Can You Roadtrip A Wild Tuner Porsche?
Shmee is back with the TechArt GT Street R he’s driving across Europe.
Living with a wild tuner Porsche on a daily basis isn't the norm, as most of the cars fitting that class will usually be garaged for a few hour blast on the weekends, or possibly a short trip to the nearest track day. They aren't usually built to be used on a daily basis, and comfort for multiple days of several hour long stints on the highway are usually not of particular concern. Tuner cars are typically equipped with stiff suspension components and giant wheels with race lightweight racing buckets and rattly interior bits.
TechArt, however, is better than all that. The fit and finish of their products is about as close as you can get to OEM without buying it from your Porsche dealer. With this wild 720 horsepower monster, you probably aren't going to feel like the car could fall apart around you. The carbon is quality stuff, and the retrimmed interior bits are phenomenal. We're particularly fond of their thicker rimmed steering wheel, as it gives you a far better handle on the wheel than even the stock wheel can.
Shmee and TechArt are setting out to prove that this car is able to handle the long haul road warrior trip. While it does look dramatic, and sounds wicked, and can cover ground about as quickly as a jet fighter, the GT Street R is actually quite decent at managing those long rides. He does admit that the car has pretty awful rearward visibility (thanks to that giant wing and the roll cage inside), and the car's safety harnesses get in the way when you're using the standard 3-point belts. Otherwise, though, it seems to drive just like your average run-of-the-mill 911 Turbo S.
If you want long distance comfort, you're probably better off with a stock Porsche, or perhaps just one with some engine mods. However, if you want a wild head turner like this one, and still want to take it on continent-spanning road trips, it'll probably manage just fine.
