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Can you drive such a hard Porsche 911 every day?
Publication date:
May 24, 2022 • 31 minutes ago • 4 minutes reading • Join the conversation 2022 Porsche GT3 Touring Photo by Peter Bleakney
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Can you drive a Porsche 911 GT3 Touring 2022 daily? This was the first question that came to mind when I learned that I was getting the key to a six-speed manual version of this most visceral of the 911.
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There were a few other questions, such as will I still have a driver’s license at the end of that week? After driving the previous GT3, I know how addictive it can be to drive this epic 4.0-liter flat-panel 4.0-liter engine to its red line of 9,000 rpm. But without time for the track and freeway, cold showers were certainly in my future – either at home after a day of keeping my feet away from the gas, or at the hotel after not keeping my feet off the gas.
The GT3 Touring is mechanically identical to the regular GT3. Same price, starting at $ 180,300 Canadian – either a seven-speed PDK with dual clutch or a six-speed manual. The biggest difference between the GT3 Touring and its more extroverted brother is the lack of a fixed rear wing, although the Touring has a wing that develops over 80 km / h. Other visual cues include chrome windows and a body-colored front end. All other GT3 aviation tricks remain, including the rear diffuser and flat bottom. Porsche says that this six-speed manual GT3 Touring develops a top speed of 320 km / h.
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No discounts have been made in the name of comfort with Touring. It’s raw, noisy, the back seat is gone and you feel every pulsation, a pebble and God forbid a hole in the road. The GT3 runs 20mm lower on its sporty suspension, with 21-inch rear wheels and 20-inch front wheels. This car is also equipped with a $ 4,180 front lift system that lifts the muzzle by 40 mm. You will want that.
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You may not want these carbon fiber seats for $ 6,740, depending on your agility and the width of the gorge. Lightweight buckets do not have an adjustable slope, heat or ventilation, but are surprisingly comfortable once installed. And they never let you forget that you are driving something special.
The interior of the Touring is lined with leather, unlike the Race-Tex (Alcantara) fiber of its brother. New this year is the opportunity to deviate from the standard black and this tester takes full advantage of the great exclusive treatment of beige leather, which covers almost everything in sewn leather and adds a shocking $ 23,000 to the end result. We also have a $ 1800 Bose system that sounds great until you start the engine. Then the game ended for high-end audio.
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Without a rear seat and minimal (if any) sound insulation, the 4.0-liter flat six immediately takes center stage. It idles with hollow metal bubbling, and the way it sends shivers through the car’s structure suggests that the engine mounts are not tuned for insulation. Each cylinder has its own throttle body and rotates as if there is almost no flywheel. Power is 502 horsepower at 8400 rpm and 346 lb-ft at 6100. Not big numbers compared to 911 Turbo, but that’s not the point. One trip to the red line at 9,000 rpm in this light rear-wheel drive and you’re hooked.
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Power is included in an escalator, like a race car, as well as the unearthly howl of suction and release. These are the rabid dogs of hell with burning tails approaching some unfortunate prey – which is almost every other car on the road.
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Oh, that’s right, this is GT3 Touring and we’re … uh, on tour. Can we at least enjoy driving the GT3 without going to jail? Oh yeah.
The 2022 GT3 has something no other production 911 has had: a multi-link front suspension. This, combined with standard rear-wheel drive, PASM adaptive damping and Pirelli P Zero sticky tire, makes the 911 a front end like no other. Understeer is not in the GT3’s vocabulary, and the way it twists, grips and sews through turns is enough to make any atheist believe in a higher power. This is the best 911 drive I’ve ever driven. Its limits are far beyond road use, but even bumping into the bottom of the GT3 is extremely satisfying.
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The six-speed manual transmission deserves equal praise. The shifts are short, precise and wonderfully mechanical. The perfect clutch weight and grip complete the picture. The Sport has more automatic speed matching for both higher and lower gears (win-win for those who prefer heel and toe action). Of course, the superb 7-speed PDK transmission will get you around the racetrack faster, but this manual transmission is peachy and opens a tactile analog portal between driver and machine, which makes the task of driving the GT3 at legal speeds much more enjoyable .
In fact, every GT3 Touring release is an event. At the end of the week, I still had my booklet and all my internal organs seemed to be in the same place. Did I enjoy the experience? Of course, but in fact this coupe is a high-tech weapon for the track and not letting it into your natural playground is tantamount to inviting Austin Matthews to play shinny on your slide in the backyard.
To find the true genius of the GT3, it has to be driven fast and hard, and on public roads it is a criminal endeavor. Even in the Touring’s trim, the evil mistress keeps poking at your ribs, whispering, “Come on, baby, let’s tear it apart.” Quite likely. This Zufenhausen rear-wheel drive sports car is a transcendental masterpiece. If you receive one, please follow it. Both you and the car will be happier.
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