The New Porsche 911 GT3 and How That Monster Is As a Daily Drive

Have you ever wondered what it is like to drive a Porsche 911 GT3? I did! Of course, it’s the most powerful and driver-focused, naturally aspirated version of the legendary 911, and it is praised by everyone for its brutal power, magnificent driving capabilities and sheer fun. After eight years of driving a 911 Carrera S as my daily (let’s say my reference), of course, I wonder how the newest members of the 911-family are to drive. Last year we got to drive the 911 Dakar (absolutely bonkers!), and earlier this year the new 992.2 Carrera, and later, together with Robin, we got the 992.2 GTS and T. That “T” has made its way to my (totally unrealistic) wishlist as it was just so much fun to drive. So, how about the 992.2 4-litre GT3? Would that be so good that it’ll become an even more unrealistic dream of mine? There’s only one way to find out…

The GT3 was waiting for me in the garage at the Porsche importer, and when the garage door opened, I saw a lovely dark green GT3. Love that colour! When asked if I needed any instructions, I simply said nah… not necessary, although it probably would have been wise to spend 10-15 minutes listening instead of being too greedy and wanting to hit the road as soon as possible. My goal was to find out how it compares to my own 911 (a Carrera S from 2006, for the connoisseurs, a 997.1, manual) as a daily drive. My son didn’t mind being driven to school in something much louder, visually more impressive and with a massive rear wing. Personally… I would have preferred a slightly more discreet version, like the GT3 Touring, that does not come with a huge rear wing.

From the get-go, you immediately feel that the new 992.2 GT3 is hungry. It wants you to floor the pedal. It’s something like a young puppy that goes off, in the blink of a second, when you just lightly touch the pedal, it’s eager, and accelerates bloody fast. This beast is so radically different from my 997.1 and yet I do feel some resemblance…

Yes, I know that might sound strange, but bear with me… What I absolutely love about my 997.1 is the naturally aspirated 3.8 liter flat six engine, the hydraulic steering that gives a very “analog” driving experience, and the sound (which changes drastically as of the 997.2 due to a new engine). The 997.1 feels “analog” and raw and I love the direct and responsive feedback, giving a more mechanical and connected feel with the road. That’s something that I only felt when driving the new 992.2 T and that’s why it made its way to my completely unrealistic wish list. But boy, what a car… like my 997.1 but more modern, faster, more precise. A proper driver’s car!

To be clear, I was taken by surprise by the T, as both the base Carrera and the GTS did not cause any emotions close to this. They felt more ‘clinical’, less connected. Certainly sharp and powerful, however, I missed the raw, analog, feeling and the direct responsive feedback. That T… love that car! So yes, on one hand, I was excited to experience the GT3 and on the other hand, I was not expecting too much. Since I did not really connect with the GTS, I feared the GT3 might also not be for me.

What is the GT3?

To paint the picture of what a GT3 actually means in Porsche’s 911 line-up, we have to go back to the 996 generation, in production between 1999 and 2005. It was built as a homologation model to take the 911 racing under FIA GT3 regulations. The focus of the road-going 996-gen 911 GT3 was on pure driving pleasure, on a knife’s edge. It was built with the idea to give people a racing-car-like feel in a road-legal car. The result was a 911 that was so pure and void of anything a race-car-turned-road-car can do without, that it became an icon with the 911 legacy. It truly is a fan-favourite, not just from people who are into cars, but from proper Porsche enthusiasts too, renowned for its dynamic handling and raw attitude. It simply is that special.

In every 911 GT3 so far, you can count on a few things. A naturally aspirated flat-six engine, all the drive going to the rear wheels only, an advanced aero package, and very little creature comfort. Over the years, Porsche has perfected this to the point that the current GT3 and GT3 RS, which is an even more extreme track-weapon with a license plate, are the raciest versions of the 911 you can get. Where the 996 GT3 made do with 360 horsepower out of a 3.6-litre flat six, the 992.2 GT3 pumps out 510 horsepower from a 4.0-litre flat six. Everything else around that block has also undergone a metamorphosis.

In terms of sheer speed and performance in a straight line, the difference between the first and latest GT3 isn’t that big on paper, but it’s when you send it around a corner where the two are light-years apart. Add to that the optional Weissach pack, which our GT3 came with, and you drop even more weight and get even better aero performance, all in the search of even faster lap times. In a car that you can still safely and relatively comfortably drive to and from the track. But how does that feel in everyday life?

But how does that feel in everyday life?

