This past October, the Road & Track editors welcomed guests to join us at our 2022 Performance Car of the Year testing. They were Track Club members who traveled to Monticello Motor Club in upstate New York to go behind the scenes at PCOTY, pronounced “peacoaty,” our internal code. (P.S.: Want to come next year? Join the Track Club for an invite.)
One of the Club members, who happens to be an instructor at Lime Rock Park, asked how we land on the champion if the winner isn’t based solely on raw performance data. It’s a valid question. PCOTY tugs at the heart, not the brain. The intangibles matter. So we do what Road & Track does best: go with our gut. Is it the best version the manufacturer could make? Is it worthy of the title? And, most important, does it excite us?
This story originally appeared in Volume 9 of Road & Track.
The setup was simple enough. First, we collected the contenders, everything from the Porsche 911 GT3 (yes, with a manual) to the fresh Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ (the Toyobaru twins) to the 2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed, the first in the U.S., shipped straight from Europe. Nine of the year’s most significant new performance cars made the trip, each making a case to take our top prize.
We spent two days testing on the challenging 1.9 mile North Course at Monticello Motor Club. Our club-racing editor-at-large took three flying laps in each car to set a representative lap time, stressing accessibility, not outright pace. Every editor then took a turn to determine how each one exceeded expectations—or didn’t.
Then we had two days of driving on twisty, forested public roads around the reservoirs of the western Catskills, reassessing the cars in the real world. Every stop saw opinions change and true contenders for the crown emerge.
Voting was far from straightforward. The debates were fierce. The disagreements saw friends become enemies. And there were revelations and disappointments that changed longstanding biases. But there could only be one winner, the 2022 Performance Car of the Year.
—Mike Guy
The Cars
2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed
An unrelenting force. A 6.0-liter twin-turbo W-12 provides 650 hp and 664 lb-ft of locomotive-grade grunt. And now it can drift. A 5000-pound punishment for the rear tires. Be sure to keep spares handy.
Price
$352,090
Engine
6.0-liter twin-turbo W-12
Output
650 hp @ 6000 rpm
664 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm
Transmission
8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Curb Weight
5011 lb
2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive
Imagine Nissan’s mighty GT-R built in Regensburg. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed auto make the Competition unnervingly capable. Keeping pace with exotics remains no trouble for Bavaria’s best.
Price
$101,795
Engine
3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6
Output
503 hp @ 6250 rpm
479 lb-ft @ 2750 rpm
Transmission
8-speed automatic
Curb Weight
3880 lb
2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
The most powerful Cadillac to ever hit the streets, this Blackwing represents the end of an era. It’s a 668-hp love letter (or is it a Dear John letter?) to the internal-combustion-powered sport sedan.
Price
$112,845
Engine
6.2-liter supercharged V-8
Output
668 hp @ 6500 rpm
659 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Curb Weight
4123 lb
2022 Lamborghini Huracán STO
The ultimate expression of the Huracán packs a version of the familiar 5.2-liter V-10 that produces 631 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque and sends it all exclusively to the rear wheels. There’s also an entirely ridiculous graphics package.
Price
$354,712
Engine
5.2-liter V-10
Output
631 hp @ 8000 rpm
417 lb-ft @ 6500 rpm
Transmission
7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Curb Weight
2951 lb (dry)
2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
AMG conjured this diabolical machine to nab the Nürburgring production-car lap record. The only thing more bonkers than its 720 hp are its three-tier rear wing and surfboard-size splitter.
Price
$335,017
Engine
4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8
Output
720 hp @ 6900 rpm
590 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
Transmission
7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Curb Weight
3616 lb
2022 Porsche 911 GT3
It makes only two more horsepower than its predecessor. But adding the double-wishbone front suspension from the 911 race car and individual throttle bodies transforms this favorite into something truly sublime.
Price
$195,850
Engine
4.0-liter flat-6
Output
502 hp @ 8400 rpm
346 lb-ft @ 6100 rpm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Curb Weight
3199 lb
2022 Subaru BRZ
With a new design and a larger engine that makes both more horsepower and more torque and delivers it to larger tires, there is more to like about the second-gen BRZ. Still, Subaru’s only rear-drive model retains the same charm as before.
