Third Time's a Charm - Porsche 911 GT3 Typ 996.2
In the Porsche 911's storied history, there has always been iteration. 50 years of evolution to perfect the supposedly flawed rear-engined layout their standout aim. A true sporting car, the 911 found great success in motor racing from its earliest days. Its predecessor the 356 was a capable road racer for the time and in the transition to the new car, Porsche continued to offer better performing models. From the T to the S, the engines got incrementally more powerful, with the chassis being massaged into the longer-wheelbase model for greater stability. 1973's Carrera RS was the first arguably iconic model. Available in standard, stripped out form, or more road oriented Touring spec, this 2.7 litre dream on wheels remains the archetypal
Neun-Elf for many. A ducktail spoiler and bright contrasting trim for the flanks and wheels meant that this was a Porsche that truly stood out and left a mark on the company. The 80s saw the new Club Sport nameplate introduced on the 930 Carrera CS, an enthusiast's model spoken of by marque afficianados. This car wasn't the poster boy like its predecessor, simply because in the era of Yuppies and excess, it was the Turbo models that were synonymous with Porsche at that time. The 964 of 1990 and 993 of 1994 respectively saw the RennSport moniker return for several models (964 RS, RS America, 993 RS and RS Clubsport), so it wasn't until the 996 generation from 1997 onwards that Porsche saw fit to introduce a new nameplate.
First used by Lotus for their turbocharged Esprit of 1996, the GT3 model name has become its own legend alongside RS. When the FIA chose to incorporate cars of the 911's ilk into a single series in 2005, they called it Group GT3. Introduced as a 911 variant in 1999, that first GT3 brought about a marked improvement of perception of the new liquid-cooled 911. It's fair to say that the 996 generation hadn't been very well received in relation to its predecessors. The GT3 added more power via the now fabled
Mezger engine, which had seen service in racing Porsches and removed weight, the perfect recipe for sports cars. When the facelift 996.2 launched in 2002, it was a two year wait before the GT3 was upgraded, to the car we see here. 380hp and bespoke styling lets it cut a stylish dash. Aside from the 997.2 GT3, this is my favourite version to look at. Guards Red helps, massively of course.
First impressions reveal a car that must have bags of depth. It seems set-up for understeer when you take it for an opening lap, especially on cold tyres. A sighting lap is required for those unfamiliar with 911s, as the dynamic repertoire is one that needs to be discovered at the driver's patience and not mid-corner with an arm full of corrective lock and fast-approaching scenery. The experience is one that leaves you questioning the legend of this line of cars. Crisp turn in is evident, but without exploring the chassis, it sure does feel overly benign.
Drop the GT3 into a succession of apices, however, and feel the smile grow on your face. Into the corner, feel the wheel dip towards the kerbs and simply enjoy the scalpel-like precision. Cliches were formed for cars like this one, it seems. Traction on corner-exit is impeccable, thanks to the engine weight over the rear axle. Over a few laps of smooth driving, the car is really starting to impress me.
Rear-end mobility comes with trail-braking, which will get the nose rotating to aid entry. Lift-off oversteer is best avoided, as the Rear-Rear chassis dynamics will result in terminal understeer once the initial slip has occurred. Where proper FR cars feel like you're being pushed through a corner and FF cars feel like you're being pulled, the 911 feels like you're being spun into a corner. It loves to get up on its toes and allow the slightest amount of slip; as soon as it starts and you're pointing through the corner, it seeks traction and just goes. A kerb can unsettle it in this state, but it's highly unlikely you'd get out of shape otherwise.
Slow in, fast out is the maxim for this car. It'll still push wide under throttle, but in accelerating once the tyres are mostly pointing straight, it's not going to result in trips to the scrub. In classic racing car tradition, it uses every inch of the track when driven like this. Up to this point, the car is an absolute track weapon, one that appeals to anyone who enjoys the technical side of fast driving. Its dynamic formula is perfect on circuit, as it doesn't promote waste. Waste of speed, waste of tyres, waste of time. It hates it.
In a tight corner such as Nurburgring's Castrol S, the GT3 requires a good old fashioned bung to unsettle the rear. The tyres squeal, the tail slides and you assume the car is taking it in its stride.
To think so would be unwise, with the slip angles getting wider and wider, which is OK on a huge corner like this one, but woe betide anyone who gets into this mess in narrow spaces. It makes spectacular smoke and photos, naturally, but calling your car GT3, you aren't buying one suited to Formula Drift.
Another brave corner approach and the pendulous rear end is on its merry way again. This was initiated by very late trail-braking and a full, second gear mash of the throttle.
Naturally, the weight shift onto the rear axle overwhelms the tyres and you become
that guy.
That guy also likes to apply too much throttle mid-corner without slowing down enough and frequently enjoys trips to the gravel traps. That guy is wasted on a car like the GT3.
Back to measured, smooth driving and the GT3 is beaming again. Approach the corner, lose speed to meet the apex, straighten up and now, accelerate. Second gear works on almost every corner here and it's so well suited to the natural traction of the rear-engine layout, that the silly oversteer antics of the previous lap are easily forgotten. You don't need to be
that guy in this car and you shouldn't want to be. It would be a massive waste of a car's potential. The image below highlights the squat, up and at 'em stance when driven this way and to me, it looks and feels marvellous.
After flirting with luxury sports cars in the 1980s, a braver Porsche wanted to cover its more familiar ground with much more vigour in the '90s. For the last two decades, the company has grown exponentially, with the highly profitable Cayenne and Macan lines funding their typical sporting models wonderfully. The GT3 came before the SUVs of course, but it could've easily disappeared like the Club Sport and RS names tended to; there was a two decade hiatus between RS models, after all. As iconic as the RS model is in company lore, it's now an appendix to GT3 in the way the Club Sport name was for the first model. GT3 is the true icon in the Porsche family tree now and long may it continue.
Also amazing photos as well. 👍👍