To spill the beans immediately, I love it! What a raw machine, brutal power, and there’s that direct and responsive feeling that I love so much. Of course, I was not patient enough to get the full explanation, so I didn’t even dig into all the features. I wanted to experience what it was like to drive on a daily basis. And for that it was brilliant, but also with some remarks…

It’s so brutal, so fast, so powerful, that you constantly feel the “itch” to press that pedal down, even for a short, but brutally fast, acceleration. It almost teases you to push the pedal; it’s like that young puppy that simply can’t get enough. And that’s difficult to manage or control. It could get dangerous or very expensive…

Another thing that made the GT3 difficult to use the GT3 as a daily drive was the pretty stiff suspension. While 90% of the time that’s actually one of the big plusses of the car, on small bumpy roads – and there are more than enough of those in my area – or inner city roads with speed bumps – again, unfortunately, we have more than enough of those in the Netherlands – it’s getting uncomfortable. Luckily, this one had a front-wheel lift, so it helps with the speed bumps. You have to reduce your speed to a maximum of 30km/h, and then the lift will raise the front by 5cm, making it much easier to go over the nastiest speed bumps.

It’s already pretty apparent that the GT3 is a proper race machine, and its looks underline this entirely! Now that’s all fine, but such a car also attracts a lot of attention! If you like it or not… For this week of sheer GT3 pleasure, I didn’t mind, of course, but I would choose the Touring Package for a daily car, as it’s a lot more discreet. The rear wing also limits the visibility through your rear window by quite a margin! This proved challenging at times, especially when backing out of a car park.

In terms of handling… well, it simply doesn’t get any better. The GT3 lives up to it legendary name and is even better, much better, than I dared to dream of. Shifting up or down goes fast, in the blink of an eye. The acceleration is brutally fast. Steering is sheer joy, razor-sharp, and I had grip in situations where my 997 would not. Sure, the Michelin Cup tyres help, but the stiffness of the chassis, the suspension and all the electronics on board make the real difference!

As said, I did not dig into all the functions and wanted to simply use it as a daily drive. So the main question for me was, albeit entirely theoretical, if I would prefer the new 992.2 GT3 over the latest 911 T? Now that’s a difficult one to answer. Admittedly, I do prefer the new 992.2 T over my own 997.1. It’s not easy to admit, as I enjoy my car so much; every kilometre is a pleasure, and although I’m not a “Sunday driver” but rather someone who uses it for anything daily, it also means that I’m enjoying it frequently and on many different roads and situations. The 992.2 T was the first 911 that ‘disturbed the force’ and I have to say that this one really changed my perspective on modern 911’s.

GTS vs GT3 vs ‘t’

That being said… how about that new GT3? Well, the GTS with a 3.6 litre engine and additional hybrid wizardry turbo, that we drove earlier this year, squeezes out a mind-boggling 532 hp and 610Nm of torque. That one was fast, insanely fast. But it was maybe so good, so polished, that it simply didn’t cause that “woooow” sensation. That is, until you look at the speedometer and realise how expensive the ticket could be… That’s not the kind of sensation that I’m looking for.

The Carrera T, on the other hand, caused “woooow” sensations due to how the car feels, handles, and accelerates. That’s the sort of sensation my 997.1 causes (albeit a bit less than the new ‘T’), and that’s precisely what I prefer in a 911 used as a daily.

The GT3… the 4.0 litre naturally aspirated engine delivers only 510hp and 450Nm of torque. Yes, that’s less than the GTS delivers. It’s fast —brutally fast —and I leave it to the professional car reviewers to compare both on a track or in a drag race. However, this car delivered something that I really like… a “woooow” factor that is caused by the engine, the super fast acceleration, the brutal power, the sound (yes, that sound!!) and how it handles. That’s entirely different from the ‘cold’ GTS, which makes you sweat just from seeing the speedometer. In the GT3, you will feel the sensation of driving so much more; you will feel how fast you drive, not just after looking at the speedometer.

The GT3 as a daily?

I find this a pretty difficult call… would I like the GT3 as my daily, or still prefer the Carrera T, over my old Carrera S? The ‘T’ delivers more than enough, both as a fun factor and as a pleasant daily car. The GT3 might overdo it on the fun-factor, to be a pleasant daily. If it came with normal sports seats instead of the track-proof bucket seats. Suppose it would allow for the suspension to be eased up when you enter city centres with cobblestone roads and speed bumps. And maybe even, if the two small back seats were still in place. In that case, yes, however, you would need a more than healthy dose of self-control not to want to push that pedal down constantly. You know, that quick, brutal acceleration, just for fun, on virtually every run you do. It keeps teasing, and you know how much fun it is when that naturally aspirated 4 litre engine roars.

So, altogether… I would still put the ‘T’ on my wishlist. Don’t get me wrong, I love the GT3. But for a daily, I would love a setting to soften the suspension. I’d prefer back seats (kids!) and regular sports seats over bucket seats. The GT3 was wild, almost untameable… but I fear that, for me at least, the most challenging factor to control is my own desire to press the pedal down.

I’d love to hear what your thoughts are… GTS, GT3 or the T? What would be your preferred 911 for daily driving?