Car Reviews

From the August 1994 issue of Car and Driver.The ground crew for the Goodyear blimp Stars and Stripes was ner­vous. A windstorm had earlier sucked the letter “G” in their logo clean off the side of the blimp’s immense hangar. The “G” happened to be the size of my garage. Then it rained for ten hours. Then C/D showed up at the Pompano Beach Airport, in Florida, with a banana-yellow Porsche RSR 3.8. Between 120-mph blasts down runways, we began turning skidpad circles on the apron in front of the blimp, to keep the RSR’s tires warm. “Kind of a fast car,” observed an anxious blimp mechanic.”Yep,” I said, shouting over the shattering exhaust blat, a refreshing change following 18 years of turbo­charged, racing Porsches that just whooshed.Perplexed, he continued: “It won’t, you know, like swerve out of control and center-punch our blimp or any­thing, will it?” “I haven’t lost control since yes­terday,” I assured him. “Maybe, ah, you should move closer to the runway,” he suggested.We did.The car you see here—an RSR 3.8—is important. It represents Porsche’s return to grass-roots sports-car racing following acute disenchantment with multimillion-dollar GTP exotica. The company has rediscovered what it does best: build simple production-based racing coupes that run as predictably as lifelong politicians but require fewer bribes. The RSR 3.8 (named after the brutal coupes Porsche produced in 1973 and ’74) is in every sense a turnkey racing car. You could drive it on the street—although because it’s imported as a racing car, you could also go directly to jail.Owning one is simple. Place an order with the factory, then wait eight weeks as the RSR is hand-assembled in Germany. Jürgen Barth, director of Porsche AG Customer Racing in Weissach, then tests the car until he is satisfied it is perfect. Next, he parks it in the cargo hold of a Lufthansa 747 bound for Miami or New York.When this particular RSR 3.8 arrived, it didn’t even need to be washed. A mechanic topped off the brake fluid, checked the oil, filled it with 100 liters of 98-octane fuel, then twisted the ignition key. The engine fired instantly and idled happily at 1000 rpm. That weekend, the owner raced the thing at Sebring.As turnkey racing cars go, the RSR 3.8 has a shot at becoming the most successful, most reliable street-based coupe yet conceived. Directly from their Weissach shipping crates, RSRs have won outright at the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000KM of Suzuka. Interspersed was a class victory at Le Mans. Then came another overall victory at the 24 Hours of Interlagos. But it wasn’t until the car made its North American debut that doubters masticated large portions of crow. At the 24 Hours of Daytona, the RSR 3.8 not only swept the first four spots in IMSA’s GTU class, but the lead car of the four also finished third overall—six places in front of the fastest WSC prototype. Weeks later, as if to emphasize the point to remaining non­believers, another RSR won its class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. It was fifth overall. Our chrome-yellow test car (RSRs are also available in white, red, blue, or black) was imported by Champion Porsche-Audi of Pompano Beach for a customer who prefers to remain anonymous. Champion is owned by Dave Maraj. Dave is happy. This is because his dealership sold more Porsches in ’93 than any other U.S. dealer. Actually, that is not the complete truth. Dave sold more Porsches than any other dealer in the world. This has advantages. For starters, Dave can afford to field an IMSA 911 Turbo driven by the likes of Brian Redman, Bill Adam, John Paul Jr., and Juan Manuel Fangio II. That car’s co-sponsor, H.H. Brown, makes shoes with Goodyear’s patented Aquatred soles, which—ah, this gets complex—is how we wound up on the blimp’s runway. But Maraj, a practi­cal guy (he says it’s because he was raised in Trinidad), prefers the naturally aspirated RSR to the troublesome turbo. “It’s more simple, more reliable, and still real fast,” he says of the RSR. “My customer wanted the RSR simply for Porsche club events, then maybe to get a competition license. But the nice thing is, if he wants to go pro racing—some really flat-out stuff—he can use the same car.” True enough. The RSR 3.8, with minor mods, is eligible to race in IMSA GTU/GT2, or you can slap a turbo on it and race in the GTS category. It is also legal in the SCCA World Challenge, in SCCA club events, in Porsche Club soirees, in German ADAC GT races, in the Italian Supercar GT Championship, at Le Mans and other FIA-sanctioned enduros and sprints, and in any driving school except the one you took as a high-school sophomore. “A gung-ho guy could race it 20 times a year,” says Maraj. Your basic RSR arrives with a flaw­lessly welded roll cage, a Recaro racing seat, six-point belts, a fire­-extinguishing system, a fuel cell, a racing clutch, 911 Turbo bodywork (but with aluminum hood and doors), and an adjustable wing reminiscent of the old Porsche 935. The 18-inch Speedline wheels are 9.5 inches wide in front, 11.4 inches wide in back. Glorious details abound. Like the Porsche logos on the chrome valve stems. The pinky-finger wheel-well clear­ance. And the red button in front of the gearshift, which uncorks a reserve jelly-glass of fuel, enough to complete one final lap. The suspension is fitted with stainless Heim joints, Bilstein racing shocks, and adjustable anti-roll bars. The brakes are lifted from the existing 911 Turbo S (but with racing pads) and avoid what Norm Crosby calls “heat prostitution,” thanks to