New Porsche 911 GT3 Review!
The arrival of the legendary GT3 to the new Porsche 911 line-up brings a raw, undiluted and purist motorsport driving experience to the range.
The diversity of models across the broad spectrum of the Porsche 911 range renders it truly unique in the car world. All 911 cars are undeniably sporty, beautifully built and iconic in their own right, but each variant has a different purpose, and is a precision instrument designed to fulfil a very well defined and specific brief.
From perfect daily-driver models such as the entry-level Carrera through to the ballistic performance and luxury of the range topping-Turbo S and every combination in between, it would be impossible not to find the perfect sports car, and equally difficult to agree on which model is the ‘sweet-spot’ of the range.
However, the arrival of the new GT3 to the latest 992 line-up is particularly significant, as it is the first of the revered track-ready GT models to be added to the range.
Perhaps more than any other model in the 992 stable thus far, an aura of mystique surrounds the new 992 GT3. Few have seen one in real life, stories of their limited availability are the stuff of folklore at this stage, not to mention of course the GT3’s outstanding abilities as a track-bred weapon.
As my shark blue press car rolls into view, my mind is buzzing with questions. Just what is this most illustrious of 911s like to drive, could it potentially, at a push, be used as a daily driver, and most interestingly for me perhaps, how does it compare to my favourite 911 thus far - the outstandingly well-rounded Turbo S?
With its new swan-neck supported and motorsport-inspired rear wing twinkling in the winter sunlight, dual centre-mounted exhausts, and stunningly aggressive centre-locking wheels that fill every millimetre of the beautifully sculpted wheel arches they inhabit, the new 992 GT3 is absolutely stunning in the metal.
While the 991.1 GT3’s flowing curves and purity of design will always be a firm favourite of mine, the new car’s sharper lines and aero lend it an incredibly modern, crisp and fresh appearance.
The precision-cut twin air-ducts along the leading edge of the carbon-fibre bonnet are a case in point, and perfectly complement the squared-off bonnet line of the 992 generation 911s. The front apron too is more aggressive than ever before, and the overall stance of the car couldn’t look more purposeful, and that’s before the twinkling weave of the carbon-fibre bucket seats inside catches your eye. The exposed weave on the inside of the bonnet is equally pleasing to admire.
Opening the door using the neatly integrated pre-extended door handle reveals an interior swathed in alcantara. There is arguably no other material that adds such a motorsport vibe to a car’s cabin.
Sliding across the sill, I sink deep into the fixed bucket seat, adjustable only in position and height. The central rev counter with a red-line that begins at 9k revs dominates the driver’s view, flanked of course by two crisp TFT screens that can be configured to display the traditional Porsche 911 5-dial layout. The GT3 boasts a ‘Track Screen’ feature where both screens display minimal driving relating information such as oil and tyre pressures, and even incorporate a virtual gear shift assistant with coloured bars and a shift-light.
The view in the side and rear-view mirrors is dominated by that glorious rear wing - night or day, I never tired of looking at its reflection, such is the drama generated by such a beautifully sculpted rear spoiler.
As with everything about the new Porsche 911 GT3, the new carbon wing is function first, form second. In its standard position, the GT3’s spoiler generates 50% more downforce than its predecessor, and an astonishing 150% more in its track setting at 200km/hr.
The GT3’s 6-speed manual gearbox is an ergonomic and tactile delight, the alcantara gear-knob falling easily to hand, with a short throw, closely spaced selectors, and the sound of linkages back in the engine compartment clicking into place when first gear is selected. The auto-blipping rev-matching feature on downshifts is also great fun, and the car is of course available with Porsche’s lighting-quick paddle-shift 7-speed PDK transmission.
Even at slow speeds having just taken off, it is immediately apparent that the new GT3 feels like no other model in the range. I am also acutely aware of how low it is, so the front-axle lift system with an inbuilt memory function is a God-send!
The wonderfully metallic-sounding and chattery 510bhp motorsport-derived 4.0 litre flat-six engine positively fills the cabin with an effervescent fizz of motorsport drama. The steering is the most tactile I have experienced, constantly relaying information about the road surface directly to the driver. The absence of rear seats enhances the overall motorsport effect, and the GT3 is available with the no-cost option of a ‘Club Sport’ package which adds an interior roll-cage for added drama and track-readiness.
The GT3 is however a car that commands respect. With so much power on tap, and a driving experience so raw and without the protective blanket of four-wheel drive, the GT3 is a car that requires the full attention of the driver at all times, resulting in a fully immersive driving experience.
The new GT3’s incredible acceleration (0-100 km/hr in just 3.4 seconds) and soundtrack is addictive in any of the car’s driving modes. As with all 911s, the first driving option I select on the beautifully crisp and easily navigable central touch-screen is the sport exhaust, and the aural delight is particular rewarding in the GT3 thanks to its new exhaust system with continuously variable valves and a 10kg weight saving over its predecessor.
In fact weight saving is as core to the 911 GT3’s ethos as aerodynamics. Although the car is wider than its 991.2 predecessor and has larger wheels, it still weighs only 1,418kg in manual form thanks to lighter standard features such as thinner glass, a carbon bonnet and rear wing, and forged alloy wheels. A carbon roof is also available as an optional extra.
Yet for all of its track-bred, motorsport features the GT3 is still fundamentally a 911, reflected in the outstanding quality of the car’s fit and finish, the beautifully knurled metal switches on the centre-console, the futuristic touch-pad buttons to control the windows and mirrors, the uber-modern frameless digital TFT displays, and the beautiful contrasting stitching and alcantara that covers almost every surface.
The GT3 has arguably the greatest purity of purpose of any model in the 911 range. It is a precision track-day tool that can arguably be driven every day, albeit I would perhaps specify the comfort sport seats for their added adjustability in daily use, and maybe the PDK transmission for traffic.
Is it as good an all-round daily car as the 911 Turbo S, with a level of luxury and ballistic on-tap performance and the comforting and confidence-inspiring safety of four-wheel drive? Of course not, it was never intended to be. The GT3 is a 911 designed for those that enjoy the raw and visceral thrill of driving, to have to use the breadth of the car’s 10k rev range to extract its full potential with the reward being one of the most enjoyable soundtracks in the game.
Sound-deadening and rear seats would only add weight which would compromise performance, four-wheel drive would deprive the driver of the enjoyment of honing one’s driving skills to handle 510 bhp at the rear axle alone, an electronically deployable rear spoiler would be pointless on a GT3 on track, as it would always be in the raised position anyway. That is the point of the GT3 that can’t be discerned from reading spec sheets and comparing 80-120mph acceleration times, and the point of the Porsche 911 range overall - to offer the perfect sports car for every driver, regardless of their differing references, driving abilities or lifestyle.
R​eview by Robert Kierans (robertkierans@hotmail.com)
P​hotography by Dennis Keane: denniskeane.myportfolio.com
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Comments (14)
Absolutely stunning photos.
Thank you! The work of Dennis Keane - (link at the end of the article!)
You can never go wrong with a manual GT3! Just magnificent!
Great article about great car that stands out and always will!
Incomparable.
Gorgeous, Thanks for sharing!