Test Driving the Porsche 911 GT3 PDK

Recently, my husband had the chance to test drive a Porsche 911 GT3 (991 late model) with PDK, owned by an acquaintance. That owner kindly said, “Why don’t you try driving it too, ma’am?” So I took them up on the offer and drove it the other day.

When I got behind the wheel, I was surprised at how different the impression was compared to our own 991 late model GT3 Touring (MT).

Since my husband has already written a detailed review of the test drive, I’d like to share my personal impressions focusing on how it differs from our GT3.

911 GT3 PDK vs MT

Easy to Drive

The owner had told me beforehand, “It’s a PDK, so it’s really easy to drive,” and indeed, it was very easy to handle. I believe modern Porsches, regardless of model, respond exactly as the driver intends, but the GT3’s handling stands out for its precision and minimal body roll. It can confidently tackle curves like those on the Royu Driveway.

No matter the angle you enter a corner or if your braking is a bit late, it doesn’t matter. I was reminded once again just how incredible the GT3’s performance is.

Our MT GT3 has similarly amazing performance, but the fact that you don’t need to shift gears before or after corners, so you’re not distracted by that is a huge advantage. Above all, the PDK is incredibly smart, so it drives much better than if you were operating the clutch and gear lever yourself.

The GT3 I drove didn’t have PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes), but its baseline performance is so high that I felt it was absolutely fine without them.

PCCB offers powerful braking and is ultra-lightweight—less than half the weight of cast iron discs—so it’s said to improve ride comfort and handling. But honestly, as an amateur, I wonder if it’s a bit like casting pearls before swine… (laughs)

If you often find yourself slamming on full brakes from a straight into a corner on a circuit, PCCB might be better, but for driving mountain roads, it’s totally fine without them.

Comfortable Ride

I haven’t driven our GT3 much lately, so when I got back in this GT3 after a while, I heard the sharp sound of small stones bouncing off, and thought, “Oh right, this is the sound the GT3 makes,” which brought back memories (laughs).

I started off driving slowly, and the ride at cruising speeds felt smoother and more comfortable than our GT3. There was less fine vibration, and the road surface felt less intrusive. Our GT3’s ride feels drier and transmits more information from the road.

However, I did feel quite a bit of lateral shaking from road undulations, and in that respect, our GT3 seems to absorb shocks faster and offers stronger road contact.

When I said, “It’s amazing how different the impression is even though both are late 911s running the same Cup tires (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2),” my husband said:

Our GT3 has PCCB, so that might explain the difference. PCCB is said to be over 50% lighter than cast iron discs, which significantly reduces unsprung weight and probably affects the ride’s lightness and firmness.

Our GT3 Feels Smoother at High Speed

At one point, I tried going a bit faster on a straight, and then our GT3 Touring seemed a bit smoother. I’ve driven the GT3 on the highway before, and the faster you go, the more stable it feels, as if it’s glued to the road. The contrast with the low-speed ride comfort was striking.

At that time, I thought this stability and comfort were better than the Boxster GTS, the Cayenne, or the Panamera. My husband also said, “I think that’s probably the effect of PCCB as well.”

Reflecting on the Porsche 911 GT3

This time, we went to Royu with our 6-month-old son, and the owner kindly looked after him during the test drive, so I only drove for about 15 minutes (and apparently he started crying right away, so the owner was holding and soothing him…). Still, I felt once again that “If I were to buy a GT3, I’d want the PDK version.”

The PDK’s performance is that impressive. I even tried driving in manual mode with the paddle shifters, and the responsiveness was incredible and very satisfying.

I also fully experienced the amazing precision of the handling and how quickly the revs rise when you press the accelerator firmly. Honestly, it was the first time I felt like I had “really driven the GT3 properly,” which was very fulfilling (laughs).

Of course, the MT GT3 is fun too, and you can manage shifting and driving normally on public roads. But to really drive this racing car on mountain roads and winding routes, syncing with the car’s performance, requires quite a bit of skill.

So if you want to “enjoy the fun of driving a manual,” for me, the power and handling of the Boxster GTS are definitely more enjoyable.

To the owner, thank you so much for letting me drive your precious car!