My husband also said this:
I once rode in a friend’s 911 Speedster (991), and I felt that the Speedster is easier to take touring than the GT3 Touring. First, the suspension is completely different from the GT3’s. Especially at low speeds, it’s easier to ride. Also, the engine sound is enjoyable even at low revs, so just driving slowly on public roads you can enjoy that pleasant “quawn” sound. By the way, the Speedster’s exhaust is titanium, similar to the GT3RS and 911R. On the other hand, the GT3’s engine is tuned fully as a racing engine, so unless you rev it up, you don’t get that great engine sound.
I said, “So, even though it’s called the GT3 ‘Touring,’ it’s not really suited for touring, huh?” and he replied,
No, I think it’s perfectly suited for ‘touring’ on really fun, twisty roads. Driving roads like those in Izu or Hakone feels amazing, and the highway driving is breathtaking. But the drive to get to those fun roads, with heavy traffic and slow average speeds, is tough. For someone like me who enjoys long-distance ‘grand touring’—traveling with the car—it might not be the best fit.
He added,
Also, I think the fact it’s a manual transmission matters. Recently, I rode in a friend’s GT3 (991 late model) with PDK, and it was very easy to drive. The GT3 manual doesn’t have an escape route—you’re constantly communicating with the car. Handling a 500-hp engine smoothly with clutch and throttle takes skill and practice, and it’s mentally demanding. That’s part of what makes this car fun, but when I go on tours of 2000 km or more, it can be tiring.
I see…
I asked, “But your Boxster is also manual, right? Doesn’t that tire you out? You even said after driving 2000 km recently, you still felt great and wanted to keep going, lol,” and he said,
The Boxster is manual too, so you do have to communicate with the car, but it’s easier to drive at low speeds. You can start in first gear and ease off the throttle a bit, and the Boxster is fine, but the GT3 will jerk if you’re not careful at low speeds. The late-model 911 GT3 has no shift shock if you shift while keeping the throttle down, but the power is so strong that you need a big gap to the car in front to do that. So, it’s basically impossible to do well in city traffic.
He went on,
If you only owned the GT3, you might not feel this way, but since I also compare it to the Boxster and 911 Cabriolet, low-speed driving is tiring and I don’t want to drive it on cold winter days. But tires have a huge impact on the car, so switching to Pilot Sport 4S might make it much easier to drive. But then I’d just be buying tires all the time… I just bought winter tires and wheels for the Cayenne recently, and tires are really expensive…
He muttered on like that.
Listening to him, I was reminded just how amazing people who buy sports cars like Porsches really are. I still have a lot to learn, and I’m sure after buying one I’d be thinking, “Oh no, this isn’t what I expected!” a lot (though I don’t have the funds yet, so no worries for now lol).
I’d better study up while I can.
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