At Last, a Chance to Drive the GT3

At the recent “Sunday Morning Gathering at Royu,” my husband got the chance to drive a Porsche 911 GT3 (991.1)—and came away absolutely thrilled.

A little later, once the excitement had settled, I asked him what he thought of the GT3. Here’s how he described the experience.

Porsche GT3 Test Drive Review

① Pulling Away

Before riding in the GT3, I’d assumed that a car designed for the track would have a heavy accelerator and be difficult to drive. But my husband had a different take:

The GT3 I drove had a PDK transmission with no creep, but with just a light touch of the throttle, it pulled away much more smoothly than I expected. It felt a lot like bringing a manual car to life with a little blip of the accelerator. Since I usually drive a manual, it felt completely natural to me.

We only had a short test drive on Royu, so we couldn’t judge how it would be around town or on longer trips. Still, he said “at least when setting off, it didn’t feel uncomfortable or harsh.”

② Handling

As he drove, my husband kept exclaiming, “What is this thing? It’s completely different from anything I’ve driven before!” Later, I asked him, “What made it feel so different?”

The handling was absolutely precise, and the car felt incredibly stable. I could tell right away after accelerating and taking just one or two corners in Normal mode. The McLaren 650S I used to own also had sharp, incredibly precise handling, but this was different.

“Interesting. You say it’s precise, but different from the McLaren. What do you mean?” I pressed him. “The McLaren felt like running on asphalt almost barefoot, while the GT3 felt like running in an ultra-light, high-performance sneaker.”

So, was it like wearing the running shoes made by the traditional Japanese tabi sock maker featured in the hit TV drama *Rikuō* last year? (If anything, that probably makes it harder to picture.) He went on:

When I say the McLaren felt almost barefoot, I mean it felt like there was nothing between the tires and the driver—you were directly connected to the road. There was very little body roll, so you could easily feel what the road was doing. It was easy to control, but that directness could be tiring, and even though it cornered beautifully, I’d sometimes find myself worrying that it might suddenly break traction. Maybe the easiest comparison is a go-kart.
On the other hand, the GT3 felt like wearing a high-performance sneaker that fits your foot perfectly. It’s easy to drive and comfortable, yet through the shoe’s advanced sole, you can clearly sense the road, how the load is shifting, and just how much grip you have in reserve.

“That must be a testament to Porsche’s engineering. When you’re driving, it feels as if the car is saying, ‘You’re not even close to the limit. Keep going!’ I can’t think of many cars that let you corner with this much stability and confidence.” For comparison, he said the Boxster felt like wearing a sneaker with a slightly thicker sole. (Laughs.)

③ The PDK SPORT Button

Pressing the “PDK SPORT” button at your fingertips makes the transmission downshift at just the right moment when you brake before a corner.

“It was incredibly smart. The downshifts came at such perfect moments, I almost wondered if the car had a camera that could see the corners coming.”

He found it so clever that he said he could almost do without the paddle shifters. He did use the paddles to shift manually during the test drive, but found the PDK SPORT automatic mode more fun, so he spent most of the drive in that setting.

④ Engine

The engine was, of course, sharp and powerful. “It’s not really a fair comparison with the 3.4-liter engine in the 981 Boxster GTS, but the GT3 had noticeably more torque and power,” he said.

The tachometer needle climbed at a completely different rate when accelerating out of a corner in second gear. In situations where the Boxster can feel a little sluggish, the GT3’s needle just kept rising without hesitation.

That’s the GT3 for you.

⑤ Engine Sound

Even from the passenger seat, I kept thinking, “That sounds good.” My husband put it this way:

I’d describe the engine note as hard-edged. I’m not sure how to explain it, but it sounded distinctly sharper than the Boxster. The 981 Boxster GTS has a more flowing, melodic sound, while the GT3 goes “Kaaang!” It reminded me of a wind instrument with a shorter tube. (Though my husband knows absolutely nothing about orchestras or musical instruments, lol.)

He added, “The sound when shifting up and down was unbelievably satisfying. I could have recorded the blip when the PDK engaged with a solid thump and listened to it over and over!” Go right ahead. (Laughs.)

Reviews and test drives often mention that the GT3 lets engine noise and other sounds come straight into the cabin. I asked him what he thought:

It was definitely noisier than a standard 911, but I’m used to driving the Boxster with the roof down, so the engine and road noise come through even more directly. The GT3 didn’t feel uncomfortable at all—in fact, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable a closed body could be.

From the driver’s seat, he thought the Boxster actually sounded louder. There’s an obvious difference between an open and a closed body, but the 981 Boxster GTS has one of the loudest engine notes in the Porsche lineup. He felt its crackling afterfire on a lift-off was particularly louder and more pronounced than the GT3’s.

That makes sense. Lately, I’ve felt that the Boxster’s engine has become louder than ever. Maybe the exhaust is nicely broken in now.

⑥ Ride Comfort

Neither my husband nor I found the ride uncomfortable from the passenger seat. On the winding roads, the bumps and jolts never bothered us. (We can’t say how it rides around town, though.)

I’ve always loved taking long road trips around Japan, so concerns about ride comfort and refinement had ruled the GT3 out when I was considering what to buy. But after driving it, I think I could absolutely live with it.

That was my husband’s verdict.

He added, “The GT3 might hit harder when you go over a big bump, but over smaller imperfections in the road, I actually think the Boxster may transmit more of those little, repetitive vibrations.”

The Porsche GT3: Final Verdict

We only tested the GT3 on winding roads, so I can’t give a particularly comprehensive review. But my honest reaction was, “I had no idea a car this much fun still existed!” It felt focused and solid in every way, yet it was stable and reassuring to drive.
There are cars with more brutal power than the GT3, and others with even sharper, scalpel-like handling. But there aren’t many that also deliver the kind of confidence you can feel with all your senses. I think that’s why the GT3 is able to give the driver so much enjoyment without taking away from the experience.
I hear the 991.2 GT3 is even better, so I’d love to try one someday.

And that’s our test drive review of the 911 GT3 (991.1).