Old 911 vs new 911: Can an amateur driver beat ex-Stig Ben Collins?

Thanks to GoPro for making this video possible! Check out the HERO12 Black: www.GoPro.com/...
Around a track, of course a brand new 911 992 Turbo S is going to beat a 997 Turbo. But what if you put an amateur driver in the 992, and the Stig in the 997? We pitched GoPro CEO Nick Woodman up against Ben Collins to see if it’s possible to take down the Stig with newer machinery.
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[@Drivetribe]

Thanks to GoPro for making this video possible! Check out the HERO12 Black: www.GoPro.com/HERO12

[@Evodocturine]

Some proper racing in my FAVORITE cars!? Thank you so much for this video!

[@Pluke_Skyporker]

Ego's aside the real question is just how much is over a decades worth of Porsche development actually worth in lap time. Great video.

[@2brokecarguys]

Be good to see Hammond against the stig 👀

[@gaycha6589]

Wish they could find a way to hold a shot fir more than 1 sec in this vid. Too many angle changes and too fast

[@tom.m]

​@@gaycha6589They probably had to keep restarting the GoPros. 😂 Just kidding... Mostly. I don't know if the 12 has the same problems.

[@StruggleBusStudios]

Y'all gotta get Rubens Barrichello or Vettel to go head-to-head against Ben for a rematch since they were the first to beat him as the Stig

[@lewis7211]

This would be awesome. Drivetribe should definitely push to try and get that sorted.

[@BenCollinsDrives]

GAME ON

[@StruggleBusStudios]

@@BenCollinsDrives holy cow - guy’s it’s really him, some say he’s wanted by the CIA, and sleeps upside down like a bat - drivetribe invite your boy out for the love of the sweet baby jeezus

[@MrBackflip500]

@@BenCollinsDrives Yes please 😈

[@technom3598]

​@@BenCollinsDrivesi would contribute money or somwthing to make this happen

[@360Pros]

Can't express how much joy it brings me to see Ben Collins, Mr. OG STIG himself, as a regular recurring co-host on these episodes!

[@clausseier]

Not really OG - there was a Stig before him - Black Stig. But he does feel like "The real Stig". 👌

[@Случайноерусскоеимя]

Can see perry shrugging his shoulders somewhere....

[@Случайноерусскоеимя]

but i agree ben deserves to own the title

[@360Pros]

@@clausseier True! But he lasted only a few episodes whereas Ben was on for many seasons so I still think of Ben as the OG! Maybe GOAT STIG is a better title?

[@clausseier]

@@360Pros agreed 👍

[@baxterarbogast]

These episodes are the true spiritual successor to the old Top Gear. Love it.

[@freddiejupiter442]

Drivier is comedy! @@sg-yq8pm

[@BFNH459]

Not really though

[@HJ-vs7lf]

This and AutoAlex! This is more serious and Autoalex is for watching some blokes fooling around.

[@Drivetribe]

Thanks!

[@IraqVet0608]

@@HJ-vs7lfauto Alex and cartrek. If you combined those, you have TG/ GT.

[@just.for.the.downshifts]

Huge respect to Stig for his humility.

[@protopigeon]

humility LOL he changed it so he could win against this guy who'd not seen the circuit before!

[@ferryportia9442]

Nice guy...and Turbo S is insane

[@superderv]

🤣 I read your comment before the video and thought Ben must have lost... I'm not sure you know what humility means!

[@protopigeon]

That's spot on lol @@superderv

[@ahamilton63]

Agree 100pc. Ben is very modest. No question the CEO was super quick especially for his first time at Thruxton but Ben didn't revel in his time. Humility is exactly the right word.

[@digitalmike330]

Ben Collins is genuinely one of the nicest, humblest, people on the internet.

[@0Synergy]

Also the arch nemesis to Jimmy Broadbent.

[@nukedogger86]

The difference between the 997 and the 992 was mind blowing, nearly 10.5 seconds on a roughly minute and a half lap. I think we definitely need more of these comparos of 10-20 year old cars vs their modern counter parts. Heck, you could even run an NC vs ND Miata, would probably be interesting, or M5's, Boxters, WRX's, Audi S3/4. This was good stuff.

