Pros: in contention for being the best car we've ever driven
Cons: it's expensive and impractical
Porsche 911 GT3 S/C Design
This is technically the first open-top version of Porsche's 911 GT3 to arrive since the model first appeared in 1999. Saying that, a limited-edition 911 Speedster launched in 2019 using the same engine as this car, but officially the S/C is the first Cabriolet to wear the hallowed GT3 epithet. Although it might not look it to the naked eye, most of its bodywork is made from carbon fibre - the doors, front wings and bonnet are all rendered in the stuff - while the fast-acting roof mechanism (it goes up and down in just 12 seconds, even on the move at speeds of up to 50km/h) incorporates magnesium parts to reduce weight.
In the wheelarches sit the magnesium-alloy wheels from the hugely expensive 911 S/T Coupe special, while the S/C soft-top comes with Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) as standard. It also has various exterior details shared with the S/T, plus a special 'GT3 S/C' badge offset to one side on its mesh engine cover at the back. The overall effect is mesmerising: this ultimate 911 Cabriolet is one seriously good-looking machine.
Porsche 911 GT3 S/C Interior
Building on the GT3's interior, the S/C adds more special features to lift the ambience of what is already one of the best passenger compartments in the automotive sphere. On the lightweight door cards are little fabric loops that you pull to open the doors, while the main grab handles are made of carbon fibre. In the 12.6-inch instrument cluster, the graphics can mimic Porsche's old 'five-dial' array of analogue dials in a suitably retro colour scheme. There are optional carbon-backed bucket seats that hug you tightly. Behind the stubby gear lever for the only transmission choice, a six-speed manual, there's a discreet badge that reads 'GT3 S/C'.
Perhaps more obviously, this is the only 911 Cabriolet in the current line-up without rear seats. They're stripped out in the GT3 S/C as a weight-saving measure, leaving Porsche to quote 373 litres of makeshift luggage space in this area. Further reminding the two lucky occupants of precisely what they're sitting in is a huge 'GT3 S/C' emblem embroidered into the rear bulkhead.
Porsche 911 GT3 S/C Performance & Drive
The Porsche 911 GT3 S/C uses the same 4.0-litre flat-six petrol engine as its two related models, the 'regular' (for want of a much better word) winged car and the demurer Touring, both of which are coupes. It delivers up to 510hp and 450Nm, powering the rear wheels through a six-speed close-ratio gearbox with an shorter final drive than that used by 911 GT3 models before their 2025 midlife update. Weighing less than 1.5 tonnes despite its open-top nature, the S/C can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds.
Now, there are faster 911 Cabriolets in the line-up. The GTS T-Hybrid, for instance, has 541hp and does 0-100km/h in 3.1 seconds, if raw data bothers you. But that is entirely missing the point of the S/C. While other open-top 911s are faster, and all of them are immense fun to drive, not a single one comes close to the exquisite driving experience the GT3 S/C can serve up.
Due to its low weight, the S/C uses exactly the same suspension set-up as the Touring model, so the handling is out-of-this-world good. There's not a soft-top car in existence as sharp, inviting or cohesive as this, with a particular highlight being the steering, which is close to faultless in its rate of response and the way it communicates the body and wheel movements. And this zingy 911 even manages to ride well, the forged wheels and lightweight braking system reducing unsprung mass and blessing the S/C with comfort levels that are quite at odds with its nature.
The crowning glory of this exemplary car is the powertrain. It's one of the all-time greats. The throttle response is linear and crisp, while the engine's flexibility is both surprising and delightful, given its highly strung nature. Oh, and the noise. A soundtrack straight from the automotive heavens. It might be reminiscent of other 911s up to 3,000rpm, but from there to 6,000rpm its voice hardens into a metallic bark and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Venture beyond that point to the 9,000rpm redline and it becomes a truly astounding symphony. And, of course, you can hear it all the better in the S/C, as there's no roof to get between these cosmic acoustics and your ears.
Porsche 911 GT3 S/C Pricing
The 911 GT3 S/C is €388,267. A GT3 Touring manual is €304,434, which looks like a huge gulf to the S/C, but if you add the Lightweight Package (€48,920), PCCB (€15,212) and a desirable colour such as Guards Red (€2,853) to bring that car closer to the S/C's standard specification, you're at €371,419 already. Even then, you won't have as many carbon body parts or the opening roof. As a 911 Turbo S Cabriolet starts from €405,956.
Carzone Verdict
Removing the roof from the Porsche 911 GT3 could have been a huge mistake on the company's part. But not a bit of it - if anything, the S/C might well be the finest of this exceptional model's fantastic breed and possibly the best car we've ever driven.