IT IS genuinely difficult to keep track of the world?s most prolific sports car manufacturer?s model line-up as it keeps churning up new models every few months.

The latest 911 derivative is the third generation 911 GT2, touted as Porsche?s fastest production car to date with an astonishing top speed of 329kmh (versus the Tiptronic Turbo?s 310kmh).

The GT series ? it includes the GT1, GT2 and GT3 ? is for the purist, of which the GT2 and GT3 are production cars. The GT1 was a one-off model, and is no longer produced.

Although the 911 GT2 takes its body and turbocharged engine from the 911 Turbo, it does away with the all-wheel drive system, which some hardcore drivers consider more a hindrance than an aid.

Of course, this compromises traction needed for explosive take-offs. So, even though it has 530bhp and weighs less, the GT2 does not outsprint the 480bhp Turbo in the 0-100kmh run. It merely matches the 3.7-second timing that the Tiptronic Turbo manages.

While that aspect may seem important, it hardly matters in the real world as the car-maker?s motorsport department has developed a special launch control system that can deliver consistent acceleration times.

This gives the driver the launch capability of Lewis Hamilton?s McLaren Mercedes.

However, the rear-wheel drive?s main attraction for the aficionado is its ability to drift. With the GT2?s prodigious power, this gives the enthusiast more cornering control of the car apart from the steering.

With Porsche?s test driver Walter Rohrl at the wheel, the GT2 lapped Germany?s infamous 20.6km Nurburgring circuit in seven minutes, 32 seconds - making it as quick as the Porsche Carrera GT and the Pagani Zonda F.

Italian thoroughbreds like the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and Ferrari 599 GTB clocked 7min 40secs and 7mins 49secs respectively.

Being a close relation to the GT3, the GT2?s suspension system is generally similar. But it is about 10 per cent firmer and surprisingly more comfortable than the GT3, thanks to clever tweaks to the sports dampers. With two suspension settings (Normal and Sport), the GT2 neatly covers the ground for fast road as well as track use.

The previous GT2 was like an unbridled ball of fury, with a twin turbo engine chomping eagerly at the rear and a steering and suspension set-up so sensitive and twitchy that only the most dedicated of drivers would feel at home.

The new car is not so in-your-face. It is more of a gentleman, even though its performance envelope supersedes the old one by a wide margin.

With selectable traction and stability control, the GT2 is as user-friendly as the 911 Turbo on challenging roads.

And should you have the aptitude for a no-holds-barred blast with traction and stability control off, the GT2 will open up a whole new driving vista that only about 1,300 owners worldwide can experience.

PORSCHE 911 GT2
Price: $862,888 with COE
Engine: 3,600cc 24-valve twin-turbo flat-6
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Power: 530bhp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 680Nm at 2,200-4,500rpm
0-100kmh: 3.7 seconds
Top speed: 329kmh
Fuel consumption: 18.8 litres/100km (city)
Agent: Stuttgart Auto