Manual dexterity
The latest 911 GT3 is about sensation as much as speed
IT WAS TWO YEARS ago that Porsche’s GT department head Andreas Preuninger sat alongside me in the passenger seat of a 911 R. We mused about the possibility of the R’s six-speed manual transmission being used elsewhere in the 911 range, even threw some hypothetical sales figures back and forth, should such a car be built.
It has been, Porsche back-pedalling on its decision with the first-generation 991 GT3 to offer it with two pedals and paddleshifters alone. The new GT3 can be had with those, and a seventh ratio, but now it’s also offered with a tweaked version of the six-speeder that gained so much acclaim in the limited-run 911 R.
Preuninger and I figured about a 60:40 split, PDK to manual. It might be more, it might be less, but it matters little: Porsche’s most intense model gets the transmission at least a portion of its purist audience wants. It’s a touch slower with the manual, but even Porsche admits it might have focused a bit too much on lap times with the previous GT3, forgetting those people who aren’t bothered by milliseconds and instead are more interested in sensations.
The new GT3 promises both. The specification might read like an amalgam of the GT3 RS and 911 R, but it’s so much more than that. Yes, the engine shares the same 4.0-litre capacity, but it’s lifted from the 911 Cup car, with an all-new rigid valvetrain, hollow crankshaft, lighter internals, reduced-friction liners and a dual flap intake system that benefits from a ram air effect at top speed.
The result is 493bhp at 8250rpm, a stratospheric 9000rpm redline, yet flexibility at low revs that’d hoodwink you into thinking there’s some forced induction going on. Only there isn’t: the immediate response underlines its natural aspiration as much as the maniacal race car howl it makes when it’s chasing that red paint. Do so in the PDK and it’ll reach 62mph in 3.4 seconds; the manual 0.5sec more.
You’ll forgive it that, as the six-speed’s shift is sweet in its action and quick as they come. Add perfect pedal spacing and weighting and you can forgo pressing the Sport button that brings rev-matching blipped downshifts and do them yourself. How delightfully old school.
The engine and transmission combination is a masterpiece, but so too is the chassis. Turnin, aided by the rear wheels steering, is near-RS quick in its immediacy, the brakes are mighty, and the suspension balances incredible control with a ride that’s surprisingly supple. Impressive, especially given the GT3’s clear focus.
There’s greater downforce too, despite the same drag: everything on the GT3 has been finessed in the pursuit of efficiencies, with the ultimate goal of speed. It’s a friendlier, more approachable car than the RS before it, and no less quick in the real world. Possibly quicker, being slightly narrower and, hence, more exploitable on the road.
This is an immersive, engaging car that betters even the fabled 911 R. Yes, the GT3 really is that good, however you swap cogs – but as a manual it’s at its very best.