Porsche 959, GT1, Carrera GT, 918 and other Hypercars Drag Race in Stunning Swiss Surroundings

When you’ve done well in life, doors open for you. In this case, the owners of these gorgeous hypercars were given free reign to drive as quickly as they like across the landing strip at the Cambri Airport, just outside of Village Quinto. On their way to this meeting of the latest and greatest hypercars on the planet, the picturesque Gotthard pass was closed to public use and speed limits were temporarily lifted for a brief blitz through the mountains. Ah, la dolce vita.

Admist this flock of fantastic machinery, several Porsche greats stand out with incredible response, thrust, and rapid gearchanges. That unusually raspy roar of the 959 leaving the line sends tingles up the spine, and for purposes of comparison, the 918 leaves seconds later; showing how far forward Porsche has moved the mark in the last thirty years. Anything that bolts off the line so quickly and so cleanly is bound to be a rocket in a straight line, 887 hybrid horses or not. Additionally, the way the 918 gobbles up gears without delay gives some insight into how Porsche’s cars are able to outrun more powerful machinery.

The high-pitched howl of the Carrera GT might take the prize for most aurally-pleasing, but it’s up against some stiff competition. The wail of V12 Ferraris and that Messerschmitt rumble of the AMGs are musical, but there’s something otherworldly about that 5.7-liter V10 screaming all the way to 8,400 rpm—throaty, full-bodied, and rising to a crescendo that makes an F1 car sound flat and lifeless.

Surprisingly, there are some turbocharged Porsches which sound vibrant and alive; not just subdued whooshing and popping. The steel blue GT1 has more mid-range bark than some might think, and compensates for its hushed exhaust note by easily outrunning a CLK GTR. Even more raucous is the rare RUF CTR 3, which uses a 3.8-liter motor force-fed by twin KKK turbochargers to make somewhere around 800 horsepower. It, like everything else here, is simply stunning.