Back Behind the Wheel of the GT3

The other day, I drove a manual 911 GT3 for the first time in a while. It had been about two months since I last drove one, but I’d gotten much more comfortable with the clutch and shifting, and those parts of the driving experience no longer felt awkward.

But sadly, the GT3 and I just don’t seem to click.

In my BMW 320i, if I think, “Third gear is making this hill a struggle,” I shift down. If I think, “This stretch would be fun to take a little faster,” I shift up. It all comes naturally.

And even in another Porsche, the Boxster GTS, I can rev the engine, listen to its sound, feel connected to the car, and enjoy the drive with a big grin, thinking, “Wow, this feels amazing!”

But that day, I ended up driving the GT3 on Royu Driveway almost entirely in third gear. My husband, riding in the passenger seat, asked:

Why? Why do you keep driving in third gear the whole time? You can drive the Boxster so freely—why not the GT3? (laughs) You just stay in third and slow down with engine braking. It’s like you’re driving an electric car with one-pedal control.…

I replied, “Hmm, I’m not really sure myself, but I feel like the GT3 and I just aren’t a good match. We’re completely out of sync, so I don’t know how I’m supposed to drive it.”

My husband’s response was:

It’s not about figuring out how you’re supposed to drive it. Start with the engine speed you want to be driving at, then shift normally, the way you always do, to match it.

He had a point… (-_-) I took his advice and tried pressing the accelerator a little harder to bring up the revs. But I didn’t feel like I was in control of the car at all, and I soon slipped back into driving in third gear the whole time. My husband asked again:

Seriously, what’s going on? Are you that intimidated by the GT3? They’re both Porsches, so what’s so different about the Boxster and the GT3?

As I drove, I turned the question over in my mind. What follows is just my personal take, but I thought I’d share it.

Porsche Boxster GTS or 911 GT3?

There’s no doubt that both the manual Boxster GTS and manual 911 GT3 are fun cars—but I think they offer completely different kinds of fun.

The Boxster GTS is a car that delivers the kind of fun you’d get from an amusement park ride. As a convertible, it lets you feel the wind and drive with a sense of being at one with the world around you.

In the best possible way, the car puts on a dynamic show. The engine’s exhilarating roar as you accelerate, the “brrr-brrr-brrr” burble when you lift off the throttle, and the “whooosh!” of the rev-matched downshifts all feel fantastic.

And with the top down, you can take in the sounds and sensations of the drive with your whole body.

In other words, the Boxster GTS offers more than just the pure pleasure of driving a car. You also get the engine note, the wind, and the scenery—which together make the experience feel as exciting as a ride at an amusement park.

The 911 GT3, by contrast, strikes me as a car that rewards experienced drivers. It has none of the Boxster GTS’s theatrics. Instead, it’s all about becoming one with the car and focusing on the act of driving itself.

The GT3 has tremendous power and acceleration, a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, and even sharper handling than a regular Porsche. It took only a short drive for me to think, “The GT3 is in a class of its own—it feels like a race car.” But I believe the GT3 is a car that drivers enjoy when they have the skill to command this extraordinarily capable machine.

These days, I’m comfortable driving a manual, and my husband even tells me, “You’ve gotten pretty good at driving the BMW 320i.” But that only means:

I can drive a manual well enough to pass my driving test. That’s not the same as knowing how to truly master a car.

Come to think of it, I once heard on Royu Driveway that “A-san got a GT3 from an acquaintance, but decided he couldn’t handle it and returned it to the previous owner.” Now I can understand why.

Starting with the Boxster GTS

That day, I spent the whole drive having a conversation like this with the 911 GT3:

Me: Sorry, I don’t think I’m skilled enough to master you yet, so I’m just going to putter along in third gear today.
GT3: Oh, is that so? Yeah, that sounds about right for you, Mina. Let’s just go with one-pedal driving today.
Me: Sounds good.

Something like that… (laughs). I even asked my husband, with a hint of frustration, “Why does everyone want a GT3—or actually buy one? Can people really handle a car like this? (`Д´)!?” He replied:

Sure, some buyers are experienced enough to master one, but I doubt most people think that hard about whether they can truly handle a GT3 before they buy it. They probably buy it because it holds its value well, has lots of power, is fast, and sits near the top of the range. And it’d be easier to drive with PDK.

That said, I don’t think you need to analyze it this much. Someone might tell me, “Why not just relax and enjoy the GT3?” But I suspect my overly earnest nature is getting in the way…

“I shouldn’t handle it carelessly and risk giving the car bad habits.”
“I need to get better at driving a rear-engine car before there’s any point in taking the GT3 out.”

Those are the kinds of thoughts I can’t help having.

In that sense, taking the Boxster GTS to Porsche Track Experience (PTE), Porsche’s driving school, in November could be a great opportunity.

If I can experience the Boxster’s full potential and limits firsthand—and gain confidence in controlling it with a manual transmission—I feel like my approach to the GT3 might change, too.

…Then again, maybe I don’t need to take it all so seriously. I’m not exactly planning to become a race car driver (-_-). That’s what I keep reminding myself these days.