Porsche is one of the last manufacturers who still make manual supercars and that makes them so special. The 911 happens to be the most selling and celebrated line-up of Porsche and some reasons prove it very well. It’s fast, it has a rich history, it’s reliable, it handles like nothing else and it provides a driving experience that no other car does. Moreover, Porsche’s have a very distinctive sound to them, those Flat 6 engines are just something otherworldly. They are the reason why Porsche’s have such great lap times on the track. The Flat 6 engine sits lower to comparable V engines and thus they have a low center of mass. The rear engine Layout of Porsche adds the cherry on the top of the cake. It helps the rear tires in getting more traction and thus resulting in mound boggling acceleration figures. Today, the 911 line-up consists of the 911 GT3, GT3 RS and at the top of the throne sits the 911 GT2 RS. There’s also a 911 speedster which is just an open-top version of the 911 GT3. This time we are going to discuss my favorite of the whole line-up. The 911 GT3. Some people might ask, “Why the GT3 when there are more powerful and faster models available, with the same 911 pedigree??” Firstly the GT3 looks much simplistic in design as compared to its elder siblings. But the biggest reason is that the 911 GT3 is offered with a manual gearbox that others don’t get. There is also the PDK gearbox which improves the acceleration time by 0.5 seconds. But if you are a Gearbox snob like me or if you love driving a car with the stick then you surely got my point. If you are the kind of guy who wants to break Lap records every day, you should probably get a PDK, but if you are more about the driving pleasure then the Manual is the One for you. Here is an interesting story for all of you, the previous-generation 911 didn’t come with a manual gearbox, and customers were quite unsatisfied with this. Requests were sent to Porsche Headquarters regarding this. Porsche heard the request and here is the 911 GT3 with a Manual. The car features a 4.0 liter flat 6 engine with 490 Horsepower and 469 Nm of torque. As soon as you put your foot on the throttle, the car just flies off. It keeps on going and going till redlining at 9,000 Rpm. The Optional carbon-ceramic brakes are quite an expensive buy but worth it. The suspension of the Car is well compliant on the road. It isn’t too hard. The suspension is quite adaptive. It works well on the road as well as on the track. The interior is a pure blessing to be in. There’s nothing to distract the driver from the road, in models like the GT3 RS and the GT2 RS you even have the option of removing the radio.
In modern-day cars, the Manuals have been replaced by paddle shifters. People say they are faster. But faster doesn’t always mean good. The driving experience and the fun factor matter much more than a faster car. Driving a Manual requires all the four limbs to work simultaneously. Be it the Open gated gearboxes from Ferrari’s and lotus. The Dogleg gearboxes from the Aston Martin’s or your classic 6-speed manual, the experience is surreal. It’s quite unsatisfying to see manual gearboxes fading away from the Car industry. But there is still hope left as Manufacturers like Porsche and Ford, Chevrolet continues to provide Manual Transmission (at least as an option). The GT3 is high in demand, proving that there are still people who love to drive the traditional way. People that putting allocations on GT3 are typically getting a waiting period of 2-3 years. Giving us a hint regarding the driving experience of this car.
I would like to end this, by saying that these types of cars need to be preserved at any cost. If right now I had all the money in the world, this is the Car I am probably going to buy. Fixed back bucket seats and a Roll cage in the back with the Carbon ceramics would be my ideal GT3.
That’s it for this time guys, hope you liked it.
Chao
#LONG-LIVE-THE-MANUAL
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