Review: Porsche 911 GT3 - Bought a turbocharged supercar? Such a shame

• Everything we love about the GT3 but dialled up to 11
• Final naturally aspirated 911 GT3, or the final ever 911 GT3?
• Where does Porsche go from here with the 911 GT3 RS?

Let's begin with this: nobody does naturally aspirated engines quite like Porsche. Also, nobody does supercars like Porsche. For one, that's because many supercar brands are squeezing turbochargers into their products, in the ever-increasing pursuit of who has the biggest schlong firepower, but forgetting a supercar's raison d'être in the first place.

Many of these marques forget that emotion is an equally important element when creating an epochal supercar. That ethereal connection that makes hairs stand up, tightens muscles, and widens pupils. I dare say right now, nothing awakes the senses quite like the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3.

We at WapCar.my were privileged enough to get some track time on Sepang International Circuit in the GT3. For that, we thank Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), as the only way to experience the GT3 fully is at such a place. Supercars don't come much exquisite than the GT3. Why? Oh we'll tell you why.

An engine so perfect, so musical, so flawless

A large part of the emotional appeal of a supercar is surely the engine that powers it, and in the motoring sphere right now, not many engines will touch the 911 GT3's powerplant. Sure, its 510 PS and 470 Nm isn't class-leading figures by any means, but it's how the GT3 delivers those numbers that earns it a seat in the pantheon of the greats. 

All the hallmarks of a high-performance, internal combustion engine are present: naturally aspirated, stratospheric redline, melodious in tone, and majestic in propulsion. It is the kind of engine that gets better and better when you make it sing for its supper. And boy does it sing. 

Even for a naturally aspirated unit, the 4.0-litre, flat six pulls cleanly and willingly low down, but to experience all at once what the boffins at Porsche Motorsport intended, you must, MUST wring its neck and head towards 9,000 rpm. Soak it up, listen to the magnificent soundtrack, streamed in ultra high definition, aided by six individual throttle bodies that impart superlative throttle response.

In partnership with this spectacular engine is a dual-clutch transmission (PDK in Porsche lingo) so swift, so snappy, so effective that it makes every gearshift an occasion. You pull the shift paddles, it responds almost synaptically. Upshift or downshift, it's razor-sharp (the high-definition metaphor comes to mind again). 

And let's get this out of the way, the GT3 is a better car with PDK (cue horrified gasps). It's really simple - to get the most of out this engine and this car, the driver really needs to focus and home in on the 9,000 rpm horizon. The PDK's lightning responses feels like the perfect partner-in-crime to this otherworldly powerplant.

A chassis that's agile, neutral, and fluid

First thing you notice when strapping yourself in is the perfect driving position (yes, perfect). The bucket seat bolsters the driver in all the right places, pedals are bang on, steering wheel is examplary in adjustment and rim diameter. As is the norm with 911s, the tachometer takes centre stage in the instrument panel. A driver's dream cockpit, with minimal distractions.

With every passing generation of the GT3, it feels like Porsche's GT boffins have continuously tried to iron out the innate characteristic of the 911 chassis: it's overtly rear-biased handling balance. So much so that this 992-gen GT3 feels incredibly neutral and focused.

Some will lament the loss of that 'pendulum' effect that is such a defining trait of 911s, but we'd argue that a balanced, more neutral handling makes the performance of the 4.0-litre flat six much more exploitable. It is now a GT3 that you drive without making much concessions to the risk of having the rear suddenly catching you out.

The good news just continues. With rear-wheel steering (RWS), the GT3 has incredible poise and agility through Sepang's technical sections (like turns 5 to 6, 10 and 11, 12 through 14), without feeling obtrusive (a trait that can affect cars with RWS). The carbon ceramic brakes are also mega, consistently delivering massive stopping power with no fade and reduction in performance.

We won't exaggerate and say that we felt the aerodynamic improvements made in this GT3 as we only had one hot lap. What we can say is the GT3 never once felt nervous or twitchy. This felt like a proper time-attack car, one that required zero modifications out of the box.

WapCar's Opinion

The single greatest question we had after jumping out of the GT3 was this: where does the internal combustion engine go from here? Yes, many have bemoaned the cliched, looming death of the internal combustion engine (especially naturally aspirated ones), that every new performance car launched is the 'last of its kind'.

But we really would be very surprised if the next-gen Porsche 911 GT3 comes with another iteration of a high-revving, naturally aspirated engine. Heck, we'd be surprised if there is a next-gen GT3, seeing that this very engine is such an integral part of its DNA. But if anyone is capable of pulling out a surprise from under our noses, it'll be Porsche.

For now, let's just celebrate and enjoy the fact that this 992 Porsche 911 GT3 exists, and await the arrival of the even-more-bonkers 911 GT3 RS. Oh my goodness, what'd we do to have a go in that.