a rat’s maze of cool-air ducts. There’s also a trick anti-lock system. Barth says the racing ABS’s pulsing cycles are briefer, the system returns to standard braking more quickly than regular ABS, and pedal feel also returns sooner after one wheel has become airborne and has been fooled into triggering the circuitry. We never got our test car airborne—a small concession to its owner—but we did discover that the car will stop from 70 mph in an ear-pinning 150 feet. It will do this repeatedly, all day, tomorrow, the day after, and into next week. The stopping grip is so great that if your shoulder belts aren’t cinched like the QE2’s hawsers, your body lifts out of the seat, is suspended magically aloft, then makes a concerted effort to drag you feet-first through the windshield. In the Mulsanne chicane at Le Mans, Barth’s RSRs commenced their braking at the same point as the Group C Peugeot prototypes. More massaged than any other com­ponent is the RSR’s engine. Compared with the new Carrera street car’s 3.6-liter aluminum flat six (producing 270 horse­power), the RSR gets a 146 cc increase in displacement, lighter pistons with an 11.4:1 compression ratio, a different crankcase, dual ignition, a remapped Bosch Motronic ECU (mounted behind the driver’s seat and with the owner’s name writ formally thereupon), and new intake manifolds. The result, says Porsche—a company notoriously prone to glib understatement—is 320 hp at 6900 rpm. Yeah, sure. What makes us suspicious? After you side-step the clutch at 4600 rpm, this 2679-pound banana fractures 60 mph in 3.7 seconds of sound and fury—significantly quicker than a Ferrari F40 or a Dodge Viper. Compared with a street-going 911 Turbo 3.6, the RSR is 0.3 second quicker to 100 mph and 0.3 second quicker through the quarter-mile. Up to 120 mph, the RSR 3.8 is more than five seconds quicker than the latest 911 Carrera. C/D’s fearless estimate: this little naturally aspi­rated two-valve-per-cylinder six belts out 375 hp at 6900 rpm, which is some 55 hp beyond Barth’s claim. Top speed? Well, it’s a race car, so it depends on gearing. Opt for a final­-drive ratio of 3.55:1 and you’ll achieve 165 mph—a velocity that is suited to most U.S. circuits, with the possible exception of Daytona. Behind the wheel, what you notice first is that this car is comfortable to drive slowly—one of the signs of a tractable drivetrain—despite its ridiculously short first gear (for pit work only) and its grabby racing clutch. The switchgear is stock, right down to the stalk for the wipers, the knob for the lights, the sun visor, even a cigarette lighter for a Dick Trickle–style mid-race smoke. The steering is synapse-fast and as communicative as any we’ve encountered in the previous two decades—although below 30 mph, it’s as dimwitted and heavy as a sack of Quikrete. Dynamically, the car’s greatest drawback is its shift linkage, whose throws, by racing standards, are both long and balky (ours was, admittedly, a brand-new car). On the third-to-second downshift, in particular, this imposes a needlessly deliberate heel-and-toe ballet. At Moroso Motorsports Park, at mod­erate speeds on a damp track, the RSR tends to oversteer mildly in fast sweepers and to understeer in tight corners. At any point between 4000 rpm and the 7200-rpm redline, however, there is enough power to punt the tail east or west. But the car generally feels so bal­anced that horsing it around is a little like using a Louisville slugger on the ninth green at Augusta. So far, so good. But this is, after all, a Porsche. So it costs, what, a quar­ter-million? Pleasant sur­prise. The base price for a race-ready RSR is $160,453. Okay, okay. That’s not as cheap as a season of church bingo. But as race cars go—particularly those designed to run flat out for a full season with not much more than a couple of oil changes—it is more fun and less expensive than dating Vassar grads. It is, in fact, less than the price of your basic street-legal 911 Turbo S ($165,311), two of which were on display in Maraj’s showroom. Of course, if you’re going to race more than SCCA club events, you’ll want to set aside about 20 grand for options that­—wow, what a coincidence—Porsche just happens to offer. Our test car was fitted with center-lock wheels ($4117), so that during pit stops you need to remove only one nut rather than five lugs. To hasten the process further, it was plumbed to accom­modate pneumatic jacks ($4970). Our owner also realized he’d need two spare sets of wheels (at $1400 per wheel, you are deeply motivated to avoid striking curbs), one spare transmission ($6572), and an extra Recaro seat ($2089), so that an instructor can ride shotgun and explain in what fashion the driver might possibly maim himself. To all of this, you must remember to add the cost of extricating a race car from the border guards’ Bureau of Red Tape­worms. In this case, the owner took the coward’s route and hired a New York lawyer who specializes in customs bro­kering. The lawyer said, “The EPA has a prejudice against granting waivers, espe­cially for Porches [sic].” So, we learn here that, if you import an entire porch, you’re gonna pay. More on the Porsche RSROnce all was said and done, $4236 was spent on duty, $2295 got flushed at U.S. customs, then there were fees for “mer­chant processing,” fees for the broker, fees for the harbor, for documents, for towing, plus a fee of $56.76 for “agriculture.” (Hey, these are the feds, so don’t even ask; possibly they thought this was some sort of tractor.) All of which raised the total price of this Porsche RSR 3.8 to $180,836. As we went to press, 45 RSRs had been assembled under the dangling cigarette and watchful eye of Jürgen Barth, who claims that his employer is making no deutsche marks on this foray but is nonetheless winning races. So, snivel before a merciful bank man­ager who understands Living Large car loans, then simply show him a picture of your Porsche without numbers or decals. He’ll think it’s your street car. Next thing you know, you’re at Pompano Beach air­port passing Cessnas and aimed straight for the gondola of Stars and Stripes. It could have been Germany’s revenge for the Hindenburg.SpecificationsSpecifications
