Porsche 911 GT3 S/C Evaluate: Higher As A Convertible?

Irrespective of what number of occasions it has been stated or written, it’s by no means any much less true: There actually is nothing like a Porsche 911. From the barest of bare-bones Carrera mannequin to probably the most batshit GT3 RS, Porsche’s iconic sports activities automobile is relentlessly refined.

So it makes excellent sense that Porsche would cherry-pick the very best bits from throughout the 911 lineup and thoughtfully mash them collectively right into a single product. That is basically how the 911 GT3 S/C got here to life—what Porsche describes because the purest expression of the GT3 but.

It borrows liberally from the GT3 RS, GT3 Touring, S/T, and extra, pairing the GT3’s naturally aspirated flat-six with a brilliantly sorted chassis and, fortunately, a six-speed guide as the one transmission selection. The largest change is apparent: There is no roof. However carving by way of the Swabian Alps on an unusually heat spring afternoon, the open-top expertise is welcomed.

Prime Down, Thrill Up

Picture by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

The letters “S/C” stand for Sport Cabriolet—one other time period so as to add to your ever-growing Porsche dictionary. Extra merely, it’s the primary GT3 with a power-operated convertible roof, which raises and lowers with the press of a button in 12 seconds at speeds of as much as 37 miles per hour. The limited-production 911 Speedster was technically the primary open-top GT3, however its cloth roof needed to be raised and lowered by hand.

For Porsche, including a power-operated roof with out compromising the GT3’s character was a severe engineering problem. With weight being the enemy, Porsche went all-in on magnesium, utilizing the light-weight materials within the roof construction, the roof mechanism, the staggered wheels, and a number of other different elements all through the automobile.

Images by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Images by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

The lightweighting would not cease there. The hood, fenders, and doorways are comprised of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, whereas the brakes and wheels borrow closely from the S/T. Porsche’s Ceramic Composite Brakes shave roughly 44 kilos in comparison with the usual cast-iron setup, and the light-weight wheels save one other 19 kilos. Even the elective carbon-fiber bucket seats, and sure, the carpets had been designed with weight discount in thoughts.

That leads to a powerful curb weight of simply 3,322 kilos within the US—solely about 66 kilos greater than the previous Speedster and roughly 100 kilos heavier than the coupe. Contemplating the addition of a totally powered roof, that is a powerful feat.

Extra importantly, you’re feeling it from the second the street begins to twist.

Unwinding In The Swabian Alps

Picture by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

At its core, the S/C remains to be very a lot a GT3. Which means a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six sits behind the rear axle, albeit with just a few significant updates. Revised cylinder heads and camshafts borrowed from the GT3 RS enhance top-end velocity, whereas optimized throttle our bodies and oil coolers assist the engine stream extra effectively.

The outcome is identical 502 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque because the coupe, routed solely by way of a six-speed guide transmission. Porsche quotes a 0-60 mph time of three.7 seconds—a hair behind the hardtop—and a high velocity of 194 mph.

In a world of absurdly fast, ultra-torquey fashionable sports activities vehicles, the S/C isn’t that. Torque builds progressively, whereas the engine delivers its energy with attractive linearity all the best way to a screaming 9,000-rpm redline. It is hardly gradual, however outright acceleration is not the purpose; wringing each final rev from the flat-six and rowing by way of every gear is what makes the S/C so rattling good.

At its core, the S/C remains to be very a lot a GT3.

The gearbox itself shares a brief axle ratio with the 911 S/T. Second, third, and fourth arrive in fast succession because the speedo climbs; every brief, mechanical throw begging for an additional upshift. The ultra-lightweight flywheel additionally means the S/C performs finest when pushed exhausting, which is the way you’ll wish to drive it more often than not.

Don’t let its gentle high idiot you; the S/C assaults corners with the identical relentless precision of the remainder of the GT3 household. It tucks neatly into apexes and weaves effortlessly by way of esses, with the razor-sharp steering telling you precisely what the tires are as much as always.

That stated, Porsche did soften the perimeters barely to higher swimsuit the S/C’s grand-touring mission. Whereas it retains the GT3’s double-wishbone entrance suspension, it borrows carbon-fiber anti-roll bars and a carbon-fiber shear panel from the Touring mannequin, together with shorter bump stops that enhance suspension journey by 27 millimeters up entrance and 24 millimeters within the rear.

The distinction is… refined. The GT3 S/C nonetheless crashes exhausting onto cobblestone and shudders over damaged pavement. There’s solely a lot GT3-ness you possibly can take away. However on quick, flowing roads, the additional little bit of compliance takes a number of the edge off.

Images by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Images by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Greater than something, although, the GT3 S/C is concerning the soundtrack.

Ripping by way of a number of the prettiest winding roads southwest Germany has to supply, high down, the symphony of sound coming from behind the seats is one thing spectacular. The engine is throaty and loud, with a mechanical tenor that reminds you that, sure, there’s basically a race automobile engine behind your head.

Rip it exhausting, and it roars to life. Amble by way of any of the speed-monitored German villages extra slowly, and it seems like a possessed garden mower making an attempt to flee the engine bay. That’s not a critique, both—it’s a delightfully ridiculous noise.

Retro-Tastic Or Racy Inside?

Picture by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

The way you spec your GT3 S/C goes a good distance in defining its persona. You possibly can go for the light-weight carbon-fiber bucket seats, that are manually adjustable fore and aft—and never a lot else. After spending just a few hours in them on a few of Germany’s finest roads, I would in all probability skip them.

As an alternative, I would verify the field for Porsche’s new Road Type inside package deal. Accessible on a GT3 for the primary time, it swaps the carbon buckets for 18-way power-adjustable sport seats completed in a retro-inspired woven leather-based sample. The one actual downside is that they aren’t heated or ventilated due to the fabric, however they’re distinctive in any other case.

The way you spec your GT3 S/C goes a good distance in defining its persona.

The remainder of the inside may be very a lot basic 911; knobs, switches, and dials nonetheless dominate the cabin, holding the main focus the place it belongs most: on driving. Porsche did modernize a number of the tech, with new graphics atop a ten.9-inch central touchscreen and a 12.9-inch digital instrument cluster.

The up to date software program is fast and intuitive, whereas the brand new gauge graphics lean into the automobile’s retro vibes. There’s even a totally rendered 3D mannequin of your actual automobile within the show, full with its precise paint coloration—whether or not it’s an ordinary shade or Paint to Pattern. A neat contact.

Verdict: The GT3 To Get

Picture by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

At $275,350 together with vacation spot, the GT3 S/C is not precisely an reasonably priced approach into the Porsche GT3 household. Add choices just like the carbon bucket seats, Paint to Pattern, and the Road Type package deal—which alone provides a staggering $34,190—and the value climbs in a rush. With out the Road Type package deal, the automobile pictured right here prices $295,270. With it, the GT3 S/C rings in at $317,890.

The excellent news? In contrast to the Speedster, which was restricted to only a few hundred examples, Porsche plans to construct as many GT3 S/Cs as clients are prepared to purchase. That ought to hold costs from spiraling into seven-figure territory just a few years down the street.

For those who’ve all the time dreamed of a GT3 convertible, that is the one you’ve got been ready for. The GT3 S/C proves as soon as once more that there actually is nothing fairly like a Porsche 911. Even with its electrically operated high, eradicating the roof would not take away the allure of the GT3 expertise—it amplifies it.