Comparison

Comparison - road test

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Uniting an early 1973 Porsche 911 RS 2.7 with a 2006 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 997.1

Separated by thirty-three years, this 911 Carrera RS 2.7 and first-generation 911 GT3 RS 997 share Porsche’s crucial ‘road racer’ DNA...

Editor's comment
FRUIT OF THE ZOOM
Porsche released the now legendary 911 Carrera RS 2.7 in readiness for the 1973 model year. Fifty years on, we can look back at a strong suite of road-legal, race-inspired 911s able to trace their DNA back to the ducktailed homologation special. Today’s Rennsports, however, have become somewhat burdened by size, weight and a wealth of electronic driver aids, all of which are dictated by modern safety standards, a result of engine output increasing exponentially. Not so with the first-generation 997 GT3 RS, which expertly straddles the analogue and digital eras of Porsche production. With this in mind, we brought together one of the first five hundred Carrera RS 2.7s (build number 433, in fact) and a super-low mileage 997 GT3 RS. You might think comparing 911s separated by more than three decades is a tough call, but these zesty coupes have more in common than one might consider at first glance. This features a pretty even split of retro and modern Porsches — not only do we spend quality time (both on- and off-road) with the new 992 Dakar, we return to New England to check out the trio of air-cooled classics owned by Def Leppard guitarist, Vivian Campbell. Enjoy the article.
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1992 Ferrari 512 TR vs. 1996 Ferrari 550 Maranello

They are two Ferraris at the turn of the last millennium, two grand tourers for an audience that can't do without twelve cylinders. And yet, they are so different! The Testarossa successor, the 512 TR, is a result of racing evolution, while the successor 550 Maranello follows in the lineage of the elegant 365 GTB/4 Daytona.

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1971 Jaguar XJ6 2.8 Automatic Series 1 vs. 1973 Rover P6 3500S

If you were doing well in the early 1970s, a Rover P6 3500 was almost a badge of rank. But if you were doing really well, its British Leyland sister car the Jaguar XJ6 would be within reach. But was the jump from a Rover to a 2.8 XJ6 really worth it, or would you have been better saving for a 4.2?

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Porsche 911 Carrera GTS 991.1 vs. 911 Carrera S 991.1

In the orange corner, a 991 Carrera GTS. In the grey corner, a 991 Carrera S. The difference in performance? The splitting of hairs. In price? £30,000. A no-brainer? If only it were that simple...

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1995 Jaguar XJS 4.0 vs. 2000 Jaguar XK8 X100

The XK8 which replaced the XJS in 1996 was a very different beast indeed. We compare a 4-litre example of each to discover which we prefer today.

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Porsche 911 Carrera 4S 997 vs. Boxster S 987

Norfolk is one of the only counties in the UK without motorways. Instead, it features countless twisty backroads, ideal for darting around in a Porsche. No wonder 911 & Porsche World editor, Dan Furr, and long-time contributor, Johnny Tipler, live there...

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2004 Porsche 911 GT3 996.2 vs. 3.7-litre 1999 911 Carrera 991.1

We’re lucky enough to have not one, but two 996s on our fast fleet. They might be cut from the same cloth, but make no mistake, these are two very different examples of the first water-cooled 911...

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Lamborghini’s 60-year V12 legacy assessed - Miura vs. Countach, Diablo, Murciélago and Aventador

The 60th anniversary of the Lamborghini V12 engine coincides with its last in pure, unassisted form. We’ve gathered five of Sant’Agata’s supercar dignitaries to throw it a 60-cylinder celebration of life.

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1986 Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 vs. 2024 Toyota GR86 GT ZN8

Toyota’s cult classic AE86 meets the new GR86 to see if there really is a common thread of dynamic DNA linking the 36 years that separate this pair.

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2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage 4.7 Auto vs 2005 Aston Martin DB9 6.0 Auto

Despite the V8 Vantage and DB9 having much in common – including age, performance and current values – with one a pure sports car and the other more of a comfortable GT, they’re also very different. To discover which we prefer, we’re comparing an example of each.

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1997 Aston Martin DB7 3.2 Auto vs 1997 BMW 840Ci Auto 4.4 E31

Which do we prefer out of this still popular pair of Nineties coupes – the traditional Aston Martin DB7 or the more modern BMW 840Ci E31? There’s only one way for us to find out…

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