9ff GT9 Vmax: Test Drive
The fastest car in the world

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Reaching for the limit: With its 1381 hp, the GT9 Vmax is theoretically able to reach 271.5 mph. That's insane! Our reporter Gerald Czajka tried it for himself in Zandvoort. An exclusive report!
Maurice is storming into the pit white as a sheet – which makes him just a tad paler than I am. Not surprising. Maurice is responsible for the proper running of race traffic in rainy Zandvoort. And the racket that seemed to have ripped a hole into the clouds while exploding my eardrums sounded more like the grandstands collapsing than an engine starting up. Jan Fatthauer, head of 9ff and the creator of the GT9 Vmax – now idling relatively peacefully – is wearing a wide grin. He knows his baby and the reactions it gets. He's turned the six-cylinder boxer from a 911 GT3 RSR into a 4.2-liter-hell-of-an-engine, outfitted with two turbos with up to two bar of pressure, 857 Pound-feet of torque and 1381 hp. That’s enough to rocket the car to a top speed of 271.5 mph – according to the brochures, at least. Maybe it was too much for the grandstands? Ain't gonna happen, not on this uncomfortable day in the Dutch North Sea beach town.
Zandvoort is laaaaame

Powerhouse: The bi-turbo-charged 4.2-litre-flat-six induces 857 Pound-foot and 1381 hp.

Incredible – the 9ff GT9 Vmax runs and runs and runs. 0 to 186 mph costs him 13 seconds.
Form follows function, so does the weight

Aerodynamics of the GT9 Vmax are ingenious, making the car stick to the asphalt.
Frightening power
Which explains why the GT9 sticks to asphalt like a politician to his post and allows amazing cornering capers. I'm even getting used to the unusual gear shift procedure. The engine's 1381 hp are delivered to the 335-section rear tires through a sequential six-speed transmission – but you still need to use the clutch when changing gears. A special order by the sheikh which at the end of the day almost seems normal to me. Stay calm remains my motto nevertheless as the brutal biturbo engine, with its chirping wastegates, delivers more than enough power to be dancing in the rain with a few fast-paced toe jumps in between. That was the point where my co-driver Jan Fatthauer suddenly went white as a sheet.
Fazit
So the weather gods didn't smile on us. But even in the rain the GT9 Vmax was mightily impressive. This monster’s technical specs alone put to shame everything I've ever experienced. On the Zandvoort track, the über-911 had to fight it out mainly with the elements and physics – 1400PS and 20-inch ZR tires on the rear-driven wheels make for a damn early start to the water ski season. But the supersports car has proven its potential nevertheless. That it works almost boringly well for a car of this caliber is another bonus.
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