When you buy a new Porsche 911, it’s important to be clear about exactly what kind of 911 you are looking for. Take a look at Porsche’s website and you’ll find 25 different variants of the 911 to choose from.
Each is different in character and performance, so choose carefully according to your needs. If that happens to be ‘a need for speed’ then the new 911 GT3 strikes that fine balance between seriously hardcore driving and normal day to day use. Pause for thought though, for even the basic entry-level 911 is a seriously honed high performance car with exceptional handling and performance by any standards; the GT3 is the ‘serious one’ for the committed driver, exceeded only by the recently launched no-compromise GT3 RS.
USP
Don’t you just love it though? Blessed with the DNA of know-how, race-bred performance, and quality; its seductive ‘no messing’ yet subtly understated looks evolve more on account of this heady combination of credibility rather than the romanticism of design.
The GT3’s USP shows the minute you lift your bum ‘over and into’ the specially crafted sports seats, hugging you tightly, their limited adjustability a reminder that driving (hard) is the primary purpose of this tool. Ahead is a surprisingly (but appropriately) large diameter, alcantara wrapped sports steering wheel with additional functions limited only to horn and paddle shift. The dashboard is outdated by today’s standards, and thoroughly in need of a new eye, but 911 dashboard designs are traditionally retained for many years whilst 911 engineering development moves on at a pace. Us driving enthusiasts have no problem with that.
Magic
The engine is a given; very powerful, raucous and fast (see spec). Great as the engine is for any performance driving you care to name, and especially good on track days, it is the handling, the grip of those amazing Michelin Cup 2 tyres, and the seamless magic of the seven speed sequential gearbox that turn this GT3 from ‘very good’ to ‘brilliant’. This formula combined enables the GT3 to eat fast B roads (and race circuits) as if each were made only for this car, and it does both with absolute brilliance and mastery. It is the benchmark for the requisite combination of grip, power and agility that make for a truly ultimate driving experience. It’s involving, emotional, precise… exciting.
And before you ask, yes of course there are faster cars, the amazing Ferrari 458 Speciale being one of them, but then Porsche’s answer to that one is the new GT3 RS. All we can say is, Supercar owners have never had it better…
From £100,540
