2023 Porsche 911 GT3 Manual Review: As Good as It Gets

Okay, to be fair, that statement lumps the track-attack 911 GT3 RS in with the "lesser" 911 GT3 seen here. Still, if the GT3 RS dials the visual aggression up to 11, the regular version still has the dial pegged at a 9, at least.

GT3s have never been shrinking violets, but for the 992 generation, Porsche cranked up the extroversion even further. The air exhausts in the frunk lid and the blacked-out lower fascia scream race car; out back, the Boeing-worthy spoiler (now attached at the top for improved airflow) and array of vents, strakes and diffusers out back in both flat black and body color alike give it an almost industrial brutality. It's unmistakably a quick car — and unmistakably a GT3.

Now, in all fairness, whether you want a 911 dialed up to this level of visual impact is very much a personal matter. Personally, I prefer the less-extreme face of other 992-gen 911s, especially for the GT3 Touring model; the previous 911 GT3 Touring, in my humble opinion, struck just the right balance between subtle and sinister. It should take a trained eye to tell the difference between a base Carrera with an add-on wing from a razor-sharp GT3.

Granted, that's not enough of an issue to keep me from wanting one of these new models; it's just a matter of personal preference. Besides, debating which generation of 911 is best is a barstool argument dating back decades among Porsche lovers; why stop feeding that fire now?

It may seem anathema to the performance-focused ideals of the the 911 GT3 to opt for the six-speed manual gearbox over the seven-speed dual-clutch. After all, the latter serves up sharper, quicker shifts under all conditions; it knows better than you how to make use of the car's power; never rides the clutch or flubs a gearchange; and just generally serves up superior performance all around. Plus, you can even shift yourself using the paddles if you see fit.

That said, my counter-argument would be: if you're really so concerned with maximum performance, you should buy that GT3 RS. And on the flip side, if you're concerned about commuting ... well, drive another car. (I have to presume that anyone who can afford a sharp-edged, roughly-$200K two-seat sports car also has enough for a second vehicle.)

Because while the manual gearbox in the GT3 may cost you a few tenths in a drag race or around a track, but it far and away makes up for that by thrusting you more deeply into the experience. No slap of a paddle can match the feeling of accomplishment of ripping off a perfect shift with a manual. Set your hand atop its microsuede-wrapped surface, you'll feel the car's heartbeat pulsing, the vibrations transmitted from engine to wheels through the gearbox transferring into you, buzzing up your arm and into your adrenal gland. It's more than involving; it's intimate.

And if you don't know how to drive a stick ... well, go learn. You don't wanna be that person who owns one of the last stick-shift Porsches and only chooses the flappy paddles out of ignorance, do you?

That rear wing may get all the attention, but it's what lies beneath that really deserves the credit for the GT3's fame. The 4.0-liter flat-six engine has arrived largely unchanged from the previous generation car, but its spiritual roots stretch back to the limited-run 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0 of 2011, which combined and improved upon the best bits of other Porsches of its day — an increased displacement version of the 911 RSR race car's engine, a chassis improved by learnings from the 911 GT2 RS, and so forth — to create what at the time was The Ultimate 911.

Sadly, unless you're a Porsche mechanic (or are friends with one who's giving your GT3 a particularly costly service), you'll never see most of this glorious piece of engineering. Like an iceberg, most of its mass is hidden out of sight.

But you can hear it. And hear it you will, every time you spin it up to extract its true power and make the exhaust howl. Anyone used to normal engines that hit redline around 6,000 rpm will need time to recalibrate to the GT3's high-revving nature — again, you need to keep it spinning between 8,000 and 9,000 rpm to keep it around its power peak — but once you do, the sounds it makes will haunt your dreams in the best of ways. The traditional raspy flat-six tenor at idle rises and rises to a howling alto battle cry that'll send chills down the spines of even the auto-agnostic.

