It is simply astonishing just how far Porsche will go to appease its legions of rabid enthusiasts.
Born from the lineage of the Carrera RS, the Porsche 911 GT3 has always been the right machine for drivers who want more with less. Less weight, less interior luxury bits, and less apprehension; all in the name of going fast around a track or, better yet, through your favorite set of epic twisty driving roads with a massive smile on your face. What could be better?
To us, and the intrepid team at Xtreme Xperience, there is simply no better vehicle to feel the elusive connection to your favorite road than the Porsche 911 GT3 and we think it is, without a doubt, the best damn road trip vehicle on the planet.
Here’s why.
992 Porsche – The Right Kind Of History
As an individual entity, the GT3 has “only” been around since 2000, and only in America since 2004.
Credit for the modern 992 GT3 can be stretched all the way back to the epic 993 Carrera RS that bowed in 1995. Sure, there had been several factory specials from Porsche Skunkworks since the 911 R in 1967, including several other RS models, but the last 993 generation 911 RS was just special.
This amazing car existed for one reason: to be the basis for Porsche’s race cars, otherwise known as homologation specials. This meant that the 993 911 RS was imbued with three things that future 911 GT3 models would become known for: naturally aspirated power, weight-saving construction, and a race-prepped suspension that was just on the edge of being too hard for the streets.
Filling the shoes of the infamous, and incredibly rare, Carrera RS was not going to be an easy choice but Porsche was up to the task, and when the next generation 996.1 dropped, they introduced the GT3 line to the world for the 1999 model year. Again, building off the Carrera RS, the GT3 utilized lightweight engine internals, a stripped-out interior, hardcore suspension tuning, and manual transmission to deliver the thrill of racing to the street. Unlike the GT2 cars, the GT3 was fast, but it wasn’t easy to access that speed. You needed to have the skills.
Every generation of 911 to drop from that point on has had the GT3 in its lineup, and over the years, it’s only gotten more and more hardcore. 2009 brought the GT3 RS to America’s shores, and by the end of the 991.2 generation, the GT3 was an aerodynamic masterpiece of naturally aspirated precision. We know because we’ve had a Green Monster GT3 RS in our fleet for some time now, and it’s by far a fan and instructor favorite simply because of the visceral thrills it tosses out. Case and point, in 2021, two of our GT3 RS’ completed the most miles with over 14,000 a piece!
Mastery In Motion: The New Porsche GT3
As we said in the beginning, there is no brand more dedicated to appeasing its hardest of hardcore fans than Porsche, and the newly released 992 911 is a proper step in the evolution of this beloved model.
Where do we even start?
See, when Porsche dropped the 992 models, much of the car world stood aghast. Not because the 992 was unattractive, or polarizing, no. They stood aghast because this was one of the first 911 models to successfully mold performance and luxury with an evolution of style. It still reminds you it’s a 911, but its shape is much more streamlined, much sexier. Much more, dare we say, supercar.
Take that beautiful, capable foundation and turn it over to Porsche’s Skunkworks, and what do you get? Well, you get the brand new iteration of the GT3. One that stands on the edge of insanity quite unlike anything else that’s come before it. This machine mixes old-school technology like a high-revving, naturally aspirated 4.0L flat-six, available manual transmission, and get this, a double-wishbone suspension. Yes, double wishbone, like Honda introduced on their line of cars many, many years ago.
On the other hand, you have a vehicle that is rife with racing technology like a “swan neck” rear wing that boosts downforce, and a trick “rose jointed” rear suspension that allows for a higher range of movement and more connection when hustling the GT3 along at peak input. Massive tires and the availability of the PDK wrap up the modern side of this old-school supercar.
Is the Porsche GT3 the Ultimate Road Trip Machine? Yeah, we think so.
As a track-focused weapon, there are few equals to the GT3. Okay, maybe the GT2 RS is a little faster around the track, makes more power, and whatnot, but that doesn’t matter here. What matters here is that the GT3 remains a 9000 RPM tool for conquering the windiest, most challenging roads in the country and that makes it an amazing road trip vehicle. Porsche has built-in a level of street compliance into this latest GT3 that allows it to be perfectly liveable on the street, or on the way to your favorite track, and then still be good enough to crush expectations once you’re there.
Inside, there’s plenty of technology to help you drive better, and enjoy your favorite song from the available Porsche entertainment system. Heck, this thing even has luggage space in the front boot, along with space behind the rear seats (gone in the GT3) to stash more of your stuff. Sure, it’s not your family station wagon, but for those who want to take a long way home, and explore some of the greatest backroads of our country, this is a no-brainer candidate for the ultimate road vehicle. Plus, it also happens to look awesome too and that’s never a bad thing when tackling the twisties.
Come Drive The 992 GT3 With Open Road
Think you have the guts and the glory to take on the 992 GT3? Good, because we want you to come test out your mettle and hit the road in an incredible Open Road experience near you! Yes, we have one in our fleet, and you get to drive it.
We take the best cars and put you in the driver’s seat on some of the finest roads in the country. From stunning vistas to 90-degree right-handers, and high-speed sweepers; if you enjoy the sites and sounds of mother nature, along with the sites and sounds of a wailing supercar, this is an experience that you can not miss.
Grab some seat time in the insane GT3 to see if all this hype can make you a believer in the analog Porsche that shuns the digital dreams of 2022.
See you out on the road!