Production Years: 2017- | Generation: 991.2 | Units built: –
Engine: 4L naturally aspirated flat 6 | Power: 493 bhp | 0 – 60 mph: 3.4 s | Top Speed: 193 mph
You will notice that the 991.1 GT3 did not make our list. The reality is that it was an awesome car but had two main issues. First, it was plagued by engine issues and needed a recall and second it had no manual. With the 991.2 GT3 Porsche got everything right, it took the most involving 911 ever and bulletproofed the engine, added a manual and made it even better across the board. That’s why it gets the nod over the 991.1.
The GT3 has a screaming engine, is available with a manual gearbox and is the most involving sports car money can buy. It is a little rough around town so opt for a different 911 of you are looking for a daily driver. If you want to look a little more subtle, you can now opt for the Touring package which removes the rear wing (we love it).
The powerplant is a masterpiece. It’s a dry-sump, 4.0-liter flat-six engine that can scream up to its 9,000-rpm redline, making 500 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. While the rest of the 911 range has torque-rich turbocharged engines, this is one you still have to work with and one you want to wind up to 9,000 rpm. The GT3 can be equipped with a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox. The PDK is faster but as manual men we know we’d opt for the stick shift every time.
With the PDK and the launch control system activated, the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 gets to 62mph in 3.4 seconds. With the manual gearbox, a similar sprint takes 3.9 seconds. That makes the GT3 barely faster than the 911 GTS which is a better daily driver and a 580-hp 911 Turbo S is an entire second faster to 60 so why would you choose the GT3 over these models. It’s easy. It is how it drives and how it makes you feel.
The GT3 has the best handling I’ve ever experienced. It is fast, precise and you can feel everything going on beneath you. The car is surgically precise, the suspension is firm with almost no body roll, and the various scoops and vents on the body not only help cool down the mechanical components but also increase downforce so the car sticks to the pavement. A GT3 feels like a totally different experience to other cars. It’s loud, stiff, rough and pointy. It is full sensory overload at slow speeds around town and an almost religious experience at speed on track. There is nothing better.