mrsullivan

Context: 500 miles through the Texas Hill Country and city/street driving.
Previous Car(s): Most recent ownership - 2011 GT3. Have owned/driven many water cooled Porsches, including turbos. Older air cooled Porsches. Audi RS cars, BMW M cars, friend's 458, etc. I am not an experienced track driver, but I have driven cars on backroads safely, but aggressively, for many years.

Summary: Absolute step change increase over previous GT3. This car is better in every way on the street. I have to believe it will be even more pronounced on the track. One could make a philosophical argument about the lack of true manual tranny. That's really where the arguments would have to stop. The PDK-S is a fantastic marvel of engineering. And everything else about the car is just better - performance, suspension/handling, exhaust note, steering, interior, etc. Everything. Makes my last GT3 feel so outdated in every way. Good or bad, each can decide, but its not even close.

Body: More bulbous, pronounced visually. Gets more attention and thumbs up than my last GT3. Hard to see out the back with the wing, more so than the last one.

Handling: Standard/non sport suspension is on par with my last GT3 in the sport setting. Much rougher/tighter riding than the last one. This flies against feedback from many who say it is very compliant. But this is my opinion. I don't mind it at all. But not sure about as a daily driver. In the sport suspension, super tight, super rough, but beautiful on a smooth road. This car is so much more confidence inspiring than the last GT3. Turn-in is better, the car sticks better through the sharp corners and just pulls out of them like spreading butter on toast. The car literally "dances" as it shifts position back and forth on the switch back and turns. The image of a skier coming down hill shifting back and forth to turn through the flags/pins comes to mind. And flat as a pancake. No body roll whatsoever. So planted. Unbelievable. The most planted vehicle I have ever driven through curves and sharp corners.

Steering: While I agree that the steering on the last GT3 was magical, this does not in any way disappoint. They have dialed out any artificial feel and to my hands, its a nicely weighted direct feel. No complaints here whatsoever.

Brakes: Of course they are absolutely epic. Very linear direct stopping and great pedal feel. Very confidence inspiring. Different enough from the irons to purchase for the braking? No. But nice that they do such a great job. Hard to say what the car would have felt like with 40lbs more rotating mass unsprung, but I am happy with the mental satisfaction knowing the corners are as light as they can be. No brake dust after 500 miles is nice too and I just love the look of them.

Tires: Well, just wonderful. Grippy, sticky, like bubble gum.

Interior: for me, plenty nice enough, and I like the businesslike look without deviated stitching, etc. The standard aluminum is darker than I expected and looks good. I may switch some day, but it wont be to the carbon fiber. Too much big weave on the seats and for me, I don't want the mismatch. Everything feels tight and new as it should. The seats are absolutely SHOCKINGLY good. They are beautiful works of car and from the outside/back of car, easy to see the exposed carbon fiber. I don't even mind the yellow stickers, they match my seatbelts . The seats have a lot more room than I thought they would. Plenty of room. I am not a small guy. And they are extremely supportive and comfortable. I'm sorry, but if you had a chance to get these seats and didn't, I think that was a mistake. Whether track car, weekend warrior or daily driver, these seats are better than the standards. The only exception would be someone with hip/back problems that make it difficult to climb into them. The sides are very high, and while covered with leather, they are essentially blades. Hard to back into the seats. Uncomfortable to do so. Once in them, fantastic.

Transmission: Well, this is really the most special part of the car. Its what makes this GT3 unique. Its sick fast, ridiculously fast. The pops and crackles on downshifts are addictive. During upshifts in PDK sport, it bangs hard and makes the entire car shift/jutter a bit. It feels like the type of clutch drop your father told you not to do. My black series tranny was a similar experience but this tranny is far beyond that or any other dual clutch. It allows the power to be put down so fast, so easily, in the middle of a tight corner, pulling out of curve, whatever, doesn't matter. I cant imagine that any other car on the street or track can touch this cars uninterrupted acceleration without a lot more HP/torque. Any traditional manual shifting car will just be left behind. The standard/non PDK sport mode is really awful and useless in automatic, and the PDK sport mode in automatic is a little mental and all over the place. Its too bad. Because one of the benefits of this tranny is supposed to be to leverage auto in traffic, etc. In the normal, it will bog down, not good for the car. In the PDK sport it will never shift. So kind of useless if you ask me. But in manual this car is fantastic. I do miss the ability to shift on my own, but it would render the car useless relative to the current configuration.

