Driving the 911 GT3 on the Highway

I briefly mentioned it on the blog, but since my husband was taking the Porsche Track Experience (PTE) Master course, our family headed to Fuji the other day.

Because he was taking the PTE course in the GT3, it was impossible for all four of us to fit in one car, so naturally we went with two cars, and I drove the BMW 320i. (The Panamera’s tires were in pretty questionable shape at the time.)

I never imagined we’d be driving two manual cars all the way to Fuji… haha.

While driving on the highway and stopping at Hamamatsu SA, my husband said,

“Since we’re here, want to try driving the GT3 on the highway? It’s incredibly stable, and you’ll be even more impressed than usual.”

So we switched drivers.

It had been a while since I last drove the GT3. Plus, my husband wasn’t beside me this time—I was driving the GT3 alone. I thought, “I’m a bit nervous~” but adjusted the seat properly, pressed the clutch, and started the engine. The engine was so loud that people nearby in the parking lot turned around in surprise (lol).

For some reason, the clutch felt very light that day. “Wait, was the GT3 clutch always this light? If so, I think I can handle this.” I thought, and with my husband following behind, I slowly pulled out and merged onto the highway from the service area exit.

Actually, I had never driven the GT3 above 60 km/h before (what was I even doing until now? lol), so it was my first time really feeling the acceleration. I pressed the accelerator hard in 4th gear, and the speedometer quickly showed an incredible number…!

What’s more, the stability was amazing, so I felt no sense of speed or fear at all.

After merging safely, I drove in the passing lane, and what really surprised me was the GT3’s precision. It felt incredibly precise, meticulous, and crafted with no compromise or deviation—like a car built with the engineers’ souls poured into it. Also, it was noticeably smoother than when driving on regular roads.

Just recently, I test drove a BMW M2 and was very impressed, but my husband said,

“Really? I think the 320 is better balanced.”

Now I think I understand why.

The GT3 is truly in a class of its own.

In other words, once you know the GT3, it’s hard to be impressed by other sports cars unless there’s something really special. (Lately, my husband has been saying, “I actually want to try a Rolls-Royce or something,” lol)

Feeling the GT3’s Acceleration

Wow, the GT3’s high-speed stability is incredible. Its low weight and solid grip make it feel rock-steady, and the faster you go, the more stable it becomes. When I drove it on the Royu Driveway before, my husband said, “It has so much power, I don’t know what to do with it!” but on the highway, maybe because the sense of speed was less intense, I felt calm and relaxed driving it. For the first time, I thought, “So this is what the GT3 is really like.”

Also, even when driving the 320i on the highway, cars ahead rarely moved aside for me, but with the GT3, even when keeping a good distance, cars ahead kept moving out of the way, making it very easy to drive.

This must be one of the reasons why Porsche driving feels so effortless.

Entering a tunnel, when the car ahead moved aside, I downshifted to 5th gear and accelerated a bit more boldly. The GT3’s engine roar echoed throughout the tunnel.

W-what is this amazing feeling?!

The deep rumbling from the ground sounded just like a race car, reverberating inside the tunnel. I couldn’t help but shout “Wow, amazing!” to myself and grinned while driving.

However, traffic was heavy that day, and downshifting to 4th and accelerating would have been crazy, so I stuck to accelerating in 5th gear and didn’t push the speed too much. But honestly, that was probably for the best—otherwise, I might have kept flooring the accelerator endlessly. Safety first!

After driving for a while, we switched drivers again at a service area. When I excitedly told my husband,

“That was incredible! The GT3 is a car made with soul—it really is completely different from any other car!”

he just grinned and said,

“Right? You finally get it?”

(laughing)

That said, the GT3 really shows its true worth on the circuit (which I definitely can’t handle), so I’d love to hear my husband’s impressions of driving the GT3 on the track.

I’ll try to drive the GT3 more often too.