But the GT3’s stability is amazing. It’s so stable and smooth that when he thought, “Maybe I can push a bit more?” and pressed the throttle harder mid-corner, the tires nearly lost grip, the car’s behavior slightly unsettled, and the PSM stepped in to control it. “So this is the level of intervention with PSM ON,” he thought, exploring the limits as he headed from Dunlop Corner to Degner.
Passing under the overpass, he floored it in 2nd gear. Listening to the sublime flat-six NA sound at 9000 rpm, he approached the hairpin.
Surprisingly, he could get on the inside line easily at the hairpin. When driving the Boxster, it was tougher, and a bit of overspeed would cause the car to drift wide, but the GT3 responds sharply to steering inputs and cuts in firmly.
Compared to the Boxster, the GT3 shows much less understeer and leans more toward oversteer.
Driving flat out through 200R is quite intimidating, but he pushed through. Rather than fear, the GT3’s price tag flashed through his mind, so he didn’t push too hard and headed to Spoon Curve. The GT3 remained very stable even at the exit leading to the back straight. This section is tricky, where a poor line or overspeed can unsettle the car, but the GT3’s forgiving nature lets it corner as if nothing happened.
He opened the throttle fully on the back straight and approached the challenging 130R. He recalls taking this corner at about 140-160 km/h in the Boxster, but the GT3 handled it with ease. At around 170-180 km/h, it still didn’t feel too scary. He felt he could go faster, but controlling the thoughts about the GT3’s price was harder than the fear itself (laughs).
After running 130R, he honestly thought, “If only this GT3 had a rear wing…” or rather, “If only this were a GT3 RS…” The wingless GT3 Touring Package is very stable and not lacking, but it makes you want to experience even higher performance.
If you’re mainly thinking about circuit use, the GT3 RS is probably the way to go, he concluded.
Braking before the chicane was very easy to modulate. Of course, Porsche’s standard brakes are also very controllable, but the PCCB has a deep bite, and when you feel “I braked a bit too much” or “Not enough,” a slight adjustment in pedal pressure smoothly brings the car to the exact speed and point you want.
Other high-performance supercar brakes are also excellent and may have equal or greater stopping power, but this level of control and the way it matches human feel is what makes ‘Porsche brakes’ special, he thought.
This was his first time bringing the GT3 to the circuit, and the biggest realization was that he was “not in control of it at all.” He had grown confident handling the GT3 on public roads, but that was a complete illusion.
The GT3 hides expressions and abilities that never show on public roads, and when unleashed, it clearly reminded him that his driving skills are far below the car’s potential.
The GT3’s extraordinary dynamic performance means anyone can drive it fast to some extent. Even if you make mistakes in line or braking, the car’s capabilities cover a lot of ground. On the other hand, if you can actively harness that performance to shave lap times, the GT3 will show you an even higher world.
In his case, he felt he was only using the GT3’s performance to cover his own mistakes and lack of skill, not to push forward positively. So, he still feels “I haven’t mastered the GT3 yet.”
With many cars on track and mixed classes, plus yellow flags and red flag interruptions, he couldn’t get a single clear lap, so no proper lap timing was possible.
Currently, he’s analyzing the driving data and video recorded with Porsche’s official smartphone app, “Porsche Track Precision,” and practicing at home on Gran Turismo SPORT. He hopes to hit the circuit again soon.
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