Is Porsche’s New GT3 Even Better Than A 911R On The Street?

We already know it’s great on the track, but how about the street?

Porsche’s new 911 GT3 is the culmination of everything they’ve learned in recent years with their various GT programs. It’s taken all of the lessons of the prior GT3 RS and the 911R, combining them into a single automobile. The new GT3 is much faster than its predecessor, even turning laps faster than the GT3 RS that makes use of the same power and a whole lot more tire grip and downforce.

Mister Bovingdon, here, makes note of the GT3’s new steering box. Porsche’s electrically assisted steering has always been a sore subject, but in recent iterations it’s gotten so good. The new GT3, he muses, has a heavier steering weight than the 911R, making it feel even less artificial. The engine remains a 4-liter, but is more race-derived than the similar engine found in the GT3 RS and 911R. The breakover point in the variable valvetrain happens earlier, allowing you to play in the superior land of upper RPMs for more time.

Porsche has begun 911 GT3 production with PDK equipped models, meaning the first reviews don’t include the new optional 6-speed manual. In this case, the PDK is great, but it might be the one place where the 911R is superior, for now. PDK is great, and it’s greatest moment is the full-throttle upshift scream. A manual will offer most of that, but will also be superior in basically every other RPM loading situation. We’re really looking forward to the stick in this chassis, because everything else is just so great.

Bovingdon ends this video with “If you paid a half-million quid for a 911R last week, you’re a f**king idiot.” We think that sentence alone puts paid to any inclination that the 911R might be better than this new machine.