Engine: This has been one of the biggest surprises. Its special. It chatters at idle almost like the .2 GT3 RS did. The intake howl is awesome, special, really great. Power delivery is very smooth and available. While not torque down low, anywhere above 5k feels like a wall rush of power. I recently touched 7k a couple times and I can really imagine at 9k. Honestly, if someone put a Mezger in the 991 GT3 and this engine and did a blind "taste" comparison, I am not entirely sure you could pick one out over the other. Or especially if asked which felt stronger.

Exhaust: Honestly, this was a surprise. Louder at start up and idle than my last GT3, just stock. Plenty throaty and loud. Not really sure that sharkwerks is needed, or any other aftermarket. For my taste/likes, on the street, sounds pretty good already. Will think some more about this.

Misc : Have used the axle lift 100 times already, so glad I got it. My car shipped with an extinguisher, even though I didn't order it. Interesting. Removed for my road trip because not comfortable for my 9 yr old.

In closing: At least so far, blown away by the car. Its light years beyond the 997, makes it feel ancient. And honestly, outside of the earlier air cooled cars, I am not sure that you give up anything with a Porsche badged 911 from 1999 to this moment, if you buy a 991 gt3. I cant think of anything else water cooled that did something more/better than this Porsche. I have driven most of them, even if I didn't own them. For anyone with kids that still need a booster. The COSCO pictured in this picture fits perfectly in the bucket seat.

Reward: If you have read through all this and have a GT3 coming, I have a set of LED clears that you can have. They are brand new in the box. My dealer put some on before I picked up and I wasn't expecting that. I purchased some from suncoast ahead of time. First come first serve. Free to the first Rennlister to PM me asking for them. UPDATE: ATXGT3 sent first PM by time stamp, clears are gone.

ATXGT3

FANTASTIC WRITE UP! I was wondering how things went.

Great to hear the feedback from former owner. Interesting on not being a DD.

Look forward to Austin drives in the future!

thxbuff2001

Nice review. My car is due 3/27. Cant wait for spring. I would take your sidemarkers if you dont want it?

Motoki

Thanks for review Jon, really well done. Glad to see you are training the future GT3'r generations so young as well! Can't wait to take my white one out tomorrow too.

LAGinz

Great review Jonathan! Concur with everything but the compliance issue. If you haven't done so you might want to check tire pressures. My dealer had over inflated by 4 per corner--made a significant difference in ride.

kyrocks

Nice review. I keep wanting to back out of my GT3 since it's taking forever to get it and I really only want the RS. Plus I have enough cars to keep me occupied. Your review is not helping.

mrsullivan

EDIT - got a PM first, sorry gone now.

mrsullivan

I have not driven a McLaren, but I think that you will find this car very special. The engineers really got it right in my opinion. If you are wanting a GT3, I believe that you will find this one to be exponentially better than the last.

Re: the RS, the dealership has my deposit for one also. My plan is to cross that bridge when I come to it, but purchasing the RS beyond this car will be pure indulgence, because this is all you would ever need/want...especially spec'd out with the carbon fiber seats, PCCB, etc.

911dev

Big congrats! She's a beauty. Great write up. Your aluminum trim almost looks like Anthracite.

mrsullivan

well, not according to my window sticker
Car will get a professional detail this week and I will take some better pictures then.

Todd B

Great review, makes the wait that much harder. But it's nice to know this car is the real deal. Sent you a PM, and now that I refresh the page, I see I'm too late.

mooty

other than suspemsiom rougher than previous gen, I concur with all.
this is one hell of a car

jlanka

I just got a rush...

SSTHO

Fantastic review! Well laid-out and thought out. Appreciate it!

I am starting to drink the 991 GT3 kool-aid as well. It's a good party!

bronson7

Great write up, appreciate it. Once again, your confirmation on the qualities of this car only makes me that much more excited, waiting for the arrival of mine.