Sometimes I think we humans have stockpiled too many names, but then I realized that names are literally how we understand the world. They allow us to set expectations and differentiate one thing from another. That second duty becomes extremely important when you’re talking about a car with countless variations like the Porsche 911.
The prospect of an open-top 911 GT3 – which is the new 911 S/C – initially intrigued me. As I wrote in my first-drive review, it matters more when you’re behind the wheel. However, this article is not about that experience. Instead, it’s about why this car exists, as opposed to what those two letters and a number mean.
When Porsche first launched the original 996-generation 911 GT3, it was laser-focused on sharpness and mild, linear power on the track. Over the years, we’ve seen the lineup flourish, first with the even more hardcore GT3 RS and then a left turn with the Kushner Touring model. Again, this may seem contradictory, but customers don’t seem to care, given how many GT3 buyers come for Touring these days.
“We know that many of our GT customers also have a soft spot for soft tops, as the 991 Speedster was a huge success in 2019,” said Andreas Preuninger, Porsche’s head of GT cars, at the S/C launch event in Germany. “In 2023, Spyder RS, same thing again. And, if you look at the current state of GT3, the Touring version is so popular that about half of the GT3 cars are Touring.”
“That means they’re driver’s cars for the road rather than track cars,” Preuninger summarized. “The 911 S/T has become a driver’s car legend with a passion for lightweight finesse and purity. Put together a lot of the qualities and DNA of these cars, and you will eventually automatically come to the conclusion that a drop-top, emotional, lightweight driver’s car will be absolutely welcomed by our GT community.”
The 911 GT3 S/C is arguably the furthest deviation ever from the original GT3’s meaning as a convertible. You certainly wouldn’t use it on the track for this reason, even though it plucks many parts from cars for that stated purpose. Plus Preuninger’s explanation of how his team got there, I was faced with what GT3 really means in Porsche language.
It’s not about the track, and it’s not about any category of racing. I think today when you search and replace “GT3” with a term like “Ultimate”, you start to get closer to the meaning of this lineage.
The only problem with that argument is that Porsche sometimes makes an even better 911, called the GT2. And it’s got turbochargers and all-wheel drive and all, so if any 911 deserves our made-up “Ultimate” designation, it’s probably it. But the GT2 comes and goes as it pleases, and we haven’t seen that yet in this generation. It’s actually a less purist machine, with its forced induction, extra axle of reassurance and lack of six-speed on offer.
So let’s call the GT3 the “Ultimate Purist.” And the other important point here is that those other GT3s – which arguably more classically embody the name – still exist. They haven’t gone anywhere, and it would be crazy to think they’ll ever reach Porsche’s bottom line. Those cars haven’t been taken away from anyone, and I think, generally speaking, the world would be a better place if we stopped bemoaning adding choice to any area as diluting some sacred entity.
As long as Porsche continues to crank out free-breathing, high-revving, stick-shifted, lightweight 911s, I’d like to see them in as many forms as they see fit, available to as many interested buyers as possible. Because only good things come from this recipe.
What do you think of the 911 GT3 S/C? Leave a comment or email the author at adam.ismmail@thedrive.com