[@andresponce305]

The 997 was a regular turbo with stick. The 997.2 turbo s had pdk and more power. But yeah still absolutely mental the progress they made in 13 years.

[@blazesmooth5573]

the 997.2 with the pdk would be 2-3 seconds off at most

[@treevs]

The s has suspension upgrades

[@911S]

They shouid used fhe 997.2 turbo s and not the turbo. Compare an S with an S

[@Reinundzufall]

Yeah and both on the same or comparable tires …

[@GoPro]

Giving The Stig a run for his money 😉

[@ticocastro5256]

Santa, Can I have the new HERO 12 black for Christmas!? I have the MAX now. I love the Max but I feel like I personally would have better use with a higher quality single direction camera. 😊

[@RisenOath]

Yeah, that was an impressive time. “Amateur” my a** 😂

[@Poorschedriver]

Nick that was a truly mega drive. Obviously not your first time on a race track, but the first time on this track and the pressure of going up against the Stig himself. Well done sir.

[@pietdevries9661]

Years ago my first Turbo experience was in a 997 Turbo. Was so impressed by power and ceramic brakes. It wasn’t a sportscar. It felt like a hypercar. It blew my mind. Especially the braking. Recently drove the 992 Turbo on German autobahn. So easy to drive. And so fast. Mindblowing. And the best thing: all German cars make room for you on the left lane! So decent. So nice. As if they have learned that at birth: when Turbo is coming. We make some room. German society should be proud of what they are capable to build!

[@jonesy-rh5fk]

What a fantastic video, would definitely love to see more of this variety. Think Ben vs Barrichello revenge lap would be the ultimate content.

[@Ztacken]

I can’t comprehend the difference in time😲 What a piece of machinery 👍

[@corystansbury]

I'm kinda blown away by the difference, how fast Nick was, and Ben's lap in the new car. As others have mentioned, some discussion of tires would be interesting as well. They've improved as much as the cars.

[@davecech4741]

The results are pretty jaw dropping, I expected everything to be...closer.

[@superderv]

I doubt the 997 was on original N rated tyres, it would be on a later generation

[@Alshen]

As an owner of a 997.1T (tip) and 991.2TS, there is no doubt a massive diff in performance in generations. However, I suspect a significant part of the lap time diff (2 sec?) is attributable to stick v PDK in this comparo.

[@ScottGroome]

I think you're completely right, however it is a pretty fast circuit so there's definitely not as much time lost to gear shifts as there would be for a tighter circuit.

[@lonners71]

I can’t see a pdk giving Ben more than a couple of sec in one lap. 13yrs of development on torque vectoring software I could see giving that result

[@gaycha6589]

Thruxton is a power circuit. 992 has 25% more power than 997. Modern tyres too

[@frasersutherland6837]

Not only is the difference, a manual gearbox against a PDK! Ben's 997.2 is a turbo as opposed to the 997.2 turbo s of the day!

[@PhilShenton]

One of the best videos you’ve done in a while. Love the challenges of drivers vs machines. More Stig and guests please.

[@Drivetribe]

Thanks 👌

[@Vito.H]

This was awesome, Nick is a quick driver. The content on Drivetribe lately has been epic.

[@coffe3]

997 will forever be the best looking 911 for me. So sleek yet so tight. Gotta love those smaller nimble cars. The newer car performance is unmatchable but still the older one has that car "soul" thing flowing from it.

[@bghoody5665]

Using Ben's two lap times it's almost a one second per year difference between the two models. Pretty amazing.

[@bluedog2367]

To me, 997 is the best contemporary 911. The 991 and especially the 992 are just too big.

[@gavinmelia4133]

Ben is the STIG. He is a uk Hero to us all and I never doubt him for a sec. Well done Ben.. 👍👍👍

[@joeracer302]

Someone took a 992 Turbo S, put safety/timing/radio equipment in it, and then went and place 2nd OVERALL at Pikes Peak Hillclimb with an essentially “stock” car. The Turbo S is an absolutely mind-bending amount of performance that someone can just go write a check for.