1994 Porsche RSR 3.8Vehicle Type: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $160,453/$180,836
ENGINESOHC 12-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 229 in3, 3746 cm3Power: 320 hp @ 6900 rpmTorque: 375 lb-ft @ 6900 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual 
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 89.4 inLength: 168.3 inCurb Weight: 2679 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.7 sec100 mph: 8.9 sec1/4-Mile: 12.1 sec @ 116 mph120 mph: 13.1 secBraking, 70–0 mph: 150 ft  
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

The all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 is already a favorite, earning a spot on our 10Best Trucks and SUVs list. With strong range figures, sharp styling, and accessible pricing, it’s easy to see why. If you were looking for something with more inspiring performance, however, you’d have to look to the related Kia EV6 GT, but that all changes with the new 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which should be arriving in the U.S. this coming March.Hyundai could have taken the path of least resistance and mimicked the EV6 GT. Instead, with former BMW M division chief Albert Biermann leading the charge, the madmen within the N performance brand decided that anything worth doing is worth overdoing. The N treatment is far more than just a boost in power, a suspension retune, and some extraneous badging and spoilers. Among other things, the chassis has been reinforced with more bracing, welds, and adhesives. Additional cooling has been added to handle more demanding power needs, and as for the suspension, it has been drastically overhauled for track-ready handling.The Ioniq 5’s unique styling remains, though the N variant sits 0.79 inch lower and expands 2.0 inches in width and 3.2 inches in length, courtesy of a pronounced rear diffuser. Additional aero panels and reddish-orange accent splashes further give it a high-performance look without being garish. As far as actual performance goes, the all-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 N increases its output to a maximum of 641 horsepower. That’s more than double the standard Ioniq 5’s 320-hp max rating. Battery capacity also increases from 77.4 to 84 kilowatt-hours. Standard 21-inch wheels are shod with 275-width, three-season, high-performance Pirelli P Zeros. The monoblock brake calipers have a distinct Brembo look to them in the same way the front seats resemble Recaros, but they’re both Hyundai-sourced. There is also a long list of new performance features and settings, all starting with the letter N.We had the opportunity to sample the Ioniq 5 N on an abbreviated Korea International Circuit, which hosted a few Formula 1 races last decade. Not surprisingly, acceleration is immediate. Hyundai estimates the car will reach 60 mph in less than 3.3 seconds on its way to a 162-mph top speed. What was surprising was the sound. The N Active Sound+ feature tries to approximate the sound of an internal-combustion engine with a video game–like synthesis. The sound could certainly be improved, but we found ourselves enamored with it when combined with the N e-Shift function that simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.You’re likely rolling your eyes as much as we did when we learned of this combo feature, but it fundamentally changes the 5 N’s character—for the better. Not only is it good enough to overcome our prejudice, it got us chuckling with joy. Using the shift paddles on full-throttle, no-lift shifts, you get an instant and violent race-like gearchange that snaps your head back. Lift off the pedal and you get a series of crackles and pops that reminded us of the raucous Jaguar F-Type. It adds an entirely new dimension of driver engagement that is missing in other EVs, in the way a manual transmission does for a Porsche 911 or a Mazda Miata. The sound can also be heard from the outside, but it’s not overly brash. Count us pleasantly surprised, but if you’re not convinced, you can turn these features off.Then there’s the handling. We had a Hyundai engineer riding shotgun to give us a taste of the numerous drive modes and settings during our seven laps around the track. With N mode activated, the Ioniq 5 N feels balanced and very controllable, which also equates to slightly boring for track use. Enter N Torque Distribution, which allows you to select how much power is sent to the rear wheels. We were partial to the maximum rear bias setting, as it allows for some tail-happy antics. The 5 N is incredibly easy to hustle around the curves, gently feeding in throttle and laying down thin stripes of rubber. We tried to provoke some snap oversteer with a quick lift and stomp of the foot midcorner, and the Ioniq obliged. In an instant we were pointing toward the inside of the turn, but it was easy to recover with some countersteering and measured pedal application. It behaves just as