Porsche 911 GT3 Touring
New supercar-chasing version of the 911 is now also available in a slightly subtler form
A subtler supercar slayer
n 2017, Porsche created a Touring Package for the 911 GT3, and in doing so gave us one of the most covetable performance cars ever. Like so many good ideas, it was simple. Zuffenhausen took the 911 GT3, with its jewel of an engine, its manual gearbox and its beautifully honed chassis, then swapped the rear wing for the extending deck from the 911 Carrera and ditched Alcantara in favour of smooth leather. The result was an exceptionally special machine disguised as a moderately special one.
And this subtler, more charming alter ego worked so sweetly because the 991-series 911 was very much at home on the road in the first place.
Now the GT3 Touring is back, earlier in the model cycle and with optional PDK. Again, simply the sight of it gets the blood pumping, because while the elegant silhouette is regular 992-series 911, the details are not.
The shotgun exhaust, the wide rear diffuser, the nostrils in the carbonfibre bonnet, the scalloped rear bumper and even the staggered, centre-locking alloy wheels are all pure GT3, as is the aggressively profiled front bumper – although you might not notice that, because on the Touring it’s painted the colour of the body, rather than being black plastic.
This new GT3 Touring is obviously less understated than the old one, and the low-slung, carbonfibre-shelled seats don’t do much to quell the sense of occasion when you slide aboard. This time, there’s no doubt about it: you’re in a GT3, rear wing or not.
In some ways, the beefier looks are a bellwether for the driving experience, which raises awkward questions over the name’s suitability. This is a more capable car than its supple forebear, and one with greater track focus, but that comes at a cost. The miserly suspension travel makes the ride unforgiving at everyday speeds; the front’s double wishbones encourage the nose to hunt about on poorer roads; the wider Michelin Cup 2 tyres find more grip but, along with the drumskin suspension, generate serious roar; the quicker steering lets you tap into the car’s housef ly agility at will but can make progress feel nervous; and the larger footprint requires greater alertness from you.
The GT3 Touring is a magnificent thing, capable of changing direction so crisply and with such cohesion between its axles that it’s genuinely breathtaking. It also communicates in a way that you find a confidence when you’re really pushing that you would swear had been years in the making. And the engine – 3996cc of naturally aspirated, individual throttle-bodied f lat six that spins to 9000rpm with joy – is unforgettable.
But driving the GT3 Touring is an event whether you’re in the mood or not, so for a car that laps up genuine touring duties yet still has some bite to its driving experience, the upcoming 911 GTS is a better bet.
If only the GT3 Touring will do (and I completely understand if so), here’s what you want to hear. It touts not only the spacious boot common to all 911s but also, because there are no rear seats, at least three times as much cargo space in the cabin. Note, however, that the non-folding bucket seats restrict the opening for loading.
In fundamental terms, the driving experience is also slick: pedal travel, position and weight are just so and the auto-blip function is useful on the road. Visibility is excellent and the interior hits that functionalluxury sweet spot that Porsche does so well. And while it’s noisy inside, conversation is still relatively easy.
And when you do hit an inviting stretch of road, the car’s combination of delicacy, character and raw energy makes it satisfying and fulfilling in a way that no other Porsche manages, even at only moderate commitment levels – which is saying something.
That’s why, despite the slightly misleading Touring moniker, this wingless wonder still gets five stars. What an utterly compelling car.
With two SUVS and a hatchback having already received the bronze badge and big power treatment, Cupra’s transformation into Seat’s go-faster sibling brand continues unabated. Now it’s the turn of the Leon Estate.
Sporting a lowered stance, bespoke exterior styling, quad exhaust pipes and liberal use of copper accents, the Cupra cuts a meaner figure than the equivalent Seat, but one that can still claim some semblance of subtlety.
As with the Leon hatchback, it is available with your choice of petrol or plug-in hybrid power – but fourwheel drive and the highest output can be had in the estate only, courtesy of the EA888 turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that is also used by the new Volkswagen Golf R Estate.
It produces 306bhp here, giving the Golf R a slight edge, and Cupra’s 4Drive system does without the Drift mode lairiness, although you do get an XDS electronic differential lock at the rear and adaptive dampers.
Suspension is by a Macphersonstrut front and a multi-link rear and drive is delivered through a sevenspeed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
All variants sit on 19in alloys (black with copper accents, naturally), while range-topping VZ3 trim adds luxuries to the extensive standard kit list including a powered tailgate, leather upholstery, heated front seats and wireless smartphone charging.
Whichever Leon Estate you go for, there’s 620 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place – 240 more than you get in the hatchback. Cupra expects that additional practicality to win over 35% of all Leon customers.
The cockpit is largely the same as in the hatchback, meaning there are supportive sports seats, digital instruments and a distinct lack of buttons, with most functions moved to the 10in infotainment touchscreen. You therefore need to go through multiple menus to find functions, which is as frustrating as it sounds.
At least one of the two oversized buttons mounted on the steering wheel changes the driving mode, so you don’t have to reach far once you get to an enjoyable stretch of Tarmac.
Cupra mode turns everything up to full wick, including the augmented engine note, which takes on a nearly V8-like woof le. This alone gives the estate a different character to the hatch, but it’s the combination of the extra heft and the 4Drive system that makes the larger impact on the road.
There’s excellent traction, even in poor weather, and grip to give you lots of confidence in faster corners, but the estate isn’t quite as responsive or manoeuvrable as the hatch when you’re pressing on. The steering is quick but a little on the light side, even in the sportier driving modes.
The 0-62mph sprint is dispatched with ease in just 4.9sec, putting the Leon Estate on par with the pricier Mercedes-amg A35 Shooting Brake. It has undeniable straight-line pace, accessible from early in the rev range; and when it’s left to its own devices, the gearbox will rattle through cogs quickly and largely without drama.
It will happily hold onto gears when foot meets f loor, but the engine note isn’t particularly soul-stirring when you approach the upper end of the rev range. The shift paddles are frustratingly small, too, being barely in reach of your fingertips.
Comfort is the mode for cruising, but the suspension can still thump over poor road surfaces. Swap into Sport and things get noticeably brittler, and Cupra mode goes even further; you will want to avoid it away from smooth roads. At least there’s an Individual mode that lets you pick from the engine, steering and chassis settings to get the best parts of each.
Although it loses a little ground to the hatch on handling prowess, the Leon Estate has the edge on allweather precision and practicality. And while it can be brutally quick, it’s more strait-laced than its lairy rivals.