[@LapoftheWorld]

Nick is definitely on the upper end of amateur, but definitely made it more interesting. Any "regular joe" or "I've done a few track days" level driver would've been nowhere irrespective of equipment.

[@cpariaug]

Boyz .. we need more Ben vs ???? In any car - totally worth watching!!! Do NOT Disappoint

[@edd95gti85]

Abit like the hoonigan series but a track time not a drag time. Would be interesting to see.

[@richmcveigh]

Really enjoyed this video but I’d like to wave the flag for the 997. To be precise it was a 992.2 Turbo S PDK vs 997.2 Turbo manual. The 997.2 Turbo S has over 30bhp more than the Turbo, and also has more torque. I couldn’t quite tell, but I suspect the 992 did a launch-controlled start whereas the manual Turbo doesn’t have this. I’m not saying that it would be neck-and-neck, but perhaps the gap between the two wouldn’t have been so dramatic if the 997 was similarly spec’d to the 992. Or perhaps I’m just defending my own 997.2 Turbo S PDK 🤣

[@bv122]

Absolutely agree. I own base 991.2 tt pdk and it beats 992 gts manual on straight also on track because of pdk shifting speed is mental :D

[@Rubbafingaz1]

Is 2010 now considered to be "back in the day"? I'm 44 and I now feel really old! 😟

[@mking9446I]

I'm 40 and I got the "yeah that old guy there" the other day. Gettin ruff out there. I need bifocals

[@papa_pt]

yeah well around then was the death of hydraulic power steering. 997 was the last one to have it

[@bastee2727]

@@mking9446II am 40, with a 997 👴🏼

[@mking9446I]

@@bastee2727 lucky fucker....I'm rolling a 2017 xse camry

[@spicysnowman8886]

Im only 19 and a 2010 car is still modern to me.

[@ConquerDriving]

On a race circuit tyres can make a big difference to lap times. Would be interesting to see the same car compared with different tyres but the same driver.

[@pault151]

Strongly agreed. So few of these comparos state what the rubber spec is, and it can make seconds per minute of difference.

[@chrishayes4785]

As much as you have to enjoy the comparison between two great cars a decade apart, its the personalities of the three of you in this video that was so enjoyable. Do more please. Maybe going even further back with a old classic and a modern day basic hatchback.

[@doughynes7004]

Ben is an absolute gentleman, an amazing talent yet so humble, fair play to him.

[@johnstancell]

I worked for a man who owned a 2010 Turbo S. He used to let me take it out when running errands for him and such. He had connections at the local airport (small town) and we'd take that and his M3 out to the runways and open them up. That was when I knew I would own a Turbo S someday.

[@krithikcs3234]

Mate this video was superb I really enjoyed it.

[@Drivetribe]

We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@robbinconner9061]

One of the best videos I have seen on cars on you tube. Very interesting and it was great not to know the numbers until the end. The stig--what a gentlemen and of course what talent. He really showed what the car could do. And the amateur driver certainly can hold his head up. There is always an almost quantum leap to the pros but he really did well and was a very engaging person. Terrific content in every way!

[@bbb12345]

The time difference is mental. I thought the 997 was a fast car.

[@thijskennis8757]

It is a fast car. Things just moved forward in the last decade

[@richardsholl5977]

It is. But the newer one is so much easier.

[@Inazuma68]

It is a fast car….

[@TrevorDennis100]

Thank goodness for that. I was starting to get worried, but we should never doubt Mr Ben Colins/The Stig. And my goodness, his time in the 992 was so much faster than I think any of us expected. Ben is still the man, and forever more will be.

[@benfranklin1533]

Clearly not an amateur driver.

[@ukwan]

He's clearly a racing driver though. 😂

[@clumsygarage1578]

If they'd put some little old lady in it, then it would have either been too easy to beat or there would be a risk of wrecking the car. Also not knowing the track makes a difference.

[@benfranklin1533]

@@clumsygarage1578 pull someone trustworthy off the crew and have them put in a few laps.

[@benfranklin1533]

@@matthewkuhl79 amateur means they don’t have experience literally being a professional F3 racing driver lol.

[@tem0079]

Do you realize some amateur drivers race professionally?

