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Howling 992 Porsche GT3 Real-World Review: Masterpiece Engine, but Terrible on the Street

Earlier released 992 Porsche 911 GT3 is an introduction on how to make a sports car great around a track. With an almost extinct naturally aspirated flat-six, this Porsche is like an alarm clock, a wake-up call to the racing world of the capabilities of a driver-inspired car. What is it like to drive the new 911 GT3 on the streets? Harry Metcalfe of Harry’s Garage takes the new GT3 to the streets of the United Kingdom.
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Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Harry's Garage
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Let’s face it. No one gets the new Porsche 911 GT3 for groceries unless you are a retired billionaire with a platinum country club membership in Bel-Air. Is it practical on the streets?

The new 911 GT3 is no ordinary Porsche. It’s transformative compared to earlier versions. It’s bigger, with the same 4.0-liter flat-six, revs to 9,000 ppm, with a lot more aero on it. Simply put, it is a very different GT3 to previous generations.

The GT3 starts at £123,100. Metcalfe’s test car is specced at £139,940. There’s a handful of these, and not anyone can get their hands on them. To get a GT3 in the UK you have to have bought several Porsches over the last few years, and maybe then Porsche might offer you an allocation. That makes this iconic Porsche one of the most sort-after versions currently.

All 911s look the same, but the new GT3 comes with a distinguishing feature over the 73-year-old fascia - twin nostril vents on the front hood. It’s nothing about aesthetics but something to do with oil cooling.

It is lower, with a 5-inch clearance, not ideal for bumps or even slightly-raised car parks or entrances. The all-around aero on the skirts doesn’t make it any easier. The side-spuds drop it down to a lower 3-inches. Metcalfe highly recommends a front lift or risk buffing into speed bumps.

On the rear, the most stand-out feature is the swan-neck spoiler and the venturi diffuser, which is significant despite to the rear-engine setup. And perhaps a first for a Porsche, the new GT3 comes with false vents.

So, what’s the 992 GT3 like in the street? Well, for starters, there’s no comfort mode. You only get Normal, Sport, and Track, which tells you a lot about its usability.

Once you step on the throttle, you immediately pick up some differences. First, it’s more vocal than previous generation GT3s, even with the particulate filters. According to Metcalfe, Porsche must have tuned in more induction sound for this version.

It’s sharper to accelerate, with a quicker steering response, better than how a Ferrari or TVR quick rack feels. You don’t get any slack whatsoever, and there’s an absolute mechanical connection with the front wheels.

The new GT3 is not ideal for bumps, potholes, or dimples. Harry recommends getting an optional nose lift. "There’s nothing like a crisp, normally aspirated engine that revs to 9,000 rpm. It’s like cliché but spine tingling,” Harry disclosed sending it over a hill.

The new 992 Porsche 911 GT3 is phenomenally capable in an era of turbos. Its howl to 9,000 rpm, and the instantaneous gear switch are a marvel. Porsche has done remarkable work on the 4.0-liter engine to get it to 500 hp with normal service intervals.


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About the author: Humphrey Bwayo
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Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life.
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