Price
$31,455
Engine
2.4-liter flat-4
Output
228 hp @ 7000 rpm
184 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Curb Weight
2815 lb
2022 Toyota GR86
Underpowered no more, the new 86 has the 2.4-liter engine it always deserved. Now with 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, the GR86 has the power to match its high-spirited chassis dynamics.
Price
$31,750
Engine
2.4-liter flat-4
Output
228 hp @ 7000 rpm
184 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Curb Weight
2811 lb
2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI
Now in its eighth generation, the GTI is the world’s most famous, and longest-lived, hot hatch. Still as well rounded as ever, it now offers 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque.
Price
$40,185
Engine
2.0-liter turbocharged I-4
Output
241 hp @ 6500 rpm
273 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
Transmission
7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Curb Weight
3154 lb
The Track
Testing each car’s mettle in the ultimate crucible of speed, the racetrack.
It shouldn't be a surprise that the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series was the fastest of this group around Monticello’s North Course. With 720 hp and aero like a Le Mans Prototype, it better be. The surprise is how much quicker it was than everything else. And how accessible that speed was.
The AMG put up a 1:19.42, 2.27 seconds quicker than the 911 GT3, an eternity on a 1.9-mile course. And most praise focused on how easy it was to master. “Biggest thrills, best all-around experience,” editor-at-large A.J. Baime related. “So incredibly easy to go really fast,” staff writer Brian Silvestro said.
Don’t let the wings, flicks, and angry look fool you—this is one of the friendliest fast cars out there. The front end is hyperconnected, and the multistage traction control is a revelation, with granular adjustment a race-car driver would envy. The one negative? The sound. AMG’s revamped 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 has a flat-plane crank that allows for increased revs and response. Great! It also sounds like a vacuum outside and a broken blender inside.
That can’t be said of the Lamborghini Huracán STO. The ultimate version of Sant’Agata’s V-10 supercar, the STO combines wild aero with rear-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, and 631 hp. It has fixed-back seats with four-point harnesses, no rear visibility, and nearly no forward or side visibility either.
As I was flying out of Monticello’s tight hairpin, sideways, I realized this might not be the sort of car you’ll master in a few laps. It ended up third fastest at 1:21.90—impressive, and with time left on the table. Does the time matter, though? It’s a riot, that V-10 storming your ears and the quick, communicative steering continually inspiring confidence. It was a delight, witnessing every editor smile as the Huracán strafed the pit wall, the V-10 reverberating off the hills. And the reactions as people got out of the car were a highlight of our track time. As senior editor Kyle Kinard said, “If you have two laps left before you die, you take the STO.”
If you have two laps and want nothing but steam-locomotive relaxation, you take the Bentley Continental GT Speed. A 5000-pound coupe with a 650-hp W-12, rear-axle steering, and, importantly, multiple modes for front-seat massage, the GT Speed should be an utter failure on track. But Bentley’s newest Continental GT doesn’t really fail at anything.
“Should not be this good at this,” associate editor Mack Hogan wrote. The Bentley’s logbook was full of surprised praise from our editors. Last PCOTY, the GT V-8 shocked with its speed and composure; this Speed is better. The W-12 might not sound like much, but when the turbos come on, it pulls like mad. The steering may be vague, and the car is heavy, but the Bentley has character for days and wouldn’t disappoint any owner who randomly decided to get on track.
Neither would the BMW M4 Competition, particularly this, the first M4 with all-wheel drive. This car has been divisive since its debut. The looks are still a turnoff, even if we’re used to them, and it’s been plagued by the traditional criticism levied at new BMWs: The last one was better. Yes, this is a directional shift for the M division, and it might not be what traditionalists want. There’s no arguing that it’s bonkers fun at speed.
“Weird looking, lovely to drive,” writes editor-in-chief Mike Guy. “Why do people shit on the M4 just because it’s not as pure as its predecessors?”
