The 996 GT2 got a bad reputation for firing its occupants into the weeds. As Chris Harris mentions, ?t=1m8s”>”it rightly earned the nickname “The Widowmaker” because it was spastically difficult to drive in the wet.” In an attempt to soften the car’s edges, Porsche dialed in a bunch of understeer, but that came with its own share of setbacks.

Instead of making the car easier to drive, this setup led to plenty of snap oversteer: the sort of handling balance an avid driver dreads—and seeing as this car was designed for avid drivers, it’s strange that Porsche tried to make it so woefully benign from the factory. It’s as useful as putting a leash on a lion, and many eager drivers found out the hard way how counterproductive Porsche’s preventative measures were.

Thankfully, there are a few guys out there who’ve got the talent and the budget to learn the limits of a car like this, and are simultaneously generous enough to show us their exploits on YouTube. This man’s happy to boot it coming onto the Nordschleife, nudge Radicals aside, and put on a masterclass in managing the 458 lb-ft of torque on a bumpy and damp surface.

One of the bolder ways to warm a set of tires.

Within seconds, it’s apparent the man is not intimidated by the sharp edges of his GT2. His steering is so effortless and relaxed, and never do you see him tensing his grip or making erratic movements. It’s all so calm in the cabin that the rapidly approaching view ahead doesn’t seem to match.

He’s incredibly precise with his steering, and avoids most of the curbs which offer the grip of fresh snow on this damp track day. As he descends down into the daunting Fuchsröhre section at 2:20, he shortshifts into fifth and rides the wave of torque down and through the dip; using the full width of the road without nudging the curbs.

With the speed out of the descent flinging him into Adenauer Forst, he calmly brakes, downchanges, and shows just how violent the GT2 is at and beyond the limit. He abandons his measured approach momentarily, and flicks the Porsche into one of the most amazing displays of driving skill I’ve seen in a long, long time.

Shifting the weight deftly between slides, he links the two corners in a plume of grey tire smoke.

With this instance of showboating set aside, and the tires presumably hot now, the rest of his lap is immaculate, cautious, and very quick. He gently tucks the nose into every corner, and applies the throttle like there’s an egg underneath his foot which he’s trying not to crack. Even so, the bloodthirsty Porsche still wobbles and bounces around nervously, and he only keeps from flying off into the barriers with quick and a cool head. Even in fourth gear, the GT2 breaks away at 100 mph very violently (5:07). Quickly, you get a sense of how carefully he’s treading the line.

However, he’s not just riding a bucking bronco that’s happy to turn in; it’s a 911 and it still understeers. When the nose fails to deliver the sort of response he’s after (6:46), he patiently uses some maintenance throttle to keep the GT2’s attitude constant, because once the car straightens and he adds gas smoothly, it still snaps on him. Had he been less experienced, he might’ve spun the Porsche there and then—but he’s disciplined and he doesn’t rush the corner when things aren’t working properly. That combination of a level head and talented hands could’ve make him a highly-paid bomb diffuser, but instead he chose tracking a quick sports car, which could be considered the automotive equivalent of Semtex come to think of it.

Photo credit: Porsche Love