a typical rear-drive coupe might. Kudos, Mr. Biermann. His deft touch is also felt in braking, as the pedal is linear with an appropriate amount of effort. It’s as seamless as a conventional sports car when you’re trailing it deep into turns, and you can even left-foot brake if that’s your thing. The N Brake Regen feature increases the amount of deceleration when lifting off the throttle, allowing you to more gracefully weave from turn to turn. Biermann was aiming for enough regeneration to get the tail to break loose, but that was a battle he lost, at least for now. Impressively, regenerative braking is active even when dipping into anti-lock territory.Getting back to the N Torque Distribution, you can significantly change the handling behavior by shifting the power bias to the front, which dials in more understeer. This kind of adjustability is an intriguing addition, along with the many other settings. It might be a bit daunting for some, but if you’ve ever delved into tuning a car in the Forza or Gran Turismo game series, this could be geek heaven for you. If you’ve tuned your own suspension in real life, you’ll be amazed by how easy it is.Yet another feature, N Drift Optimizer, aims to allow novice drivers a limited drifting experience by selectively powering and braking specific wheels to induce oversteer. There’s also a Torque Kick Drift system that simulates a clutch dump; it’s triggered by holding both shift paddles and then releasing them. It seems plausible that this will work well, but on the skidpad, we found it challenging. We had better results by turning off all of the stability and traction nannies, sending all the power to the rear wheels, and having at it.Altogether, the Ioniq 5 N is a legitimate track-day weapon. It may not be the fastest car on track, but we’re convinced it’ll be one of the most entertaining. Outside of this specialized environment, it’s equally livable. The ride quality is firmer than the standard Ioniq 5 but not at all objectionable. Our public-road drive revealed the 5 N is just as easy to drive.Range is still an unknown, and official estimates aren’t expected until closer to the on-sale date. There are some notable drive modes to help ensure you won’t run out of juice mid-session, though. Hyundai claims the Endurance mode allowed the 5 N to complete two laps around the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife without losing any performance on its eight-minute laps. The engineers also point to its 20-20-20 target (20 minutes of track time, 20 minutes of DC fast-charging, and another 20 minutes of track time). The Sprint mode throws all of that to the wind and unleashes maximum power.Related StoriesPrice is also an unknown, but considering the top Ioniq 5 Limited trim with all-wheel drive rings in just shy of $60,000, and the Kia EV6 GT stickers at almost $63,000, it’s not out of the question to assume the Ioniq 5 N will flirt with the $70,000 mark.We came away from the drive impressed by the Ioniq 5 N. It’s predictably playful and extraordinarily versatile. As the N brand’s first foray into the EV space, this apex Ioniq is an enticing portent of what’s to come. As Biermann proclaimed, “It’s like AC/DC meets BTS,” which is certainly one way to put it. Depending on price and range, it’s likely to be one of the most giggle-inducing EVs for less than six figures.SpecificationsSpecifications

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 NVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE (C/D EST)
Base: $70,000
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet AC, 235 hpRear Motor: permanent-magnet AC, 406 hpCombined Power: 641 hpBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 84.0 kWhOnboard Charger: 10.9 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 238 kWTransmissions, F/R: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.1 inLength: 185.6 inWidth: 76.4 inHeight: 62.4 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/51 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 59/27 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.1 sec100 mph: 7.7 sec1/4-Mile: 11.2 secTop Speed: 162 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 74/80/70 MPGeRange: 195 miContributing EditorWith a background in design and open-wheel racing, Mark Takahashi got his foot in the door as an art director on car and motorcycle magazines. He parlayed that into a career as an automotive journalist and has reviewed thousands of vehicles over the past few decades. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 19.3 secondsBase: $233,560 | As-Tested: $253,510Power and Weight: 640 hp • 3691 lb • 5.8 lb/hpTires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4; F: 255/35ZR-20 (93Y) NA1, R: 315/30ZR-21 (105Y) NA1Brakes, F/R: 16.5-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/15.4-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discThe world’s premier business-class rocket ship required less than a half-mile to hit 150 mph and return to a stop. Setup was easy: Select Sport mode, which keeps the active front and rear spoilers in their low-drag position, then hit the Sport Response button to increase the launch-control threshold from 4000 to 5000 rpm. After that, hang on for a four-wheel burnout, followed soon thereafter by the quarter-mile mark (10.5 seconds) and 150 mph (13.5 seconds). The biggest challenge in the Turbo S was nailing 150 without sailing too far into the deeper reaches of the speedometer before hitting the spectacular brakes, which were second only to the GT3 RS and the Dark Horse with