I’m inclined to agree. The all-wheel-drive system, rapid-fire automatic gearbox, quick steering, and outstanding S58 twin-turbo inline-six make this one of the easiest cars to drive very, very fast. The rear-drive M3/M4 doesn’t really have a grip problem, but the way this one exits corners is simply ridiculous. The quicker you drive, the more engaging it becomes. It’s a car that immediately shows you everything it has. In fact, this was our fourth-quickest car, coming in 3.5 seconds behind the Huracán STO. An impressive feat for something with back seats.
VW’s newest GTI had the same ability to instill confidence on track. The only front-driver here, it didn’t exhibit any bad habits—no torque steer, no push. The steering was light and communicative, a true joy to fling around, and the chassis wasn’t overly stiff.
That said, it is a bit overcomplicated. This car is basically a giant box of drive modes. Diving into submenus to turn off ESC and dial in the dynamic chassis control took longer than the laps. Get it set, though, and it’s a ball. “Fun! Surprising! Super-competent chassis. Would be a track newbie’s dream,” said Kinard. “Extremely tossable,” said digital editor Aaron Brown. And perhaps the biggest praise came from senior reporter Chris Perkins: “Feels like a GTI.” Hot-hatch accolades don’t get much better."
No, Subaru and Toyota didn’t send the same car. The new BRZ and GR86 share many things: a 2.4-liter flat-four, a six-speed manual gearbox, the same Michelin tires, and essentially the same body. Indeed, these two lapped within one tenth of a second of each other, the GR86 just pipping the BRZ. But they’re not identical.
One thing that puts the GR86 above the BRZ is the tachometer. The BRZ’s indicated redline is the fuel cutoff. The 86 has a yellow warning band before the cutoff. This helps prevent the frustration of suddenly hitting a rev wall. The 86 came in for more praise than the BRZ, eager to turn in while the BRZ would more readily default to understeer— the Toyota’s suspension makes it more playful than the BRZ. But both fall into the background and let you focus on the driving.
The 911 GT3 is like that too—on a much, much faster scale. On track, it’s simply amazing. Sure, a PDK-equipped car would be quicker, and blah-blah, don’t you want to be quicker? Who cares? This manual gearbox is one of the all-time greats; the satisfaction can’t be beat. Updates to Porsche’s naturally aspirated flat-six, now with individual throttle bodies and an ultralight flywheel, make the drivetrain unparalleled.
Listening to the GT3 hit 9000 rpm will inspire you to worship at the church of Stuttgart. And the new double-wishbone front suspension makes turn-in unreal, telepathic. Our car had the delightfully low fixed bucket seats, meaning you essentially sit on the floor. That, and everything, encourages you to go quicker. It made me want to break the rules, to run a dozen hot laps, to get more time with that steering and the incomparable feeling of running that engine out to nine grand. On my brief run, it just kept getting better, encouraging me to try different lines, push braking zones, try various gears. It begged me to stay on track for hours.
The GT3 was the second-fastest car here, thanks in part to the impressive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. The Porsche came in for universal praise, with every member of the staff stoked on the engine, the turn-in, the sheer delight of that gearbox. “The noise! The front end!” wrote Perkins.“No car inspires so much confidence on track,”said Baime. “This is PCOTY royalty,” said Kinard.
A high accolade, and one that also applies to the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. This is Cadillac’s ultimate internal-combustion performance car. All future models will be electric. It’s a hell of a send-off.
Familiar magic: GM’s venerable small-block V-8, supercharged and putting out 668 hp, attached to a Tremec six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive. The chassis is truly unbelievable, with MagneRide dampers tuned so perfectly, they’ll make you emotional. “Superb body control. Chassis silky, composed, competent,” wrote Kinard. Every trick in GM’s book is here, including the fantastic Performance Traction Management system, which cuts spark instead of braking to control wheelspin. Genuine motorsport stuff.
The result isn’t just a brilliant sport sedan. It’s one of the best sport sedans of all time. It’s not the quickest in a straight line, and it wasn’t the quickest on track—Monticello’s tighter layout put the Blackwing fifth. None of that matters. No car besides the GT3 earned this kind of reaction. Every note about the Caddy was littered with exclamations and heart emoji, a flurry of love letters to a soon-to-be-bygone era.
