear-wheel drive, has knobby off-road tires, seats two, and the roof comes off. Inside, the seats appear to be wrapped in a vintage tweed pattern and the minimalist dashboard features a single retro-modern round gauge. The roof appears to be one piece that lifts off the car and gets left in the garage. Like the old days, there are no doors. We hope there's more lockable storage in the front and rear now that there's no engine or gas tank in those spots.No Price Yet, But You Can Be An Early AdopterThe biggest unanswered question we have is what the price tag will be for this adult-sized beach toy. Meyers Manx says they haven't set one yet, but if you don't care and want to get your name on the list now, reservations will open on the company's website after the car's public debut at The Quail show on Friday, August 19, during Monterey Car Week. Deliveries will begin in 2024.If you want to be a real early adopter, though, 50 buyers will be selected to participate in a beta program in 2023. In return for special access, you have to agree to provide feedback to the company while they work out the final kinks before full production begins.
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