Porsche 911 GT3 (992.2) | UK Review

Better than expected - and then some...

Perhaps more than ever, it’s easy to be cynical about the Porsche 911 GT3. The greater personalisation scope for the 992.2 (at the request of customers) doesn’t feel very motorsporty - neither does having four seats as a no-cost option - and to see a £200k RRP attached to this green one is mind-boggling. But then £45k of extras will do that to a list price. The last one had 510hp, as does this one, so the money for old rope arguments surely won’t be far behind. For those who sing head, shoulders, heel and toe to their kids (start them young and all that), this GT3 seems like marketing has had more of a say than motorsport. Just get an already exceptional old one, if you must, or buy a Carrera T for 80 per cent of the experience - or simply have something else entirely.

Social media hasn’t helped, of course. Sometimes it can seem like the main appeal of a GT3 in the 2020s is not, y’know, a 9,000rpm manual 911, but having that PTS colour nobody else has or never-before-seen contrast stitching. Then moving it on when the next interesting thing comes along. There are 33 992.1 GT3s on PH right now, and three with more than 10,000 miles.

But folk not using their 911s enough is categorically not a problem with the car. And greater availability ought to be a good thing if it means more people get access to GT department wizardry. Certainly it doesn’t take long for the charm offensive of an Oak Green Touring to take hold; the front end is smarter than the slightly gawky visage of the first 992, the optional carbon roof is fun to tap and the magnesium wheels look utterly glorious. It’ll probably seem even more incredible with the right filter on it. Even with wingless GT3s having now existed since 2017 (and it was hardly a great innovation then, let’s be honest), there remains something very special about the road racer attitude and relatively unassuming silhouette.

Seeing four seats in a GT3 is bizarre, that’s for sure. As with all 911s, they’re hardly going to be regular pews for anyone; it might be nice to show the next generation what an engine really ought to sound like, if they’re interested. Equally, there’s no obligation to get the no-cost option for those who want a GT car as pure as possible. The Lightweight Pack seats are - you’ve guessed it - just about perfect, clasping in all the right locations and placing all your limbs at the right angle of attack. The interior of this test car perhaps seems a tad dour, though what is an extended options list for if not jazzing up a driving environment? A GT3 gearlever has never felt too long, right up until shunting the shorter item around - it’s a joy.

Indeed, you’ll be full of childish enthusiasm (and feeling that cynicism ebb away all too easily) before moving an inch. The 4.0-litre still chunters and whirrs and fizzes at idle, responding eagerly to any extra millimetre of throttle, and the travel of the six-speed feels akin to a sequential. You’ll flick it around the gate like it’s the first time you tried a manual, just for the fun of it.

For something often perceived as quite serious, the GT3 is actually very much a ‘for the fun of it’ kinda car. The gearshift is perfectly defined, the clutch perfectly weighted, meaning you really will grab a ratio for the heck of it - and how many cars does that still apply to? The symphony of sounds emitted by the flat-six are all divine, so it’s just a matter of choosing which you’d prefer on the six-speed multichanger. You’ll carry on around roundabouts once more just to feel how alert and secure the chassis is.

That joy of newer GT3s, where there’s the engagement that eludes lesser 911s without the needy demand of Mezger-engined cars, is certainly present here. The steering changes for the second-gen 992 have conferred an extra willingness to the front end and just a tad more life to the wheel, so at any speed the experience is more satisfying. Needless to say, the brake pedal is one of the best out there. And the suspension somehow keeps the car incredibly stiff and level with what feels like an impossible amount of travel, so there’s no sacrifice. Predictably, a GT3 is not at its happiest pootling around town, and most definitely not with the dampers in Track, but that’s missing the point. It can pose if needed, though it never necessarily feels like it wants to.

The gearing changes probably have the biggest influence on the feel of this car now. An eight per cent shorter final drive, ostensibly to address a shortfall in torque (four cats now have contributed to a fall from 347lb ft to 332), has injected extra vim into what was already an effervescent, thrilling powertrain: it doesn’t matter if you shift at 4,000rpm or twice that, the next gear feels more willing to do it all over again than in any previous GT3. The rush is completely addictive, racing through the revs time after time. And that doesn’t have to mean the limiter; the heightened sense of acceleration (and exhilaration) ensures that even getting to fourth by 60mph feels special. If only more new-to-buy cars could be the same.

So a GT3 is beguiling company at everyday commitment levels. But given that chance to extend it just a little bit further and you'll discover the stand-out, sensational 911 all over again. Peak power at 8,500rpm with that revised gearing and a feral shriek from the exhaust compels you to repeat the process indefinitely. Blipping back down the gears is almost as gratifying as accelerating up them, because every interface offers up just the right feel and resistance. Which sounds so basic, yet is so seldom achieved elsewhere. The composure under braking, the precision of the steering and the flawlessness of the body control keeps you coming back for more, on repeat. It’s race car immediacy for the road, without the intimidation. So you don’t stop driving, ideally ever. The size feels alright these days, especially with a thrill to rival mid-engined exotica, the gearbox always keeps you occupied, and the power and torque mean opportunities to extend a GT3 denied to 800hp hybrids. The digital rev counter was thought about only now, truth be told - the change doesn’t matter.

Shock, it’s another great 911 GT3. As absorbing or as agreeable as required, all the time, every time. Granted, yes, the last car offered much the same pay-off, and they aren’t £200,000. The GT3 before that offered what is still the best-looking Touring there’s been, too. And it’s hardly like a Mezger GT3 is anything short of exceptional. There’s always a reasoned, pragmatic reason not to have the newest 9,000rpm 911. But in a world seemingly allergic to manual gearboxes and natural aspiration and usable dimensions (certainly at less than seven figures), the GT3 might well be more persuasive than it ever has been. Just go easy on that option spend.

SPECIFICATION | PORSCHE 911 GT3 (992.2)

Engine: 3,996cc, flat-six
Transmission: 7-speed PDK/6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 510@8,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 332@6,250rpm
0-62mph: 3.4 seconds (3.9 manual)
Top speed: 193mph (194mph Touring)
Weight: 1,439kg (DIN, 1,420kg with Weissach/Lightweight)
MPG: 20.5-20.6
CO2: 310-312g/km (WLTP)
Price: £158,200 (price as standard; price as tested £203,714, comprising Oak Green Metallic Neo for £3,235, Interior with extensive leather items black with contrasting colour GT Silver for £1,017, Rear seats and heated front seats NCO, ISOFIX fastening system for £154, Lightweight Package (Roof made of CFRP, painted in exterior colour, Lightweight door panel with door pull handle in visible carbon, Shortened GT-specific gear lever, Lightweight package logo in front of gear selector, Carbon interior package Lightweight Sport bucket seats (foldable), Anti-roll bars and coupling rods on rear axle as well as thrust field made of CFRP, 20-/21-inch Magnesium Lightweight Wheels) for £29,223, Protective Foil Front for £2,054, HD Matrix LED lights for £2,033, Porsche logo LED door courtesy lights for £154, Extended Package LEather with coloured decorative stitching GT Silver for £1,067, Lifting System front axle for £2,701, Chrono Package with Porsche Design GT Clock for £1,468, Brake calipers in Black for £708, Light Design Package for £431, Bose Surround Sound for £1,269)

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Honeywell

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