While the M4 got up to speed quicker, the Blackwing had layers to discover. I wanted to keep lapping, so I did, offering rides to everyone. Everything about this car was tuned with loving care: The gearbox is perfect. The steering is feelsome and delightful. And the engine? Beyond reproach. The small-block has been a staple for generations, and it’s easy to see why. This is the complete package, the sort of car we’ve begged someone to make for years, and GM did.
But track time is just one aspect of our test. Two days of demanding roads would show whether a rocket like the AMG could make sense in the real world, whether the GT3’s track prowess would transfer to public streets, whether the 86 and BRZ’s slower pace meant heightened fun. Whether the M4 would become boring, and whether the Cadillac could further worm its way into our hearts.
—Travis Okulski
Track Notes
The North Course at Monticello Motor Club has a little bit of everything: fast sweepers, tight hairpins, camber changes, demanding braking zones, and a long straight. It’s the perfect testing ground to get the full picture of a car. Each vehicle got a brief warm-up, then three timed laps using manufacturer-suggested settings. With hours of practice, each car could likely run a faster lap time. That’s not our goal. We sought to measure their accessibility—how quickly we got comfortable and up to speed.
A. Turn 13, the first turn of the North Course, is trickier than it appears. It’s off camber and elevation falls dramatically on exit. Mess it up and you’re in the fence.
B. You can’t rush the esses. You just need to keep a high rolling speed and hit a late apex in each.
C. That thing about patience being a virtue? It’s forcefully demonstrated by Turn 15A. Carry too much speed on entry and you’ll wash out on exit. So wait and wait and wait to get on the power.
D. Braking at the end of the straight is an exercise in bravery. At 134.7 mph, the hefty Bentley carries about 20 percent more momentum into the braking zone than the lighter, faster AMG. It helps that what follows is uphill, but only so much.
E. Every car managed Turn 10 flat. In the BRZ, that’s not at all scary. In the 720-hp AMG, well, you’d better be paying attention.
F. Kryptos is a fast, blind corner over a crest. Get the line right and it’s like riding front seat on a roller coaster. Get it wrong and you total the car.
G. The final turn of the North Course, Turn 12 is also its slowest. It’s a second-gear curve for every car. This is the best opportunity to perform a bystander-pleasing slide on exit with little to no risk.
The Road
To choose a winner from this stacked deck, we hit New York state’s best roads. Hard.
Dawn has only just arrived to upstate New York’s wooded hills and grassy hollows, but I’m wild-eyed already. PCOTY’s cast of crew and cars are cutting through the dewy countryside, engines wailing. I’m wedged in the cockpit of AMG’s 720-hp GT Black Series, gnashing at the tail of the Lamborghini Huracán STO. The Lambo’s orange-on-blue livery isn’t even the third-loudest thing about the car. Even from the cabin of the Mercedes, that Lamborghini’s V-10 sound buzz-saws through my ribcage
Who needs caffeine?
As an entrée into a day of driving that will take us from the charming Callicoon Hills resort in rural New York up to the shimmering Pepacton Reservoir and back again, you could do worse than this Mercedes.
The AMG feels effortless, its wide front tires clawing against the cold asphalt and that twin-turbo V-8 blurring the scenery down every straight. The Merc won over more than a few devotees, and at the end of the long day, editor-at-large A.J. Baime wouldn’t be forced out of the thing.
“As a road car, the AMG’s level of comfort, design, sophistication, and functionality is off the hook,” Baime wrote. Fair enough. While no car in the test could shake the AMG’s crosshairs, this Teutonic Terminator’s track-focused charm didn’t stir roadgoing emotion for most of the staff.
“So easy to drive,” noted staff writer Brian Silvestro, “but opposite of the Lambo in so many ways.”
Staring down at the STO’s minimalist fixed-back bucket seats, you can almost feel your vertebrae cracking. Funny, then, how a yearning for civility falls away with one push of a button. Once you flip up the fighter-jet-style switch cover and fire the STO’s naturally aspirated V-10, it informs every part of the driving experience. The steering wheel buzzes with engine vibration, and when the car is loaded up and pointed at an apex, the steering is simply the most tactile and accurate of the bunch.
Then there’s the engine note rattling glass-ware off every shelf in the county. This is platonic Lamborghini: brash, antisocial, riotous. But like a smelling salt, break open the STO only when chasing moments of intense clarity, lest its rough edges wear you thin.