[@fabioa.5490]

I can’t believe you played music over the stig’s lap. That is absolutely criminal ! !

[@stevewhite9653]

Well done Ben and obviously the stunning 911.

[@dylanjamesweggz3573]

That 992 spec is beautiful, from exterior colour to interior just beautiful.

[@Jason911_]

More Stig content please, it'll never ever get old!!!

[@jdjames997]

This was a great versus, but the PDK and manual does make a difference. That said, Ben is a phenomenal driver clearly. I think 90% of the guys who buy a new Turbo S are in way over their head with this amount of power, and driving one on the street is almost impossible without taking some crazy risks of getting after it and crashing. crazy as the 992 is, I’d take the 997 turbo with either a manual or PDK over the 992, even though it’s slightly dated it’s such a great looking car. The 992 is meh, I prefer the more analogue 997, it oozes class and looks more 911 than the newer body style to me….

[@jedidiahsteele7847]

Drive Tribe is becoming more like The Grand Tour / Too Gear! I’m Loving It!!! Cheers🎉

[@lukeagostini5487]

Fair play to Nick. Happy to see Ben perform so well. All is good. More of this format please ❤

[@cutters74]

This is some of the best content you guys have put out. Very cool to have the founder of GoPro on, he can wheel a car 😎 you can’t beat watching good drivers lap a really good car around a fast circuit 💯🔥😎❤️❤️❤️❤️ more content like this please 🙏

[@Mapa356]

More of this please. Feels like the good old days ❤

[@DavidAlanStanley]

Great video and just goes to show how quickly cars are improving. It would be great to see what a truly amateur driver could do when there is such a disparity with the performance of the car.

[@jannothnagel2957]

A really interesting matchup would be some Group B rally cars from the 80ties. Or any modern car vs the Group B Audi Quatro.

[@SharkBlueMedia]

Please have Ben do a lap in the same track with a 992 GT3. It would be awesome to see the difference between the GT3 and Turbo S with Ben behind the wheel.

[@silvercat7328]

Yes, with the same tyres.

[@gaycha6589]

And flying laps not standing start.

[@getawayhs2856]

These three could guys could have saved Top Gear. A genuine passion for cars, knowledgeable and watchable - everything that was missing post C, H &M.

[@daliborzak2485]

Would be nice to show tires on these cars. Just switching to modern sport compound gives you like 4 seconds on a two minute lap, but I assume Ben has something appropriate on his machine.

[@flat6croc]

Yes. Some better tyres and maybe some upgraded dampers would probably cut the deficit in half. But the 992 would still be about 5 seconds quicker. Pretty incredible.

[@valeriebrentin2692]

A good friend of mine bought a 992 Turbo S Convertible back in April. That car is an absolute monster. Words cannot describe launching a 992.

[@ELXABER]

I could never beat The Stig, some say he’s wanted by the CIA, and that he sleeps upside down like a Bat, but I sure as hell would love to try. It's great seeing Ben on DriveTribe. I've been following his channel as well. What would I like to see? More rally, especially since supercars are getting in the dirt now with things like the Sterrato. Would it beat an RS200?

[@PFBzzz]

Staggering difference in lap times with the same driver! I'd love to see Ben's lap times in a 996 Turbo and 991.1 Turbo S just to see the progression.

[@R19Robbin]

The 992 is such a nice machine 👌

[@Ethan-wr2os]

I love the 992 shape, lots of the styling aspects pay homage to some of the older models

[@anthonyohara2132]

The ultimate comparison - Veyron v’s Chiron, but short of a trip to Abu Dhabi and a very generous and trusting Sheik, probably out of the question.

[@raycarter6037]

Some driving from both guys! Wow,what a car! 👏

[@09juliancarr]

OK - the best comparison will be tyres. Get a set of P-Zero Trofero vs Corsa on identical cars or PS4 vs Cup tyres. This will show a HUGE difference. A lot of the advances in lap time are from the huge leap in tyre tech

[@neofox.]

Ben shouldn't be worried about losing his job. DT would drop Mike in a heartbeat if it came to Stig or Mike

[@darrenfox9769]

Agreed!

