ON THE ROAD- IAN LYNAS REPORTS ON THE NEW PORSCHE 911 GT3 S/C

The 911 has been around since 1984, one of the backbones of Porsche and now a first with the introduction of a 911 GT3 with a fully automatic convertible roof. This member of the Porsche line-up combines the lightweight design of the 911 S/T with the naturally aspirated four litre flat-six ‘boxer’ engine of the GT3, producing a pleasing 510 PS (375 kW) and 450 Nm of torque. The distinctive wings and doors of the 911 S/T in combination with the black windscreen surround give the new model an unmistakable look.

Very much a driver’s car, this special model is available exclusively with a lightweight short-ratio six-speed manual sports transmission. This will certainly please a number of drivers, myself included. The GT3 S/C is the only open-top variant in the current 911 range that is designed as a pure two-seater, memories of the 911 Speedster from 2019 immediately spring to mind. This new addition is not a limited-edition model and a new Street Style Package is also available for this car, which allows the vehicle to be tailored even more precisely to individual tastes. Clearly Porsche has designed this new model for those customers who clearly seek a sportscar where the focus is clearly on driving pleasure. The emotive engine comes into its own even more when driving with the roof down on challenging country roads. This is particularly down to managing to keep the weight down to just 1,497 kilograms, despite the fully automatic soft top and this is only about 30 kg more than the 991 generation 911 Speedster. The employment of lightweight and high-quality materials ensures that this newcomer mirrors with the characteristic agility of GT models. The lightweight body components carried over from the 911 S/T are recognisable, even at first glance and the bonnet, wings and doors are made of carbon fibre. The carbon-fibre anti-roll bars and shear plate are also carried over from the fixed-head 911 S/T. Stopping power matches performance, brakes and wheels also follow the S/T lightweight formula and the PCCB braking system, which is more than 20 kg lighter than the cast iron brakes, fitted as standard. The centre-lock wheels, measure 20 inches in diameter at the front and 21 inches at the rear and are made of lightweight magnesium and this is also used in the fully automatic cabriolet roof and a lightweight and compact 40 Ah lithium-ion battery further contributes to the car’s impressively low weight, saving about four kg compared to a conventional battery.

Moving to the interior, there are lightweight carpets and door panels with carbon-fibre pull handles. Built as a two-seater, with four-way adjustable Sports Seats Plus fitted as standard and the interior is upholstered in black leather as standard, including the sun visors and the A-pillar trim. The GT3 S/C logo is embroidered in the centre of the rear bulkhead trim. Just like the fixed-head 911 GT3, the S/C is started not with the push of a button but with a rotary ignition switch to the left of the steering wheel and the digital instrument cluster supports the driver with a clearly structured display and operating concept. The ‘Track Screen’ display mode reduces to essential data and shift lights on the left and right of the rev counter indicate the optimal moment to change gear.

For most, owning a Porsche centres on performance and with this new offering from the German sportscar maker, certainly no disappointment; rest to 100kph (62mph) takes a mere 3.9 seconds and if you can find a race track you could explore its 312kph (194mph) top speed.

Ian Lynas