The first incarnation of the TechArt GT Street was a rabid Rottweiler of a car, a whirling dervish of kinetic energy that felt like pressing a detonator with every flex of the right foot. Now, with a new chassis and Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG), the GT Street has come of age and become the all-around everyday supercar TechArt threatened to produce all those years ago.
It's still outlandish to look at, but get beyond the Kermit-green paint job and this is one of the most advanced tuned Turbos on the planet right now. Even on an airfield, it feels measured, easy and relaxed, despite the speedo's needle racing past 150 mph like it's being chased by a hungry lion.
This machine is good for 214 mph and will storm up to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds (which is a substantial half a second faster than the standard manual Turbo), hammering through the 125-mph mark in just 10.9 seconds. This comfy, usable 911 will rival the Carrera GT through the gears and-with those numbers, plus the work that has gone into producing this beast-the $342,000 price seems almost reasonable. The wind tunnel development the big players go through as a matter of course is a rarity in the tuning world.
New VTG-equipped turbochargers, a new airbox, high-performance manifolds, intercoolers, a stainless steel sport exhaust system, and new engine management all help to crank horsepower up to unreasonable levels and bless the car with an epic 605 lb-ft of torque-about 25 percent more than stock.
The outside is certainly loud and unmistakably TechArt, though the gaping front scoops and holes in the rear could do with meshing in to complete the look (to my eye, at least). Apart from that miniscule gripe, the car is a real work of art. The front fascia has a retractable carbon fiber splitter that helps high-speed stability and forces more air to the engorged radiators and oil coolers. TechArt also fits auxiliary headlamp units with daytime running lights and foglights, for that 'rear-view mirror effect.' When this thing comes up behind someone, they'll move over.