Shift-Up Operation for the GT3

My husband came home the other day after driving the GT3 as usual, and he said something really interesting.

It’s been six months since delivery, and today I finally understood how to operate the manual transmission on the GT3 (991.2)! I already knew that for the late 991 GT3, “you don’t need to lift off the throttle when shifting up,” so until now I had been shifting up without lifting off the throttle, keeping it steady. But actually, if you operate it while gently keeping your foot on the accelerator, it shifts up with a sharp “whoosh!” just like a PDK. The sound at that moment feels amazing. I only learned today that the manual on the late 991 GT3 isn’t about lifting off or holding steady on the throttle, but rather shifting up while still pressing it.

Oh, really.

When I asked, “Up to what RPM do you have to pull it to get that effect? Do you have to really rev it high?” he said,

No, you can do it from around 2000 RPM and above. At 1000 RPM, the computer doesn’t seem to adjust the revs. So even when accelerating around town, you can hear that “whoosh” sound when shifting up. Before, I thought, “To really enjoy the GT3 engine sound, you have to rev it up to 4000 RPM… but there’s rarely a chance to do that normally,” but now I’ve found a way to fully enjoy the GT3 even in everyday driving without having to do that.

He said.

With the Boxster, shifting up without lifting off the throttle causes trouble, but the late 911 GT3 manual has a unique way of operating. When I asked, “So that means the Boxster matches revs with auto-blip on downshifts, right? That feels amazing, so is this like the shift-up version of that?” my husband replied,

Exactly, that’s exactly it! It feels incredible. It’s like being a human PDK!

He said.

Porsche You Have to Experience to Understand

My husband said thoughtfully,

But I wonder if even dealer salespeople don’t really know this kind of thing. There aren’t many chances to drive a GT3, after all. Even among owners, few probably read the manual for the GT3. So there might be people driving it without knowing this. I think there are quite a few things you only notice after driving for a long time.

And that’s certainly true.

I’ve also learned many things only after driving the Panamera or Boxster, or by talking with other owners about things I never noticed before. For example, these might be trivial details, but…

・The 981 Boxster’s manual activates auto-blip in Sport Plus mode, but the 718 activates auto-blip starting from Sport mode.
・For our Panamera Turbo, we set the individual mode to deploy the rear spoiler, but when we arrive home, stop the car, and switch individual mode back to normal mode, the rear spoiler doesn’t retract. It only retracts if you switch modes while driving.
・The 911 (991.2) manual doesn’t require lifting off the throttle when shifting up.
・The 911 (991.2) manual won’t automatically restart the engine if you stall; you have to turn the engine off and on again even if you press the clutch and brake. (The 981 Boxster restarts automatically.)
・When starting on a hill with a manual, auto-hold works on some slopes but not on others (very gentle slopes), so it’s best to check the display before moving.
・(Only speaking about the Panamera here) Without the sport exhaust option, the sound difference between normal mode and sport/sport plus modes is barely noticeable.

And so on. These are things you only find out by actually driving.

At the Royu Driveway, where car enthusiasts exchange information almost every week, the value surely lies in sharing information that only owners can know—things you won’t find in catalogs or test drive reviews on automotive sites.

Even after all this time driving, I’m sure there are still features I don’t know about. Maybe I should read the manual thoroughly once again (laughs).