UK Drive: Is the Porsche GT3 Touring still the go-to performance road car?

What is it?

The Porsche 911 has historically been seen as a sports car that you can use every day. The hardcore GT3, meanwhile, has usually been less school run and more Nürburgring Nordschleife, more closely focused on breaking lap time records than getting from A to B. The Touring, however, is the car that aims to blend a little bit of everything.

For this latest 992.2-generation car, Porsche has included a wide range of changes to help make the Touring even better to drive than before, but a little bit more usable, too. We’ve been driving it to see what it’s like.

What’s new?

On the face of it, you could be fooled into thinking that not a lot has changed for this new GT3 Touring. The exterior is quite similar to the previous car and it even looks a little like its forebear inside, too. But look more closely and there’s a lot that is new. The suspension has been tweaked for even greater responsiveness, while the Touring’s weight has been kept to just 1,420kg – a modest increase of 2kg over the previous car.

One of the most noticeable – and most useful – changes comes inside. For the first time, you can get a GT3 with rear seats. Only available in Touring specification, they do add an extra level of practicality to this car, though only small children or shorter adults will be able to fit back there.

What’s under the bonnet?

Slung out at the rear of the GT3 Touring is the same 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six engine that you would’ve found in the previous car. Power remains the same, too, with 503bhp being sent to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or automatic PDK gearbox. There’s no price difference depending on which one you choose, though you’ll get slightly quicker acceleration in the latter. That said, the 3.5 zero to 60mph time that you’ll get from the manual version – like our test car – is more than impressive enough.

As you might expect, efficiency isn’t the best with Porsche claiming up to 20.7mpg – though we did actually see more than that during a long stretch on the motorway.

What’s it like to drive?

It may be the everyday sports car, but every drive of the GT3 Touring is an event. Of course, the Touring has been designed to offer a more understated take on the GT3 experience, but there’s something very exciting about driving a car with this level of performance but with a design which makes it look more like a ‘regular’ 911. The engine remains one of the best around today and thanks to shorter gear ratios introduced in this 992.2 car, that initial acceleration feels even more visceral. The manual gearbox is a delight to use, too.

Can it tour as its name suggests? Well, around town, the Touring remains quite firm and will thud through potholes. At speed, this issue lessens, and it’s happy to sit at motorway speeds and cruise along. It is quite boomy, mind you, despite the fitment of those rear seats which would traditionally bring some sound deadening.

How does it look?

As touched upon, the Touring has a more understated appearance than your standard GT3. For starters, there’s no larger-than-life rear wing, while up front it’s a more undercover affair overall. We do just wish that Porsche would remove the intakes on the ‘nose’ as, without these, the Touring would be even more understated.

You can get the Touring in a broad range of colours, though – to our eyes at least – the Oak Green Metallic Neo shade of our test car is one of the highlights. At £3,235, it’s not a very cheap optional extra, mind you.

What’s it like inside?

In typical Porsche fashion, everything inside the GT3 Touring feels well-made and solid to the touch. The steering wheel, in particular, is great – it’s thin-rimmed and a refreshing change from the somewhat thicker and more unwieldy rivals that you’ll find in many alternatives to the GT3. The bucket seats are comfortable and you sit nice and low in the car, too.

Those rear seats? Well, as mentioned, they’re not going to be much use for many adults, but smaller children will be comfortable back there. Failing that, the rear seats will provide some extra storage space to go alongside the Touring’s 135-litre ‘frunk’ luggage space.

What’s the spec like?

Here’s the chunky bit. At £158,200, the 911 GT3 Touring is an expensive proposition. The good news is that it’s exactly the same price as the winged GT3, so it’s down to personal preference which you’d like – there’s no financial penalty for choosing either one. For us, the added versatility of the Touring is appealing, though racier drivers might prefer the hardcore looks of the standard car.

Of course, being a Porsche also means that the GT3 Touring’s price can be quickly cranked up with the options list. Our test car, for instance, had options such as a £1,017 full leather interior, £1,269 Bose surround system and £2,033 LED main headlights. The end result? An eye-watering £203,714.

Verdict

The Porsche GT3 Touring is a car which could’ve stumbled as it tried to balance between being a genuine road car and something more focused. The good news is that it has managed to pull it off; this is a car which feels exciting, special and exciting to drive, but still has the good road manners that make it into something you could still use every day.

Sure, optional extras can make this car into something very expensive but even without them, the GT3 Touring will likely go down as one of motoring’s greats.