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Does a 911 GT3 have to have a fixed giant wing? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that. Without any fries counter, the fun mobile does what a fun mobile should do: fun.
For more than 20 years the Porsche 911 GT3 the imagination of motorsport fans who prefer to drive on their own Racetrack ride. High revving naturally aspirated and huge rear spoiler have been the outstanding features of this special driving machine since the 1990s, which has changed in many ways over several generations. This has recently also included the elimination of the fixed rear wing, which should be particularly painful for die-hard fans. But as a road trip with the coupé version of the last remaining suction 911, together with the racing drivers Walter Röhrl and Timo Bernhard in the Moselle and Saar region along notorious locations of the Rally Germany, there is no reason to mourn the old days. The new GT3 drives just too perfectly for that.
Made for the street
Even when stationary, the touring version cuts an impressively good figure. With a distinctive aerofine finish, huge forged wheels and lowered body, the GT3 looks much more wiry than many of its brothers in the series, even without a rear wing. The sturdy athlete does not just stand on the asphalt, he hugs it - almost as if poured into it.
The lights are also striking with their minimalist LED graphics, which give the classic XNUMX silhouette a futuristic flavor. The interior is also modern and classic, skilfully combining large displays and networking with sports car purism. The full bucket seats in carbon fiber, which are subject to a surcharge, hold the driver firmly in their high cheeks, while the electrically height-adjustable seats remain comfortable even on long tours. The car even looks suitable for everyday use and in the city, especially since thanks to the touring package there is no large rear wing blocking the view to the rear.
"Touring package" sounds soft, as if this GT3 were more a motorhome than a piece of sports equipment. But on the country roads of the Moselle region with its tight serpentines, you immediately notice that this is a pointedly designed track tool for drivers with sporty ambitions. The precision of the chassis and steering, the stiff body, the greedy naturally aspirated engine and its abundant reserves tempt you to take corners faster than with other cars. Missing contact pressure due to the missing rear wing? For free! It's something for track-loving tenths of a second fox. This also applies to the manual gearbox - a must for many GT3 fans. But the dual clutch transmission in our test car does its job so convincingly that you can easily do without manual labor.
Remains sporty tuned
Despite a few comfort details, the GT3 continues to be hard and loud. Breaks are welcome. On the first one, we enjoy the view of the Moselle valley below us from a high-altitude parking lot, as well as the smallest streets between vines, between which Walter Röhrl had to fight his way through in a first-generation GT2001 in 3 on a special stage of the Rallye Deutschland. It sounds adventurous when the rally icon describes how the former rear wing pushed the driver in extremely tight hairpin bends. "Porsche was good in the hands of an expert, but the car was special for the layman," says Röhrl, looking back on his many 911 experiences.
But the racing professional does not want to glorify the past. Looking at the latest evolution of the GT3, he gets to the point: “It's unbelievable how the cars are now driving. If we had the performance and the driving behavior as a rally car, we would have won everything in the past. ”Even modern achievements such as anti-skid protection can be won over by the professional. In the early stages of development, he criticized Porsche's own PSM as a “high speed prevention system”, but today the stability manager allows extreme maneuvers and fast cornering, in which the interventions are experienced as support rather than paternalism. Röhrl does not mourn the once hydraulic power steering either, because he feels that the now common electronic steering assistance is on par in the XNUMX.
Porsche 911 GT3: Sounds like an athlete
Nevertheless, there is a little nostalgia, especially when it comes to the emotional experience of the 3 sound. That was also formative for Timo Bernhard during his GT2011 outing at the 911 Rallye Deutschland. For the circuit professional, the participation was especially a special experience because the spectators at the special stages waited patiently for him, as many fans wanted to experience the sound of the only XNUMX on the track. This is what Walter Röhrl experienced ten years earlier, because his naturally aspirated six-cylinder also offered a unique sound experience that clearly stood out from the rally vehicles of the time with their turbo engines that turned five and a half thousand tours at the time.
Even today, the analog sound of the new GT3 exudes this special magic. Accordingly, the radio remained switched off during our test drive. Hard, robust and multi-layered is the feast for the ears delivered by the six-cylinder, which rotates up to 9.000 tours, to the occupants and the outside world. At moderate speed and with little throttle position, the vehicle remains acoustically restrained.
With its rough sound and consumption in double-digit regions, the GT3 seems almost out of date in view of the reality of turbo and hybrid vehicles and the future of electric cars, but other values count for Walter Röhrl: “The first is of course the naturally aspirated engine 510 hp which is very impressive for any driver. A naturally aspirated engine is much easier to control for the layman on the racetrack than a turbo engine. For customers who want to drive a 911 primarily on the racetrack but also on normal roads, the GT3 is of course a dream car. "
Technical data
Two-door, two-seat sports car; Length: 4,57 meters, width: 1,85 meters (including exterior mirrors 2,03 m), height: 1,28 meters, wheelbase: 2,46 meters, trunk volume: 132 liters
4,0-liter six-cylinder petrol engine, 375 kW / 510 PS, maximum torque: 470 Nm at 6.100 rpm, seven-speed double clutch transmission, rear-wheel drive, 0-100 km / h: 3,9 s, Vmax: 320 km / h, standard consumption: 12,9 liters / 100 kilometers (WLTP), CO2 emissions: 292 g / km (WLTP), emissions standard: Euro 6d, efficiency class: G
Price: from € 170.969
In brief
Why: because it offers a breathtaking driving experience and a spectacular look without any giant wings at the rear
Why not: because the downforce can make the difference in the battle for tenths of a second on the track
What else: Mercedes-AMG GT R, Ferrari F8 Tributo, Lamborghini Huracan