a 586-foot stop. The Turbo S was the only car here that had us eyeing our taxiway and thinking, “Forget 150. This damn thing could hit 200 mph here.” So we aired up the tires to their highest-speed pressure setting and confirmed that suspicion, sending the Turbo S to 201 mph with room to spare. What a car. What a machine. And so, thanks to a nail in the tire of a Tesla Model S, the Porsche 911 Turbo S won our Silver Jubilee 0-to-150-to-0-mph contest. But even if we don’t wait 25 years to do this again, it looks highly unlikely that an internal-combustion car could win a race to 150 mph and back ever again. To which we say: Who wants to go to 200?back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.Every so often, we get the notion to resurrect a story concept from long ago and produce a modern follow-up. For a variety of reasons, this often doesn’t work out—we figure out that Ferrari 250GTOs have gotten too expensive to huck around Laguna Seca, or John Phillips is banned from Tibet, and that puts the kibosh on that. But every now and then, we page through a favorite story in the vast Car and Driver archives, ask ourselves, “Could we do that again?” and come up with no good reason why not. Such was the case with our August 1998 story that pitted tuner cars in a race to 150 mph and back to a stop—an unforgiving and indubitably entertaining test of horsepower and braking acumen. We billed the test as defining “a new performance standard for the coming millennium” and then never did it again. Hey, stuff comes up. In our defense, it is difficult to find real estate suitable for 150-mph exploits, and our 1998 venue—Chrysler’s Chelsea, Michigan, proving grounds, where we still test—wasn’t going to work for these particular hijinks. Back in the day, we used its 2.2-mile straightaway, but the only one we have access to now is 1.5 miles. That sounds like a lot until you’re doing 145 mph in a Honda Civic, staring at the speedometer creeping up digit by digit as you cover about two-thirds of a football field every second. To find a suitable stretch of asphalt, we had to secure our tray tables and taxi to Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport, about three hours north of Detroit.If you’ve never heard of Oscoda, that’s probably because you’re not a Cold War bomber pilot or part of a current DHL or Kalitta Air cargo crew. Oscoda was once a base for nuclear-armed B-52s to set off on round-the-clock trips to the Arctic Circle—just in case the Soviets got rowdy—but now it’s mainly a cargo depot and maintenance destination. Oscoda also has a freshly paved 2.2-mile taxiway. Airport manager Jamie Downes advised that even though we’d be off the main runway, we shouldn’t wander too close to the Kalitta Air 747s running engine tests down beyond our starting line. “Did you see the MythBusters where they put cars behind a jet and throttled it up?” he asked. “They shot that here. The only vehicle that didn’t get blown away by the jet wash was a 57,000-pound plow.” We don’t have anything that weighs 57,000 pounds. Not even the Bentley Bentayga.Yes, our 150-mph roster includes SUVs, which would have been unthinkable last time. So would including a stock Civic, although we brought one of those—the Type R, of course—along with its Korean antagonist, the Hyundai Elantra N, but not a Toyota GR Corolla, as it maxes out at 144 mph. Representing attainable German speed, Volkswagen sent a Golf R, and representing half-attainable and half-German speed, Toyota furnished a GR Supra 3.0. That car seemed a natural foil to the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, our lone thundering American pony car (we asked for a Dodge Demon 170, but no luck). Beyond the Mustang, prices got mighty fancy, with the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing dicing with the Bentley Continental GT Speed in a battle of large-format autobahn dominators. At the top of the food chain, Porsche fielded a 911 GT3 RS and a 911 Turbo S, and Chevy countered with a Corvette Z06.To break up the internal-combustion hegemony, the Kia EV6 GT flew the flag for electric vehicles everywhere. It wasn’t supposed to be the only EV, but the Tesla Model S Plaid we’d rented caught a nail in a tire the day we were heading to Oscoda, and we couldn’t get a replacement in time for testing. We did, however, run it later at our usual test venue since the straightaway there is long enough for a car that hits the required speed in a quarter-mile, and we ran a Lucid Air Sapphire on the straightaway at Virginia International Raceway. The results don’t count for the official scoreboard, but they were certainly enlightening [see “Heroic Electrics,” below].A note about our results: They’re more like lap times than our typical performance figures. We didn’t subtract the initial one-foot rollout or apply any correction for ambient conditions, and the results are simply the best run, not an average of passes in both directions or a merging of acceleration and braking segments from different runs. All of the foregoing, and the fact that Ocsoda’s fresh asphalt isn’t nearly as grippy as the concrete from our usual test venue, means that the 60-mph and quarter-mile times from this test aren’t comparable to other test results.As for our methodology, you might wonder how we attained precisely 150 mph before hitting the brakes. Answer: That was part of the challenge. Drivers had to eyeball the VBox display on the dash and attempt to max out at precisely 150 mph, which was easier in some cars than in others. At 145 mph, the 911 Turbo S was still