Porsche 911 GT3 sports car review, pictures

Our 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 test car.Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

• The Porsche 911 is arguably the most successful sports car in automotive history.
• The 911 is both a perennial winner on the race track and a hot seller in the showrooms.
• In 2017, Porsche sold more than 32,000 911s around the world. 
• The 911 GT3 is a road-going track-focused version of Porsche’s flagship sports car.
• The base Porsche 911 Carrera starts at $91,100, while the 911 GT3 starts at $143,600. With a few options and fees, our test car came to a price of $152,110.
• We were impressed by the Porsche 911 GT3’s power, driving dynamics, and race-car-like looks.

The Porsche 911 is arguably the most successful sports car in automotive history. In the five decades since its debut in 1962, the 911 has not only been a perennial contender on the track but also a force to be reckoned with in the showroom.

In 2017, Porsche sold more than 32,000 of its flagship sports cars around the world which certainly helped the company achieve a profit margin of 17.6% — a jaw-dropping figure for an industry notorious for its razor-thin margins. 

Of the nearly two dozen varieties of the 911 offered for sale in the US, the model that truly brings together the race track and the showroom is the GT3.

The GT3, named after the FIA’s eponymous sports car racing category, debuted as an official 911 variant in 1999 with the introduction of the water-cooled 996 generation Porsche 911. However, US consumers weren’t able to get their hands on the model until 2006. 

Business Insider had the chance to spend a few days behind the wheel of a 2018 991.2 generation Porsche 911 GT3 on the roads around the Atlanta, Georgia. The home of Porsche Cars North America.

The base 911 Carrera starts at $91,100 while the GT3 starts at $143,600. With options and fees, our car carried an as-tested price of $152,110. In case you’re curious, the priciest variant of the Porsche 911 is the 700 horsepower GT2 RS which costs $293,200. 

Here’s a closer look at the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3. 

So, what’s it like to drive?

Simply sublime. 

The Porsche 911 GT3 is the high-performance sports car perfected. It’s got all of the state-of-the-art tech in the world to help you go faster without losing the raw simplicity that made you fall in love with driving it. 

On mountain roads north of Atlanta, the GT3 was in its element. Attacking each and every corner with poise and determination. The GT3’s steering was perfectly weighted while its suspension offered bountiful grip without being overly harsh on the occupants.

The big block flat six, free from the shackles of the turbos that muffled its voice, sang sweetly as it worked towards its 8,250 rpm redline. 

Even though the PDK cars are quicker, the sweet-shifting six-speed manual was well worth the 0.6-second penalty to 60 mph. 

 

 

The verdict.

There are cars and then there’s the Porsche 911. 

We’ve had the chance to drive a host of 911 models over the years ranging from the base Carrera to fire-breaking Turbo.

The GT3, for me, represents the Porsche 911 excellence in its purest form. Gone are the frivolities like rear seats and sound insulation. 

What remains is a stripped down performance machine that captures the essence of 911 magic.