Today, my husband has written an article about his experience driving the GT3 at Suzuka Circuit at the end of last year. Please take a look.

Last October, Porsche’s driving school was canceled due to heavy rain, so we couldn’t run the GT3 on the track. To make up for it, he took some time off at the end of the year and brought the GT3 to Suzuka Circuit for a spin. This time, I’d like to share his impressions, including comparisons with the Boxster GTS.

Heading to Suzuka Circuit with the GT3

Helmet and driving gloves ready, he left home early in the morning and headed to Suzuka Circuit.

The high-speed stability remains outstanding as ever. On the smooth straights of the Shin-Meishin Expressway, the car sticks to the asphalt like glue. The vertical pitching is minimal, and compared to the Boxster GTS, the GT3 feels more firmly planted to the ground, giving a stronger sense of stability.

This time, he ran two 30-minute sessions, both mixed classes of high-level and beginner drivers. With 48 cars on track, it wasn’t possible to chase lap times, so he focused on carefully observing the GT3’s behavior on the circuit.

First, familiarization laps

Honestly, the GT3 is a handful on public roads. It’s incredibly fast and has extraordinary cornering ability. There are very few places in Japan where you can fully enjoy an engine that revs up to 9000rpm. So usually, you have to hold back the GT3’s urge to run wild, taming this beast like a wild animal.

But this time was different. It was the circuit. And not just any circuit, but the world-renowned Suzuka Circuit International Racing Course. Naturally, there are no speed limits, so you can really let the GT3 loose.

Straight from the pits, he started with familiarization laps, warming up the tires and checking the handling and engine feel.

Passing the first and second corners slowly, he entered the S-curves. The first impression here was “easy to drive.” The roll is very minimal, and the car turns exactly as intended. This responsiveness is on a whole different level compared to the Boxster GTS.

Flowing from the banked corner to Dunlop Corner, the grip on the road is phenomenal. After passing Degner, he entered the hairpin. The turn-in response here was amazing. Although he was driving lightly during familiarization laps, the feeling that the car moves effortlessly was refreshing.

From Spoon Curve, through the back straight and 130R to the chicane, he thought, “Wasn’t I struggling more with the Boxster here?” as he breezed through with ease.

Unleash the GT3!

With the grandstand in sight, shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, he whipped the GT3 into full acceleration, releasing all the frustration built up so far!

The speed quickly hit 200 km/h, and even as the rev counter passed 7000 and 8000 rpm, the power showed no sign of fading. Writing “no sign of fading” may sound simple, but the strength and rapid rise in revs at such high RPMs was unlike anything experienced before. In fact, the needle accelerated even more as it climbed toward 9000 rpm.

Keeping the accelerator pressed, he disengaged the clutch and threw the shift into 4th gear. The GT3’s manual transmission automatically controls the revs and connects gears seamlessly, minimizing speed loss. Still, the strong acceleration G tends to cause the foot to ease off the throttle unintentionally.

He realized he needs to practice shifting while maintaining throttle pressure to build better habits.

Approaching around 230, 240, and nearly 250 km/h, he eased off the throttle and braked. This was his first time using the PCCB brakes on the circuit, so he wasn’t sure how much pedal pressure was needed for effective stopping.

Trying about 70-80% of expected pedal force, the car slowed more than anticipated, leaving some margin. Amazed, he thought, “PCCB is incredible!!” and cleared the first and second corners before entering the S-curves.

Taking the S-curves flat out in 3rd gear, the GT3 cleared them effortlessly. The strong lateral G forced him to brace with his left foot and stabilize his neck to avoid being thrown around, and this 40-something driver fought hard to hold on to the GT3. His left hip started screaming, and his leg cramped up (sweat).

This was a stark reminder of his lack of regular exercise and training.