scrolling numbers like Satan’s slot machine, while the less powerful cars aided precision.View PhotosThis image shows the field arranged in accurate relative finishing position, with the 911 Turbo S in front coming to a stop 1.1 miles sooner than the Civic Type R.Michael Simari|Car and DriverIn all but the slowest couple of vehicles, drivers would ideally initiate braking (as recorded by a trigger affixed to the pedal) at a hair under 150 mph. Then there is a fraction of a second as the pedal strokes down, hydraulic fluid pulses through the lines, calipers squeeze, and rotors begin transforming kinetic energy to heat. And that sliver of latency is the window for the car to clear the buck-fifty hurdle before initiating its brutal trip back to a stop. Judging that lag was its own black art, but if a driver actually saw 150 mph on the VBox display before braking—with the left foot in cars with an automatic transmission to save time—then that was probably too late. Some of the faster cars gained a half-mile per hour or more before the brakes took over. And, of course, if the Vmax speed was under 150 mph, the run did not count.Indeed, for a seemingly simple exercise, a lot can go awry. You can duff the launch, brake too early, or brake too late. Maybe the car gives a wiggle while hauling down and strays onto the dust at the edge of the lane. Perhaps you forget to turn off the air conditioning or fail to set the car in its most advantageous launch or aero mode. The preflight checklist differs from an Elantra N to a Z06 to a 911 Turbo S. But they all have one thing in common, both with one another and with those tuner cars from a quarter-century ago: Visiting 150 mph is always a thrill, even if you only stay there for a moment.The ContendersBase: $44,890As-Tested: $45,345315 hp • 3183 lb • 10.1 lb/hpread moreBase: $34,015As-Tested: $34,015276 hp • 3196 lb • 11.6 lb/hpread moreBase: $47,405As-Tested: $47,405315 hp • 3419 lb • 10.9 lb/hpread moreBase: $234,250As-Tested: $302,910542 hp • 5432 lb • 10.0 lb/hpread moreBase: $62,925As-Tested: $63,100576 hp • 4815 lb • 8.4 lb/hpread moreBase: $58,745As-Tested: $60,365382 hp • 3376 lb • 8.8 lb/hpread moreBase: $67,155As-Tested: $74,500500 hp • 4025 lb • 8.1 lb/hpread moreBase: $312,155As-Tested: $376,025650 hp • 5045 lb • 7.8 lb/hpread moreBase: $99,765As-Tested: $107,225668 hp • 4243 lb • 6.4 lb/hpread moreBase: $287,380As-Tested: $301,420518 hp • 3207 lb • 6.2 lb/hpread moreBase: $144,280As-Tested: $167,605670 hp • 3672 lb • 5.5 lb/hpread moreBase: $233,560As-Tested: $253,510640 hp • 3691 lb • 5.8 lb/hpread moreCar and Driver0–150–0 mph: 52.7 secondsFlat-earthers might change their beliefs after watching the Civic Type R complete its trip to 150 mph, which requires so much pavement—8389 feet of it—that the white Honda seemed to disappear over the horizon. In the time it took for the GT3 RS to make two runs, the Civic was busy completing a single pass down in the here-be-dragons territory of the Oscoda airport map.read the full story0–150–0 mph: 47.0 secondsAs our own Csaba Csere pointed out in 1998, overcoming aerodynamic drag at 150 mph requires 3.38 times as much power as it does at 100 mph. That’s why Bonneville land-speed cars all look more like the sleek Elantra than the big-winged Civic, and it’s surely one reason why the Elantra N pulled ahead of the Civic by more than five seconds at 150 mph despite its 39-hp deficit.read the full story0–150–0 mph: 40.2 secondsAfter the tricky, tire-frying clutch drops of the Civic and the Elantra, launching the automatic, all-wheel-drive Golf R was as routine as clocking in for your shift at the 150-mph factory. One driver noted, “Put it in Special mode that’s labeled Nürburgring, push on the gas, push on the brake, rev it up, and it goes.”read the full story0–150–0 mph: 32.8 secondsReaching 150 mph in the Bentayga was no big deal. There’s no launch control, so you just brake-torque its conventional eight-speed automatic and go, bracing for a violent one-two upshift. The 542-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 is healthy enough to dispel most W-12 FOMO, muscling the bodacious SUV to 150 mph in 25.7 seconds.read the full story0–150–0 mph: 31.2 secondsOn a recon run, without the complete array of test equipment active, the EV6 notched a 30.8-second pass, which would have put it ahead of the Supra. Alas, without the granular data, the score from the Russian judge got tossed, and the EV6 officially finished 0.1 second behind the Supra.read the full story0–150–0 mph: 31.1 secondsAlthough this test doesn’t involve much lingering at triple-digit speeds, some cars spend enough time there to reveal foibles. And in the Supra’s case, the low-speed agility that makes it such fun on a twisty road manifests as unsettling jitters at high speeds.read the full story0–150–0 mph: 29.7 secondsWe’ve driven a lot of 5.0-liter Mustangs, so launching the Dark Horse was a familiar exercise: Be patient with the throttle, get it rolling, then go wide open. Get it hooked up, and 60 mph arrives in 4.3 seconds, which is normal Mustang stuff, really. It’s pretty much all as expected until you hit the brakes and your eyeballs get sucked out of your head.read the full story0–150–0 mph: 24.8 secondsThe GT Speed messes with your mind because you expect it to be quick—it’s got “Speed” right there on the badge—but it’s hard to fathom how 5045 pounds can launch like this. The Speed uses an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that enables real-deal launch control, with a 5000-rpm clutch drop lobbing the twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12’s 650 horsepower and 664 pound-feet down to the pavement like a grenade over a wall.read the full story0–150–0 mph: 24.7 secondsWith 6.2 liters of supercharged V-8 crammed into the Caddy’s engine bay, power-robbing heat soak was the primary obstacle to a quick run. Well, that and traction—Oscoda’s fresh pavement posed a challenge for our more muscular rear-drivers.We kept dialing down launch control—all the way down to 1300 rpm—and there was still a whole lot of torque modulation going on all the way through first gear. But the Caddy’s 668 horsepower asserted itself at high speed with the fourth-quickest 150-mph time, and its trackworthy brakes shrugged off that speed in 664 feet and felt like they’d be happy to keep doing so all day long. read the full story0–150–0 mph: 24.4 secondsThe GT3 RS wasn’t the quickest car of the test, but it sure sounded like it. When the GT3 RS headed for the starting line—pausing for a launch-control start or two to warm up the tires—airport workers lined up at the fence to watch. It was always a worthy spectacle, the GT3 chattering at 6500 rpm before shrieking off the line and kissing 9000 rpm while sounding like the devil’s dirt bike.read the full story0–150–0 mph: 22.5 secondsThe Z06 is a road-course car, not a drag racer. But its performance here proved that it’s game to trip the beam at your nearest staging lights, cracking off an 11.3-second quarter-mile. The Z06’s launch control is manually adjustable, but we got the best times in auto mode, letting the car learn the surface and adjust its aggression accordingly. read the full story0–150–0 mph: 19.3 secondsThe world’s premier business-class rocket ship required less than a half-mile to hit 150 mph and return to a stop. Setup was easy: Select Sport mode, which keeps the active front and rear spoilers in their low-drag position, then hit the Sport Response button to increase the launch-control threshold from 4000 to 5000 rpm. After that, hang on for a four-wheel burnout, followed soon thereafter by the quarter-mile mark (10.5 seconds) and 150 mph (13.5 seconds).read the full story Heroic ElectricsThe 0-to-150-to-0 leaderboard of the future seems destined to be battery powered.When our rented Tesla Model S Plaid showed up with a nail in its tire, we attempted to overnight a replacement tire. But Tesla-spec rubber is hard to come by, and the 1020-hp Model S couldn’t make it to Oscoda in time. Instead, we ran it the next week at our regular test venue. Because of the different track surfaces, we’re not including the Tesla in our official results. A further disappointment is that we couldn’t get a Plaid with the $20,000 Track package that offers upgraded wheels, tires, and carbon-ceramic brake rotors; our test car was on the base 19-inch Pirelli P Zero PZ4s.Since we were already adding asterisks, when we found ourselves at Virginia International Raceway with a 1234-hp Lucid Air Sapphire, we figured we might as well make a few 0-to-150-to-0 passes. Obviously, VIR introduces yet another incomparable surface, and its straightaways are far from test-track flat.Nevertheless, both megapowerful EVs ran more than three seconds quicker than the Porsche 911 Turbo S. As expected, the EVs’ advantage is in acceleration. The Plaid gets to 150 mph in 9.7 seconds and the Sapphire a second quicker still, putting them 3.8 and 4.7 seconds, respectively, ahead of the Porsche. That edge more than offsets their stopping distances, which were, thanks to their hefty curb weights, roughly 100 feet longer, hurting their overall times by less than a second. Very unofficially, the Sapphire’s time of 15.5 seconds beat the Plaid’s 16.2-second time. —Dave VanderWerpMoving the Goal PostBefore gasoline lost its lead, the 0-to-100-to-0 test was the benchmark of measuring a vehicle’s ability to accelerate and decelerate in one swift pass. In 1960, Aston Martin claimed the DB4GT did the deed in 24 seconds. Today it would likely be trampled by the average three-row SUV.In 1965, Carroll Shelby boasted that his 485-hp Cobra 427 could do it in 14.5 seconds. Engineer, Shelby test driver, and racer Ken Miles was said to have done it in 13.8. For its time, the accomplishment seemed unfathomable; however, analyzing our test numbers gives it some legs. When we tested the 2529-pound Cobra 427, it got to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and arrived at 100 in 8.8. It covered the quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds at 118 mph—that’s quicker than a Mustang Dark Horse. But without anti-lock brakes, stopping the Cobra 427 would require a master’s in threshold braking.To compare the ’60s metal with modern machines, we ran the Porsche 911 Turbo S through the 0-to-100-to-0 wringer. It needed just 9.7 seconds to complete the task. The Cobra paved the way for a more strenuous test, which is why we added 50 mph in the 1990s. At 150 mph, overcoming aerodynamic drag requires 3.38 times as much horsepower as it does at 100, and the brakes must dissipate 2.25 times the energy. With today’s active aero, huge brakes, and massive horsepower numbers—and the fact that a Honda Civic can reach 150 mph—perhaps it’s time to add another 50 mph. —David BeardSenior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 24.8 secondsBase: $312,155 | As-Tested: $376,025Power and Weight: 650 hp • 5045 lb • 7.8 lb/hpTires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4; F: 275/35ZR-22 (104Y) B, R: 315/30ZR-22 (107Y) BBrakes, F/R: 17.3-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/16.1-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discThe