Where to look for that Goldilocks blend of thrills and comfort then? Two German marques raise their hands. First, the Volkswagen GTI. New for 2022, it’s equipped with the company’s familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged four (241 hp, 273 lb-ft) that pairs to the peerless dual-clutch transmission that routes power to the front wheels. Better still, the newest GTI offers sophisticated damping along with an eLSD that’ll help this hot Golf scrabble out of rural New York’s most pockmarked corners.
Unfortunately, the GTI’s near perfection is dented by a frankly miserable infotainment system. The array is controlled by a glut of capacitive touch buttons and paired to an absolutely bewildering interface.
BMW edges much closer to perfecting the road formula with its newest M4, sampled here with all-wheel drive and a Competition badge glued to its trunk. You have to respect the M4’s all-out pace, its massive mechanical grip at all four corners (enough to match any of the supercars on this test), and its 3.0-liter twin-turbo six that punches out 503 horses but feels far closer to 600. The M4 never feels outclassed on a backroad, even with supercars filling its mirrors.
BMW produced a faster and more luxurious M4 than the last. It sharpened the coupe’s steering, improved front-end grip, and then wrapped that around an interior that feels truly special. On paper it’s a triumph. But much of the character from older M3s is still missing—the tactility, focus, and charisma. BMW can find its way back; the M2 CS is proof of that. But this fresh-from-the-womb M4 has room to improve.
Then there’s the Bentley Continental GT Speed, our resident heavyweight. It’s here throwing haymakers against the M4’s jabs. For long-haul duties, you’d have to fend off every last editor for the Bentley’s keys. That’s because all the time-worn Bentley clichés apply here, from pillow-soft leather seats to the knobs and switches machined precisely as diamonds. This battleship kicks ass in Gucci loafers.
So don’t count Sir Continental out of the fight. One long stint at the wheel catches the Bentley between the AMG and Lamborghini. Through a series of wooded uphill esses, I push the GT Speed’s front end up against its tires’ limits, until a breath off the throttle is needed to pull the Bentley back from crossing the double yellows. The long sweepers are hair-raising, sure, but the Bentley corrals its considerable mass predictably, even confidently. When the road irons out into a mile-long straight, I floor it. The Bentley rears back as its twin-turbo W-12 pulls in a deep breath. After maybe three seconds, I have to brake hard to avoid crunching the AMG’s rear end. The STO is only a spec in the side mirrors.
While we applaud Crewe for its persistent sharpening of the Continental, the big GT Speed’s curb weight and luxury remit rob it of the hard edge that makes the PCOTY elite so enjoyable.
Road Notes
This year, PCOTY took to the challenging roads of upstate New York, fall colors greeting our fleet of sports cars at every turn. Looking to follow our route? Here are a few tips to make the most of your back-road blast.
A. Jump
Barkaboom Road contains some of the tightest sections on the route. The asphalt can narrow down to just over one car wide, so be cautious in blind corners. Go quick enough through the short, hilly straightaway, though, and you may find yourself briefly lifting four wheels off the ground. Not that we tested that.
B. Hwy 30 Pepacton Reservoir Stretch
This 10-mile length of road is where you’ll find the route’s most scenic views. Depending on the season, you’ll be greeted with luscious greenery or the always fashionable autumnal tones. Go late enough in the year and all the leaves will be gone, giving you an uninterrupted view of the reservoir. It’s on these long sweepers that you’ll encounter the smoothest tarmac and highest speeds.
C. Cannonsville Historical Marker
This pull-off near the west end of the Cannonsville Reservoir is the perfect place for a break after a long day of wheeling. The area provides a beautiful backdrop for photographs and a peaceful place to have a quick snack.
D. Delaware Delicacies Smoke House
Between the town of Hancock and the wonderful Fishs Eddy section of the drive, a small smoke house run by a reclusive fisherman sits nestled in the forest. Stop here for some of the most delicious smoked seafood this side of any river, along with a handful of other high-quality, locally sourced goods.
