Techart GTstreet R: Fancy a Ride to the Moon?

2 June 2017 Redazione News, Tested, Tuning

TECHART GTstreet R

FANCY A RIDE TO THE MOON?

Words: Alessandro Marrone

Photography: Giorgia Rossi

I think I’ve ruined about half a dozen Christmases for the fact that I can’t keep secrets for myself – so think twice before confiding your skeletons in the closet. Actually this time I am not doing anything so catastrophic and instead I take advantage of meeting Techart’s friends at Cars and Coffee in Brescia to chat with them and schedule our incoming Summer appointment (here I said that!), in which I will put my hands on four of their very special Porsches. The name Techart that has now been imposed for 30 years in the high-end tuning of all models born in Stuttgart, is easily distinguishable by its competitors for being able to combine a strong aesthetic connotation made of iridescent colors and load of carbon fiber, to engine upgrades that go beyond rationality. The GTstreet R, one of the latest creations, has created a lot of panic at the office, thanks to the amazing photos that accompanied it, but seeing it in the flesh and getting on board has taken an even more delicious flavor, making me even more anxious for the days I will spend in Leonberg.

Even if it tries to camouflage with the green lawn of Corte Francesco (in Montichiari), the GTstreet R fails in its intent not to capture the startled looks of participants at today’s event. Placed alongside a 911 Carrera Cabrio – always tuned by the German tuner – stands out for an extreme look, full of details that are only discovered after glancing at each centimeter. Let’s start by saying that it is based on the second generation 911 Turbo S and equipped with the all-wheel-drive system coupled to a twin-turbo 3.8cc placed behind the rear axle. To a distracted eye it might almost look like a GT3 RS – you know the Turbo shares with it the wider body – also thanks to the air intakes on the front wheel arches, but here even larger in size. It sits on huge 20-inch monoblock rims that wears Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (265 at front and 325 at the rear) and parked on the turf, it seems to be even more grounded, almost like a poisonous snake ready to spin its deadly attack. But more than a killer serpent, the GTstreet R seems like a real rocket ready to take off and the mechanical tuning merely confirms the impressions that such a threatening look want to convey. From 580hp it goes up to 720, with a maximum torque that from 750Nm reaches 920Nm – these are incredible figures, which have an irrational touch that makes Porsche’s typical pragmatism a distant memory. It is not a simple elaborate horse, this is a hybrid halfway between a unicorn and the devil itself. The exhaust with the four carbon fiber pipes is the instrument that speaks for all the horses eager to be unleashed on some mountain road or racing track, aware that a few strips of asphalt in the world would allow you to ground all that blind fury and leave an unmistakable mark.

But what is surprising is the nature of one of the most powerful Porsche ever, which is kept untouched, despite being brought to a higher level. The GTstreet R, having also exchanged two words with the YouTuber Shmee150 (who drove this first specimen for several miles to Brescia’s event) has a dual nature that makes it an almost crazy travel companion, ready to unleash Armageddon as soon as you decide to test the work done by Techart. Suspension are more rigid and optimized for an increased acceleration, the aerodynamic kit is the result of a choreographic work that has left nothing to chance, such as active aerodynamics and the ability to position the rear spoiler to create the ideal downforce. This apparently descriptive appendage is a key witness to an engineering development and a design worthy of being shown to posterity as a work of mechanical art. There are badges scattered everywhere, from the rear, widened and made even more aggressive thanks to carbon panels, which moreover cover the whole car, except for the doors and some square centimeters. The air intakes are bigger, the radiators are more inclined, the appendages that are not only for aesthetic needs but for a precise function and then, once the time has come to open the doors, we keep appreciating the care for every single detail. The front bonnet is a thin sheet of carbon, engraved with the Techart brand. The panoramic roof is the confirmation that a weapon of over 700 horses is still able to give you another kind of emotion if you are driving in the ideal playground. And just inside the passenger compartment you breathe a special atmosphere, thanks to alcantara and other carbon fiber touches. The finely sewn sports seats offer a great deal of restraint – indispensable when testing a 0-100 of just 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 340 kph, while we have a 7-speed PDK g’box and more other details on the dashboard that reflect the chromatic pattern of that Daphnegreen that makes the GTstreet R so distinctive and unique.

There is no space for passengers at the back, but a cage that further stiffens a car as sharp as a blade and leaves just room – in this Clubsport spec – for some item, such as the beautiful racing helmet, always in Daphnegreen. I do not want to argue that it is the ideal car for everyday life, but in fact keeps the DNA of a Porsche and combines it with hypercars’ performance, with a look that certainly does not go unnoticed and with the drivability of a “standard” 911.2 Turbo. And now you have all that you need for a spin to the moon. Europe is not an Autobahn, where to really exploit all this power reserve, but the perfect traction and the perfect synchronicity of a last-generation twin-turbo engine, will be able to make every day spent driving a special occasion. Add about € 170,000 to the piggy bank for the new Turbo S and you will have an exclusive piece, complete both in aesthetic and mechanical terms – alternatively discard the Techart catalog and tick the options you do not want to miss in your life. A brave and extreme creation that has forgotten how to speak subtly, but if you want to make an ambitious project, it’s worth doing the big way.

Our appointment with Techart is for this summer. Do not miss our next issues where we will look at the history of the company’s first 30 years and test drive the most interesting new models.

TECHART GTSTREET R (2017-)

Layout   –  rear engine, all-wheel-drive

Engine  –  6 cylinder 3.8cc – twin-turbo

Transmission  –  7-speed automatic gearbox

Power  –  720 hp @ 920Nm

                    Acceleration  –  2,7 sec.

Top Speed  –  340 kph

Price  –  from € 372.000