[@Puckerization]

Why even go there with that statement? Mike and the DT teams enthusiasm keep the channel going.

[@JohnMalcolm-g3h]

Would be interesting to see the dynamics with Ben as Ben with the OG.

[@john-danielmartin8753]

I remember when Richard drove the convertible version of this on Top gear fell in love with the turbo S ever since

[@mark-kf3md]

McLaren vs McLaren Please. Perhaps F1 vs 756LT? This is a great video. None of the usual drama, hype and disingenuous BS. Yours is to the point and just what I like to see. Thanks

[@alwynmcmath]

I loved this video! Really fun. Just sadly lacking in the engine sound dept. Surely a remote mic would augment the footage nicely

[@highpox1721]

I still own a 2010 997.2 C4S Cab- 385 hp. 96K miles, so I drive it. It's still a blast. Bought it new in 2010. I remember the 500 HP turbos for sale at the time- the cost point was just too high. Would love to experience 650 HP. Have run some laps in a McClaren 570S and a GT3. I wish they would have showed some stats while driving in this video- no speeds were mentioned, G-force... It would have been nice to see how much faster the 650 HP went on both straights and corners...

[@420CaptainSlow]

Curious what tires both cars were running

[@gaycha6589]

P7 Zeros on 992, PS4S on 997

[@Buju7777]

This series is amazing. Having an old model compete with a newer model of the same car line. More of these please! Please do so with other big car brands like Ferrari. Just to see how technology have evolved in just 10 years. Thats amazing! Love it!

[@thebarkingmouse]

So not an amateur driver at all.

[@harryspeakup8452]

He doesn't do it for money, so he's an amateur. You don't have to be useless to be an amateur.

[@thebarkingmouse]

@@harryspeakup8452 So you'd call Mike Tyson an amateur boxer. Okay, Willful stupidity at its finest.

[@alanwayte432]

I am fortunate to own a 997.2 Turbo S, I had test drive in new 992 Turbo, the difference in accelerating from standing start and grip is exceptional, however my 2011 which I purchased four yrs ago was subject to an offer from a dealership that would have given me £8k more than I paid..Also the 997 has perfect amount of power for U.K. roads, but most important to me was the width, the 992 felt almost as wide as my Wife’s Range Rover and rather alarming on a B Road ..and obviously £180K with Depreciation over three years...😢😢

[@cyberspectre8675]

911s depreciate? Most owners don't think so!

[@KillaV91]

Pointless then. When his not an amateur

[@juanmartincamussi9465]

Amateur = non-professional

[@harryspeakup8452]

He is literally an amateur

[@JamesShadbolt]

VW head to head - MK4 R32 vs MK4 R32 vs MK7.5 GTI vs MK8 GTI - all of these cars around the same power and as a R32 owner Id love to see this - no point using a modern R as it would walk away from the R32s - but the GTIs will make it fun to watch. If you need an R32 and or any help filming / jobs around DT let me know

[@judemurphy3356]

Ben is the MAN!

[@Drivetribe]

He sure can drive💪

[@ChiIeboy]

It's very surprising that after all these years, GoPro hasn't developed a less boxy camera.

[@Indian_Ravioli]

we need more of Nick

[@cwheels1026]

vintage Porsche 911 RUF vs vintage porsche 911 ev swap : 1969 Mustang Mach 1 vs 2023 Mustang Mach 1 : Jaguar XKR manual vs Jaguar XKR auto I've been waiting for someone to do these types of vintage vs modern/auto vs manual comparisons. You've made my day! Thank you and well done!

[@fullsendsimracing]

The Stig just upped his level of respect in my book with how he handled being beaten, he's a rare dying breed of genuine motoring journalists. Glad to be seeing more content with him

[@stuartsmith5308]

The Stig at thruxton driving old versions of supercars vs guests driving the latest supercar version. Make this a permanent feature each month please.

[@mugskiryacalvin7589]

Whatever Porsche put in that car is mental. Every other person that gets a go with it get overwhelmed

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Interesting, but I can't help thinking, for those of us that know Thruxton reasonably well, that it's a shame not to have seen an actual onboard lap of each driver, to better understand where each car is faster or slower. Most of Ben's lap footage was following a camera car and definitely not on a hot lap.