E. Fishs Eddy–Sullivan County Line Road (County Road 28)
It may have a bland name, but the six-mile stretch leading east out of the small town of Fishs Eddy is the most exciting road in the state. It’s jam packed with tight switchbacks and longer sweepers, with plenty of visibility and almost zero traffic. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the “Pigs 4 Sale” sign on the right.
When the day was done, we wiped a mat of bug bits off each car’s nose, cleaned ourselves, and slumped off to dinner to review our findings.
Through a process referred to as “spirited debate,” we arrived (largely uninjured) at three challengers for the PCOTY throne.
First up, the Toyota 86. This fizzy whippet might be significantly down on power and speed in this group, but it matches anything here for joy. And it does so at an admirably low MSRP. While price doesn’t figure much in the PCOTY formula overall, we admire any company rewarding the working class with an affordable sports coupe that treats its buyers with respect.
The 86 shines on these sinuous back roads, as it did on the track. Its chassis oversteers into polite little sashays when prodded, tidy and precise as a Russian ballet dancer. Moreover, its 2.4-liter flat-four feels vastly improved in character and tractability over the 2.0-liter it replaces.
And where its identical twin, the Subaru BRZ, pipes a synthetic boxer-engine burble into the cabin, the 86 irons out its soundtrack into a zingy hum reminiscent of an inline-four. That sound makes the engine feel smoother than the BRZ’s, a welcome refinement that fills the otherwise barebones interior. Every one of those minor tweaks, from interior appointments to changes in suspension setup, lured the PCOTY voters closer to the 86 than the BRZ. But you can’t lose with either. We’ll celebrate any sports car with a chassis that molds to your will like clay, has steering this accurate, and happens to ring up right at $30,000.
“Excellent chassis. Everything that was good about the old car just got better,” editor-at-large Travis Okulski summarized.
Porsche’s GT3 emerged as the second finalist, surprising exactly no one. It arrived even sharper than the outgoing generation, now equipped with rarefied racing bits like a broad rear wing on swan-neck mounts and front suspension ripped right off the GT3 R race car. The increased downforce at both ends demands higher spring rates than the outgoing car, but somehow the GT3 still offers just enough compliance and comfort for road car duty.
Most important, Porsche preserved the GT3’s masterful 502-horse, 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six and the six-speed it mates to. Among all modern road-car engine-and-gearbox combinations, this may be the most engaging. In every kink, through every sweeper, down every straight, the tach begs you to bang against its upper limits. Every moment in the GT3 feels like an excuse to chase the engine’s 9000-rpm redline, reveling in the metallic howl that fills the cabin and tingles your spine.
Finally, there’s a blue Cadillac. More than a decade ago, the luxury purveyors from Detroit fixed their sights on BMW and never turned back. While Cadillac has built some epic metal in the interim, this sedan is its master stroke. The CT5-V Blackwing conversation was not about whether it’s a great sport sedan but about whether it’s the greatest sport sedan. It’s that good.
The Caddy’s heavy inputs lend a granite-like solidity through every corner, no matter the road surface. The Blackwing’s steering wheel, shift action, and pedals all reward with hefty, positive feedback that communicates the weight of the car, but never make it feel cumbersome. That attitude is followed in lock step by the chassis tuning and that burly powertrain, a 6.2-liter V-8 with a supercharger perched on top.
As much as they shined on the track, the magnetic dampers felt doubly good out here, turning cobbles into a procession of clouds underfoot.
We came away enthralled by the brash Americanness of the thing. How Cadillac baked refinement into the muscle-car mold but didn’t backdown from knuckle-dragger charm. How could you choose a winner from the bunch?
Ultimately, the debate was less a sober litigation and more a reflection on what Performance Car of the Year actually means. The Cadillac may be the last V-8 stick-shift sport sedan ever to lay two greasy slabs of rubber down an American blacktop. Isn’t that worth celebrating? Or do you reward the 911 for its race-car soul and life-affirming flat-six? And what about the Toyota 86, that ear-to-ear grin on wheels?
In the end, we were left with a near dead heat. There are no losers in this bunch. But Road & Track doesn’t award participation trophies; there can be only one winner. And what a winner it is.
