It started quite innocently. Two cars parked randomly side by side. No ordinary cars, to be fair. But a comparison opportunity too good to miss.
One of the vehicles is the latest wild thing from Asia - an SUV on steroids with its smart, squared-off design, five-door practicality and snappy aero kit all evidence of its hatchback heritage.
The other visitor needs little introduction - from its classic, decades-old silhouette, the familiar bark from its flat six-cylinder engine and legendary dynamics.
And what a “comparison” they made. Well, sort of.
A comparison between Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS, and a comparatively meek-looking Hyundai Ioniq5 might seem irrelevant. But that's not the case.
Each of these cars represent the hard-core performance version of their respective models. The GT3 is the most explosive, track-ready member of the Porsche family. The Ioniq5 N is the first of Hyundai’s battery-powered models to wear the coveted “N” emblem.
Each are among the fastest cars available for driving on Australian roads.
Hyundai, a little cheekily, suggests the two machines might represent the old and the new of the performance segment - a ‘succession’ of sorts.
Porsche might have a bit to say about that.
But it’s a fascinating, over-the-fence peek at the kind of performance and practicality electric-powered beasts can deliver at the higher-end of the performance window.
On paper it could be a most lopsided comparison: a plug-in, glorified mixmaster that develops its staggering power and acceleration almost as an afterthought. An overnight phenomenon.
On the other hand the German thoroughbred, almost seven decades in the making, with each successive model a little better than its predecessor.
The GT3 is fully racetrack ready with carbon fibre racing seats, six-point harness seatbelts, a wild aerodynamic package including a massive spoiler at the back, plus a full roll cage.
The Hyundai has virtually none of those features.
At every step the Porsche goes to any lengths to save weight. Carbon this, lightweight that. A string of fabric to open the doors.
The Ioniq5 is lumped with a slab of batteries around plus the weight of two electric motors.
The Porsche costs more than five times its Korean counterpart.
None of these factors are really relevant to this head-to-head. The only true measure is speed, and lots of it.
The GT3 screams to 100km/h in a blurry 3.4 seconds.
The Hyundai hand-grenade? Exactly 3.4 seconds, too.
Of course, that 100km/h sprint might be the last time the Porsche is spotted.
After all, any car can be taught to go straight - it’s the curvy bits that count.
And the GT3 does corners particularly well.
The Hyundai is staggering in a straight line. But that’s about where the comparison ends, with its 2230kg weight acting like an anchor on its way to a top speed of 260km/h. Still, 478kW (boosted) is an impressive number in anyone’s language.
It’s amazing how much 478kW pins passengers to their seat.
The Porsche? Well, it accelerates hard, all the way to an electronically limited top speed of 318km/h. With ‘only’ 375kW and 510Nm, from a normally aspirated four-litre flat six, it’s a visceral, almost feral experience.
So, how do the pair compare?
The GT3 RS is a stiff and uncomfortable conveyance.
With the driver's backside just millimetres from the asphalt, chassis stiffness is off the chart and even the most insignificant bump in the road feels brutal.
Porsche has thoughtfully provided a “lift” button which raises the underbelly by about an extra 10cm to provide clearance for obstacles such as driveways. Cleverly, It can remember locations and automatically apply the lift.
The Hyundai, by comparison feels like a high-end luxury car.
Unlike the GT3, it adds gizmos. The ride is firm, exaggerated by the flat floor and lack of transmission tunnel, but hardly the tooth-loosening experience of the Porsche.
The Ioniq’s sports seats are grippy and comfortable. The space-age looking dash is easy to use and all major switches fall easily to hand. It’s half hatch, half SUV.
Getting in and out of the Porsche is challenging.
A suggested exit method: throw a foot at the illuminated door sill, grab the shoulder of the racing seat, then scramble out, hoping no one is watching.
The last comparison, but definitely not the least, is sound. The Hyundai creates its own engine noises using a sound actuator beneath the car. It’s pretty clever - right down to including ‘gear changes’. And it could pass for a Subaru WRX STI that’s had the full exhaust treatment.
Audio is the secret sauce that defines Porsche - it screams “look at me”.
The test machine (Porsche calls the colour Ruby Star, but some might call it lipstick pink) attracts many admiring glances.
Hyundai has been admirably restrained when optimising the Ioniq5 N. Yes, there are some aero tricks and it all works well, with a surprising lack of road noise. But no over styling, which is a credit to the Koreans.
The GT3 is like driving a podracer. Vents, vanes, breather slots and a surfboard-sized spoiler across the entire rear hatch. Each delivering part of the staggering mechanical and aerodynamic grip this car generates.
Price is another - and maybe most important - comparison..
The Hyundai gets home by a nose here, with a retail cost of $111,000 plus on-road costs. The only car that is this fast, yet this cheap, is Hyundai’s corporate cousin, the Kia EV6 ($99,590). But the Ioniq5 is quicker.
Even though it’s been stripped of most comfort items, the 911 still ticks a few “additional cost” boxes.
The test machine came with a factory-fitted Weissach package ($76,420), which among other things includes the full racing roll cage, special wheels, racing harness for driver and passenger, as well as full aerodynamic kit to ensure this is fully up to racetrack spec. The vivid colour adds $32,440. Total cost (excluding on-road costs) is $670,660.
The winner? That probably depends on spending capacity.
With a price tag of $670,000 - plus on-road costs - the Porsche is the pick if money was no object.
The Hyundai? It’s a car that even some of the general public might afford. And it can be had for one-fifth of the Stuttgart stallion.
Easier to live with. Easier to drive. And easier to scare the pants off anyone who shuffles up at the red lights - there’s plenty to like about this electric marvel.
The 911 finds it difficult to sneak up behind anybody, but still gets the gong.