GT Speed messes with your mind because you expect it to be quick—it’s got “Speed” right there on the badge—but it’s hard to fathom how 5045 pounds can launch like this. The Speed uses an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that enables real-deal launch control, with a 5000-rpm clutch drop lobbing the twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12’s 650 horsepower and 664 pound-feet down to the pavement like a grenade over a wall. All four tires bark their complaint at launch, and the CGT is still pulling extremely hard at 150 mph, which is attained just 18.1 seconds after leaving the line, behind only the Turbo S and the Z06. From there, 10-piston front brakes (and four-piston rear) clamp carbon-ceramic rotors to stop the CGT in 680 feet, which isn’t particularly impressive until you consider the immensity of the thing. If the Dark Horse is characterized by brakes over engine, the GT Speed is the opposite, defined by its strange and charismatic powerplant. A logbook note summed it up: “W-12, you will be missed.”Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 24.4 secondsBase: $287,380 | As-Tested: $301,420Power and Weight: 518 hp • 3207 lb • 6.2 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Connect; F: 275/35ZR-20 (102Y) N0, R: 335/30ZR-21 (109Y) N0Brakes, F/R: 16.1-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/ 15.0-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discThe GT3 RS wasn’t the quickest car of the test, but it sure sounded like it. When the GT3 RS headed for the starting line—pausing for a launch-control start or two to warm up the tires—airport workers lined up at the fence to watch. It was always a worthy spectacle, the GT3 chattering at 6500 rpm before shrieking off the line and kissing 9000 rpm while sounding like the devil’s dirt bike. Unlike the Cadillac’s multifaceted, adjustable launch control, the GT3 RS’s is unwilling to learn and unable to be adjusted (perhaps that’s a window into differing corporate philosophies). Just easing onto the throttle without launch control was about as quick on the less grippy Oscoda surface. Despite active aerodynamics that switch to a low-downforce mode when the GT3 is pointing straight and accelerating, the Porsche was slower to 150 mph than both the GT Speed and the Blackwing—which, we know, is a ridiculous thing to point out about a car that is, after all, powered by a naturally aspirated six-cylinder. When it’s time to hit the brakes, the GT3 RS practically garrotes its driver with the seatbelt, stopping in 5.2 seconds and 514 feet. The brakes grab so hard that it’s disorienting— you think you must be stopped, but then the clock is still running for another second or so, your frame of reference for deceleration utterly scrambled. Imagine these brakes with the 911 Turbo’s engine. . . . Hey, we think we might be onto something there. Maybe it could be called “GT2 RS.” If you get something like that together, Porsche, let us know. We might not wait 25 years to do this again.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 32.8 secondsBase: $234,250 | As-Tested: $302,910Power and Weight: 542 hp • 5432 lb • 10.0 lb/hpTires: Pirelli P Zero, 285/40ZR-22 (110Y) B1Brakes, F/R: 15.7-in vented disc/15.0-in vented discReaching 150 mph in the Bentayga was no big deal. There’s no launch control, so you just brake-torque its conventional eight-speed automatic and go, bracing for a violent one-two upshift. The 542-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 is healthy enough to dispel most W-12 FOMO, muscling the bodacious SUV to 150 mph in 25.7 seconds. That’s when the drama starts, because despite its respectable braking stat—694 feet—the Bentayga was manifestly unhappy about shedding that much speed in one ferocious stop. One Bentayga driver returned from a run and said, “It goes like hell and smells nice until the leather scent is overwhelmed by brake bouquet. It does a wiggle under braking, and the brakes start chattering. Not a terrible time, but it wasn’t happy about it! I’m really surprised this doesn’t have carbon-ceramics.”Don’t get us wrong, we’re impressed. In horsepower terms, stopping the Bentley in 6.5 seconds equates to an average of 1143 horsepower. But the Bentayga hauling down from 150 mph is like Nikola Jokić playing basketball—it’s possible to excel at something while letting everyone know you don’t enjoy doing it.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 24.7 secondsBase: $99,765 | As-Tested: $107,225Power and Weight: 668 hp • 4243 lb • 6.4 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S; F: 275/35ZR-19 (100Y) TPC, R: 305/30ZR-19 (102Y) TPCBrakes, F/R: 15.7-in vented disc/14.7-in vented discWith 6.2 liters of supercharged V-8 crammed into the Caddy’s engine bay, power-robbing heat soak was the primary obstacle to a quick run. Well, that and traction—Oscoda’s fresh pavement posed a challenge for our more muscular rear-drivers.We kept dialing down launch control—all the way down to 1300 rpm—and there was still a whole lot of torque modulation going on all the way through first gear. But the Caddy’s 668 horsepower asserted itself at high speed with the fourth-quickest 150-mph time, and its trackworthy brakes shrugged off that speed in 664 feet and felt like they’d be happy to keep doing so all day long. The Blackwing didn’t beat the GT3 RS, but the fact that it got within 0.3 second confirms its stature as one of the ultimate sports sedans ever built.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More