Porsche 911 GT3 review

Pros: Performance, equipment, status

Cons: Firm suspension, too technical for some

The Porsche 911 GT3 has always been about as close as you can get to a proper race car that you can still use on the road. Now the latest generation has arrived and it’s lighter, quicker and offers the ability for enthusiasts to set up their car their way more than ever before.

Porsche 911 GT3 Design

The 911 GT3 is designed to annihilate corners on racetracks, pass lesser vehicles on pit straights and make every driver feel as though they are just biding their time between trips to the Nürburgring. Its design is therefore in keeping with these characteristics, which means a wide track between the wheels, a deep front splitter to channel air and a rear wing, a massive, swan-neck rear wing that has a multitude of adjustments depending on whether you are driving to the shop or tackling a tight racetrack chicane. In a word, its design is purposeful. If that’s all too much for you, then fear not, because you can have a GT3 without the rear wing in the form of the 911 GT3 Touring, which really is the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Porsche 911 GT3 Interior

Things are sporty inside too, especially if you order a GT3 with the zero-cost option of the Clubsport package. This includes a roll bar behind the front seats, a six-point safety harness for the driver, a fire extinguisher and a battery disconnect switch. Even if you do, you’ll still have a touchscreen infotainment system that can connect to your smartphone to play some banging bass while you are flying through the next apex. The sports seats are reasonably comfortable with the ability to slide forward or back manually or raise and lower electronically. What you can’t do, at least not without a socket set and a screwdriver, is adjust the backrest. This might seem unimportant, but when you’ve set the seat up perfectly to do a Sunday breakfast run, it will be very different if you wear a helmet to go out on track. Take our word for it.

Porsche 911 GT3 Performance & Drive

The GT3 is not about its interior though, it’s about performance. Under-the-skin changes include front suspension developed for the 911 RSR race car. It has rear-wheel steering for the first time too. Power from the naturally aspirated four-litre boxer engine sits at 510hp, 10hp more than the last generation, all of which is pushed to the rear wheels as you push the revs to their maximum of 9,000rpm. The PDK auto version we drove can sprint to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds from a standstill and there is a range of settings from Normal to Track to get the most out of it, depending on your skill and confidence. Sadly, we put it to the test in very wet conditions on track, where we can tell you the systems are very good at catching the slide, but even so, it was easy to get an idea of how potent the GT3 is. The power delivery is instant, the engineering typically impressive and the whole car feels as though it responds to your demands in a way that few other performance cars can truly match.

Porsche 911 GT3 Pricing

Prices start at  €231,041 for the standard model. The Clubsport Package is a no-cost option and if you want to go with the slightly more subtle GT3 Touring version, then the good news is that you can have the stealthy version for the same price as one with the massive wing.

Carzone Verdict: 4.5/5

The Porsche 911 GT3 remains the pinnacle of performance, a car that is always eager to be pushed to its limits. It’s not for everyone, but those that do get it will really get it. Now, more than ever.