—Kyle Kinard
The Champ
God's own Porsche
DW Burnett
The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 emerges from a spiritual imagination. Its heritage is a misty past. It’s born facing an uncertain future. It is both transcendent and instantaneous. It is the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit indwells as a car. It is the incarnate faith of the Church of What’s Happening Now. It’s so close to begotten and not made.
It’s barely a 911. The other new 911s have turbos. This GT3 doesn’t. All the other 911s have a strut front suspension. The GT3 uses double wishbones. All-wheel drive? That’s for timid dilettantes. There are faster 911s, but this is the best. Porsche has set the GT3 apart, something for true believers. Drivers. Buyers who would drain their veins to pay in blood if Porsche demanded it.
This is about inspiration and meaning and their substantiation. The GT3 draws on an ancient, deep faith that communion with machinery is in itself worthwhile and ennobling. It validates that faith with its avid character. And it’s as real and tangible as German steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber on a set of French tires.
The catechism of GT3 is known and often memorized. The pure heart here is a 4.0-liter, 502-hp flat-six that wails to 9000 rpm. Electrics and modern turbo engines make consistent torque almost instantly, but the GT3 needs to reach 6100 rpm to find its peak. But turbo motors hum and electrics are silent, while the GT3’s engine makes joyous noises rising up unto God.
It’s an engine built for glory with a dry-sump oiling system, a relatively short 81.5-mm stroke, a 13.3:1 compression ratio, and an individual throttle for each cylinder. Blip the accelerator pedal and the first sound is those intake pipes gulping a slug of atmosphere. Then arises the distinct exhaust sound of an opposed six tuned to the baroque luster of Johann Sebastian Bach’s sacred organ music. It’s a car that leaps forward not just across pavement, but in progressive, mathematically precise, artistically structured octaves.
In the 21st century, there’s no avoiding computers. And the GT3 is loaded with devices controlling everything from valve timing to suspension behavior and all the usual nav-this and hear-that entertainment frippery. It’s all incidental. The bedrock of greatness here comes from the time-tested commandments of performance.
The first among those is weight reduction. There’s less sound deadening than in other 911s. No pretend rear seat, no motor to move the rear wing up or down. The trunk lid and front and rear fascias are lightweight plastic, the glass has been thinned to drop 10.4 pounds, the stainless steel exhaust system is practically anorexic, and those center-lock hubs mean 16 fewer fasteners holding the wheels to the car. Lightweight carbon-fiber bucket seats are available, and an optional car- bon roof knocks off a couple more pounds. In total, Porsche claims that this GT3, when equipped with the PDK transmission, weighs 3164 pounds. With the six-speed manual, it’s an even slimmer 3126 pounds. In contrast, the base 911 Carrera—rear drive like the GT3—has a stated curb weight of 3354 pounds. That’s a massive 228-pound difference.
Despite the SlimFast edict, the GT3 goes big where big is a commandment of its own. Like great tires that are also great big tires. As in 255/35R- 20 front and wicked wide 315/30R-21 rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R rubber. Same size as on the 640-hp, all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo S, but more radically adhesive. Behind them are giant 16.1-inch front and 15.4-inch rear carbon brakes that could have stopped the Romans from entering Judea.
Finally, the greatest commandment is simplicity. Computers are relentlessly logical, but lack imagination—at least in terms of the artistic, sometimes inchoate, often passionate and inexplicable ways that human imagination works. Yes, the GT3 generates numbers, but that’s not its appeal. It’s the sound, the instantaneous bite of those big Michelins, its graceful rotation at apex, its astonishing thrust exiting a curve. It’s so good that it elevates the human spirit without the mediation of ones and zeros. The GT3 isn’t a simulation; it’s science and engineering harnessed to the pursuit of human aspiration. It is so many eternal virtues wrapped up in one Porsche that allows us mortals to reach out beyond our temporary presence.
Yesterday is behind us. Tomorrow remains a mystery. The GT3 is the best of What’s Happening Now. And so, it is Road & Track’s 2022 Performance Car of the Year. Get in good with the Lord and He may bless you with one.
—John Pearley Huffman
Update: An earlier version of this story indicated the incorrect max braking and cornering G-forces for the GTI and M4. That has been corrected. We regret the error.
