Drag Battle: 992 Turbo Versus 991 GT2 RS

There’s one nice thing about English weather: it’s fairly dependable. Well, that and the regular rain which creates those verdant moors that fill one’s heart with song. More to our purposes, it also points out a vehicle’s bad-weather shortcomings. Turns out there are few among these two.

On this day, a battle between the 992 Turbo S and its lighter, meaner, track-oriented older brother put the advantage in the hands of the former. However, a 991 GT2 RS is significantly lighter car with stupendous grip—even if it sends its power to just two wheels.

The Turbo S’ 650 horsepower is sent to all four wheels. It also weighs a good 400 pounds more than the GT2 RS, which both helps and hinders. Additional weight isn’t necessarily a hindrance in situations like these with reduced traction and immense performance. Considering that the weight means four drive wheels and the ease of repeatable, fast launches, the Turbo S clearly has the edge—off the line, anyways. Once the launch is decided and traction is less of a limiting factor, that power-to-weight will decide.

The GT2 RS is a powerhouse with 700 horsepower and a frightening powerband which really never relents save for the split-second between shifts. PDK is impressive, as is that power-to-weight ratio. Its gearing also helps, and the fact that it is driven by a pretty handy driver makes a difference. Even with a car of this caliber; full of traction and near-immediate torque makes a wet-weather start quite demanding.

The close finish says a few things, and two of them are unimportant. The fact that a 2WD Carrera can put down that much torque in the rain isn’t important. Nor is the fact that the Turbo can match the current meanest occupant of the Porsche stable. The fact that two cars with very different build ethos perform so similarly only suggests what an immense step forward the latest 991 and 992 generations have been. That chassis—that foundation—bodes well for the future.