And the power delivery of this naturally aspirated engine is, in a word, sublime. It's instantaneous — throttle inputs as soon as you think of them — seemingly endless, and above all else, linear. There's no jump-to-warp slug of force, just a fast-and-furious increase in pressure as the tachometer spins farther and farther to the right.

The inside character of the Porsche 911 GT3 largely depends on how you choose to spec it out. (Admittedly, that's true of most modern Porsches.) My test car's interior was rendered rather simply for such a pricey Porsche; the only options were the leather-and-Race-Tex trim (for $6,230), the Bose stereo (for $1,600) and the full bucket seats (for $5,900).

About those seats: think long and hard before opting for them. I'd previously sampled them in the 911 Turbo S with Lightweight Package, and felt they were too aggressive for that particular car; they're certainly more fitting in the GT3, but it's still worth a quick deliberation — especially since the alternatives are nothing to complain about.

The carbon fiber-framed chairs are roomier than they look, but the tall, hard bolsters and relative lack of padding will seriously cut into circulation in the back of your legs over multiple hours of driving. (I may have wound up limping for a minute after exiting following a four-hour drive through the L.A. area.) Those frames, by the way, don't adjust for back angle ... or any other angle, really, other than distance from the wheel. And climbing over the ledge can be a little tricky for older folks, or those with any sort of mobility concern.

In the plus column: you will never feel more secure when attacking a California canyon road as hard as you dare then you do in these seats. So there's that.

With the 992 generation, the Porsche 911's gran turismo bona fides have become more secure than ever. Even a base Carrera offers ample room for two occupants and their luggage, a comfortable ride and all the high-end stress-reducing features you might want, from active cruise control to a high-end Burmester stereo. Hell, it'll even get great highway fuel economy for a sports car.

But the GT3, as you'd expect, is much more hard-edged — which is great for the track or winding road, but less ideal when you need to knock out six hours of highway driving. The firm suspension lets you know about any and all road joints, divots or other surface imperfections ... and if you're going with the full bucket seat, you'll feel each of them in your butt as well as your hands and feet. The six-speed's top cog is still short enough to leave the engine turning around 3,000 rpm at 75 mph, which becomes wearisome over the hours. (I can't vouch personally for the PDK version, but I assume it's in a similar boat.) If you try to drown the noise out, even with the optional Bose stereo ... well, it's fine for sitting in traffic, but past 75, you'll be pushing it hard in order to hear your tunes clearly. And in the unlikely event you care about fuel economy, you probably won't see the EPA's claimed 18 mpg unless you drive like an AARP member behind the wheel of a Civic. (The optional extended range gas tank is a must-buy.)

But then again ... who cares? Road trips aren't this car's forte, but it's far from brutal in the way many race-cars-for-the-road are. Stopping every couple hours to stretch or a little cramp in your hands from clutching the wheel hard over all those bumps is a small price to pay for the pleasures it provides.

That said, if you really want a 911 GT3 to take on road trips, choose the GT3 Touring, go for the leather interior and adaptive sport seats, and opt for the extended range tank and Bose stereo. But even then ... don't get the PDK.

The 911 GT3 may start at close to $200K, but for sheer visual impact, emotional appeal and all-around performance, you need to look at cars often costing a good bit more: the Ferrari 296 GTB / GTS, Lamborghini Huracan, McLaren Artura, and so forth.

Of course, perhaps the closest competitor — in hearts and minds and price, if not in precise mission — is the other model at the top of the 911 family: the 911 Turbo / 911 Turbo S. Truth be told, I'd struggle to choose between Turbo and GT3; both go fast and serve up thrills so well, but do it in different ways. As it turns out, though I can't afford either ... so I'll just dream of buying both.

Base Price / Price as Tested: $164,150* / $194,850

Powertrain: 4.0-liter flat-six; six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic; rear-wheel-drive

Horsepower: 502

Torque: 346 lb-ft

EPA Fuel Economy: 14 mpg city, 18 mpg highway

Seats: 2

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*Note: pricing reflects the 2022 model driven. The 2023 model starts at $185,850.