The new 911 GT3 is proof that Porsche still rocks the party

What Porsche have done with the new GT3 is nothing short of astonishing. For the better part of the last 70 years it has been taken for granted, the Porsche is building cars for the enthusiast. For the one who simply loves driving, being connected, being indulged in the process, and having proper interaction between man and machine. The ever so stricter getting regulations in the 21st century have done their best to make it more and more difficult building a car to achieve exactly that. Now we have arrived in 2021, and thanks to strangling noise and emissions regulations car manufacturers are either looking to entirely bid farewell to the internal combustion engine or are building turbocharged, hybridized performance cars just to stretch the lifespan of the ICE for a couple more years until their doomsday has finally arrived. If 2 years ago you would have told me that the 992 GT3 would be equipped with a cup-car sourced, naturally aspirated screamer of an engine not having any additional hybrid components, I would have stared at you in disbelief.

All the more unfathomable it is to me that a car like this has just been released. Look, Porsche could have gone the easy route. Create a lightweight, more powerful version of the current C2s (which is already turbocharged of course), add a trick suspension, a roll cage and call it GT3. But they did not. Instead they went through all lengths and overcame all the difficulties that come along with developing a mass produced performance car with - in terms of emissions - a disadvantaged atmospheric engine which can even be paired a with a manual transmission. And to top it all off, admittedly judging only by video material so far, it still sounds epic. Despite OPFs, and super strict noise regulations they have pulled it off again. I honestly don't know how they managed to achieve that. Just look at for example the new mid-engined Ferraris, which all sound rather muted to me. Not to mention the fly-by sound of AMG's current halo-car the GTR Black Series, that sounds more like mostly tire noise combined with a vacuum cleaner. There must only be one explanation for how Porsche have done that: witchcraft! Probably combined with rather clever engineering.

I am not even starting to mention the almost demonically possessed level of detail that has again gone into refining, and further enhancing the whole package.

All of that just shows that Porsche is still a company driven be enthusiastic engineers, rather than marketing people. Porsche is one of the very few who actually listen to their customers and try to materialize their wishes, rather than tell them what they should want and favor. They are still bound on building a pure, emotional driver's car, without overprioritizing numbers. That alone deserves the highest praise and arguably a round of standing ovations.

The new GT3 and its upcoming RS sibling along with Porsche's Cayman/Boxster 4.0 variants will very soon be unicorns. At least in Europe they will very likely be the last, newly attainable, mass produced performance cars to hold the torch of atmospheric, non hybridized performance engines. Especially combined with a manual transmission. And high and with pride they shall hold it. This is not just another GT3, this is a very significant car. It is probably the very last of its kind, still inheriting the essence of what makes a GT3. Therefore, we should all cherish this very special car and thank Porsche for building it, despite probably never being able to actually own one...