If you're an automotive enthusiast with a bit of jingle in your pocket but you don't necessarily want to — or can afford to — pony up the bucks for a dedicated track car, then there's plenty of options that are road-going models. But, it's hard to argue that anyone does it better than Porsche.
That's because the Stuttgart-based automaker has the 911 GT3 in its lineup. And when it is for sale it is the go-to choice for most. There's a reason for that.
With the current-gen 991 911, the company originally ditched its manual transmission for its dual-clutch unit, dubbed PDK. Well, that created a backlash in the Porsche community. With the refreshed 991 GT3, however, the manual is back.
Autocar in this review gives us its impressions, in great detail, on the refreshed GT3 and what it's like to drive the new GT3 equipped with a manual. I suggest you click over to scope out the full review, it's a good one.
That said, let us know if you'd go for a PDK or do-it-yourself GT3.
...Dial up Sport mode and the gearbox software will blip the throttle to provide perfectly rev-matched downshifts. Paradoxically, it is arguably more involving in Comfort mode, where you’re left to your own devices. The relatively wide spacing of the ratios requires you to be quite explicit on each blip, but get your heel-and-toe action right and you'll be richly rewarded. Applying this understanding to the way you drive this car is crucial to unlocking its performance potential on challenging roads, providing you with the feeling that you’re not just controlling the action but are an intricate part of it, too. One thing’s for sure: it is far more fulfilling than a simple flick of your finger on a steering wheel-mounted paddle...
...The decision now faced by buyers of the latest 911 GT3 is exactly the same one Porsche faced when it set out to develop the thing. For emotional appeal, there’s nothing like the manual version tested here. But in ultimate performance terms, the PDK model is king. The simple solution, of course, would be to get two - that way you’d never be disappointed.
Read Article