2004 Ferrari Challenge Stradale vs. 2004 Porsche GT3 Stability Comparison

It's the 600-foot-slalom times that blew us away. The Ferrari cleared the cones at 72.7 mph, the second-fastest time we've ever recorded for a factory-certified, street-legal car (it was beaten only by a particularly good Viper GTS coupe that cut a 73.6, a figure we've never been able to repeat with any other Viper).

"At the limit, the Stradale is supremely balanced and neither under- nor oversteers," notes Walton. "It slides so predictably, and there's always a bucket of power to make everything work as it should. It's a masterpiece of chassis tuning and weight management."

The less-flamboyant GT3 also gets the road-holding job done. It's 71.6-mph pass places it number five on the all-time greatest hits list, running neck and neck with Ford's new GT. Walton calls it "the best Porsche I've ever put through the slalom. Without the oversteer bogeyman hanging over my head, I could really concentrate on the times. Sure, it'll oversteer, but not if you've got your foot on the gas." Porsche seldom misses on steering feel or quickness, but initial turn-in feels a bit lazy compared with the tack-sharp Ferrari.

As different as these cars are in terms of engine design, transmission choice, and chassis layout, they turned in similar times in our Figure-Eight test. The Porsche just nips the Ferrari, completing the complex, mini-road-course run in 23.9 seconds, versus the Stradale's 24.2. Both notched identical 0.95g stick ratings on the skidpad. It all means that, when acceleration, braking, grip, and transitional stability are synthesized, these two are remarkably similar performers.