[@Marius426]

Agreed, even as someone who has no idea about the track layout. There's time for fancy camera work during the warmup I guess, but for the hot lap a simpler edit would work better. It was really hard to see the driving style/approach.

[@gaycha6589]

To make the best comparison, those really should by FLYING lap times, not standing start times. The 992TS with 25% more power is at least 2 secs quicker to 100mph than the 997T - probably nearer 3secs with LC. Flying laps would close the gap by at least that much, particularly on a fast track like Thruxton. the standing start advantage of the 992 is very hard to close on one lap

[@petervanriet5389]

As a variation on this: Turbo S vs GT3 with pro. and am. driver. Performance of the Turbo S is more accessible (or so the say). So the pro should be relatively faster in the GT3.

[@undergroundhousesounds]

Good watching, thank you

[@noobasdfjkl]

Before seeing the lab times, there’s no reason why Ben should be faster in the 997 than a Formula Ford driver in the 992. The power in the 992 makes a huge difference, but the advances in suspension components and geometry are going to make the difference for Nick.

[@ChakraVart1]

I just can’t get over how much better the old one looked

[@robm3534]

I literally never for even a second, doubted the Stig. Simply the best.

[@Jkan2001]

11 seconds is insane and a 997.2 turbo is still not considered a slow car so the 992 is basically a last gen hyper car in performance

[@timmy6012]

I would like to see how a modern day sports bike performs in comparison, something like a Triumph 765RS, nothing too mental (no 1000cc missiles). Great seeing a true Maestro like Ben Collins doing his thing!

[@js002003]

test drove the new 992 turbo recently. its obviously fast but soft and still has some lag. Definitely more of an old mans, dare I say borderline more of a luxury car than a supercar/sportscar.... Was very happy to hop back into my 997 turbo manual. With a 1k tune, it feels near as makes no difference as fast as the 992 but much more raw and the right size.

[@peterwho9380]

Would love to see the 911 Turbo S VS the SF90 Stradale!

[@Freddieplatts]

The dap up is unreal 2:10

[@trevorberridge6079]

For Nick's first time on the track that was a blistering performance. But, Stiggy Ben's knowledge of the track and experience showed out big time.

[@Foxdog199]

You should try and do Challenger vs Camaro vs Mustang to see what’s fastest they can be of any year but still be competitive with each other

[@tyson2964]

Well!!! Did Ben beat the track record? Legend of a man.

[@pheonixfps9248]

Crazy howuch talent THE STIG, has. Mind blowing 🤯

[@JakeFromYoutube]

I'm not sure what's crazier. The time difference in those 13 years, or the fact they look identical, and I can't tell them apart😂

[@somguy5035]

Nice to see how they match up

[@Georgekartveli]

When you said it was amateur vs pro, I was like no way amateur wins, when I found out about Nick's racing background I knew Ben had no shot in the 997. I bet if he studied the track he'd shave a couple seconds off easily. But obviously Ben is just on another level.

[@mightywizard7212]

Even older, the Stig remains the Stig, that’s talent.

[@bicyclist2]

I'd still much prefer the 997 over the 992 because its a manual transmission. Thanks.

[@EmielVanOosterwyck]

It would be a pleasure to see a pov comparison of the drives.

[@Thickercarton]

Finally a fresh challenge vs the usual stuff I see other places

[@rgb1384]

Turbo S vs. GT3 would be a fun matchup .......even an RS just to see how quick the Turbo S is...

[@stevetheodore_specialtycars]

That was a genuinely entertaining video and comparison...well done! I'll admit it would be pretty incredible to see Ben go up against other top pros, and the thought of someone like Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, or of course Max Verstappen giving him a run would be seriously entertaining to watch.

[@CG9446-k3q]

I’d love to see an unbiased BMW episode of new versus old. OG M2 vs M2 Comp vs the new M2. I wonder if in the hands of a pro like Ben who can get the most of the cars what the difference would actually be and which is actually quicker. Also power versus weight.

[@02Guffy]

That's an UNREAL difference. I never would have guessed even half of that. Unbelievable progress