Guess What? The New 911 GT3 Is Amazing: First Drive Review

As an enthusiast, it’s impossible not to adore the 911 GT3. The hotted-up, track-ready Porsche is a flawless concoction of everything purists hold dear, keeping the flame alive for those with an undying passion for low weight, high revs, and three pedals. Aside from a few multi-million-dollar, low-production exotics, it’s the last bastion for analog supercars.

The last GT3 was essentially perfect. Introduced in 2021, it achieved new heights in performance and feedback thanks to a double-wishbone front suspension setup and more aero than ever before. And those improvements didn’t come at the cost of usability on the road. 

So how do you improve on perfection? It’s becoming a tougher challenge for Porsche’s GT department, having reached the limit for the car’s 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six with regards to current emissions regulations. But in true Porsche fashion, the company managed to dig deeper than ever with a handful of small, meaningful changes that add up to something truly brilliant.

The 4.0-liter flat-six is what makes the GT3, the GT3. This engine is the car’s heart and soul, the very thing that separates it from the competition. Without it, the GT3 wouldn’t feel so special. And Porsche knows that. The company recently conducted a survey, asking 2,000 GT3 owners whether they’d keep the high-revving flat-six over a turbocharged engine, despite the latter offering more power and efficiency. Unsurprisingly, owners overwhelmingly preferred to keep the 4.0-liter. 

This proved to be a challenge for Porsche, given ever-stringent emissions rules in the US, Europe, and China. The exhaust now has four restrictive catalytic converters, and for Europe, two particulate filters. Yet the flat-six makes the same 502 horsepower as before. Much was changed internally to keep that figure. New cams improve valve opening times, while the individual throttle bodies have been reshaped for better airflow. An updated oil cooler and airbox decrease oil and air intake temps, respectively. 

Photo by: Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Photo by: Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Without driving this car and the previous GT3 back to back, the engine differences are imperceptible. From behind the wheel, this is the same naturally aspirated 4.0 I know and love, with the same instantaneous throttle response, triumphantly linear powerband, and miraculous 9,000-rpm crescendo. Despite the extra exhaust blockage, there was no shortage of holy noises, and like with the last car, window-down tunnel runs took me to a higher plane. This remains one of the industry’s great engines—if not the greatest.

There is something Porsche couldn’t save in the move to qualify this engine for current emissions regs: Torque. The new flat-six makes 331 pound-feet, 15 fewer than before. Instead of admitting defeat, engineers decided to add what is the biggest material change to the GT3: an 8 percent shorter final drive. The ratio, lifted from the godly 911 S/T, makes up for the missing twist, replacing it with a more lively set of cogs and injecting another layer of excitement to the powertrain. 

You notice the new gearing right away. In the GT3 equipped with a manual transmission, setting off in first no longer feels like a long road to 9,000 rpm; you get there quickly and jump to second before you know it. The car feels that much more ready to bomb to the next corner, especially at slower speeds. Previously, you’d be tempted to grab first gear through hairpins. But no longer. And the car is better on the road because of it.

Photo by: Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Pros: Unmatched dynamics, Godly powertrain, Optional rear seats for the first time.

The seven-speed PDK gets that same final drive improvement. Porsche has been in the dual-clutch game for nearly two decades, with incremental updates with each iteration. I only got a handful of laps on the track with this one, but to no one’s shock, the initial signs are good. Using the paddles, I never even had to think about whether I’d get the gear I wanted. Every part of this ‘box is seamless, making it easy for me to focus on having fun and setting lap times. (I still would’ve preferred a stick shift on track, but that’s just me.)

The steering, too, has been updated for 2025. Porsche developed new software to compensate for feedback based on tire wear and temperature, focusing on improving precision on-center. What might sound like an overcomplication of an already excellent system has turned out beneficial, at least in my short time with the new car.

Photo by: Porsche

The GT3’s steering is smoother and less darty, as if the rear-wheel steering (a standard feature on the GT3 these days) was turned down a notch. It’s a very minor difference—something you probably wouldn’t notice if you didn’t spend a lot of time in the old car. But it’s a meaningful improvement. 

Likewise, minor upgrades to the suspension further perfect the GT3’s formula. The front setup gets a new, reshaped trailing arm that cuts through the air more efficiently. Its attachment point on the knuckle has also been relocated to deter dive under braking. The bump stops inside the dampers have been shortened, allowing more travel in the shock—especially useful for bigger bumps, says Porsche. 

Photo by: Porsche

Cons: Way more expensive than before, No more analog tachometer.

I won’t lie and say these changes are noticeable, as they don’t add up to an incredibly different experience versus the last car. As before, the GT3 is stiff but never jarring, highly motivated to translate every road imperfection to your ass. At the same time, it doesn’t beat you up. So long as you respect its position as a performance car first, you’ll be satisfied. This isn’t a commuter, so don’t expect it to be quiet or comfortable. 

Updates to the interior for 2025 are more obvious, like the new bucket seat that folds forward for easy access to the rear compartment. It’s a perfect complement to the optional rear seats, a first for the GT3. Sadly you can only get the rear seats with the Touring package. So if you want a four-seater GT3 with a wing, you’re out of luck.

Photo by: Porsche

The 911 GT3 Touring, If You Don’t Want The Wing

The buckets have an electric adjustment for height, making it easy to find a perfect seating position for virtually any body shape. The headrest cushions can be removed, making more room for a helmet. Another small touch that most won’t notice. But one that shows engineers have really put some thought into this thing. 

The only real downside is the fully digital gauge cluster. The normal 911 dropped the analog tachometer for 2025, and the GT3 followed suit. The digital layout is well-designed and easy to read, but it can’t hold a candle to the last car’s centralized, analog rev counter. Hey, at least I can read the fuel gauge now. Previously, the steering wheel blocked the outer edges of the screens in the cluster, making it a pain to find out whether I’d need to hit the pump between track sessions. 

In that survey I mentioned earlier, Porsche also asked owners which kind of optional extras are most important. The majority wanted more lightweight parts. So Porsche obliged, adding a Weissach package for the GT3 and a Leichtbau (Lightweight) package for the GT3 Touring. Both packages get a carbon roof and a host of carbon upgrades for the suspension, including anti-roll bars, drop links, and a shear panel that mounts under the engine. 

Going for the Leichtbau package on the Touring adds a shorter shifter and magnesium wheels, both borrowed from the S/T. The set drops 20 pounds of unsprung weight versus the last-gen wheels, which is a whole lot. You can get this set on the normal GT3 too, but they’re an optional extra on top of the Weissach pack.

Photo by: Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Photo by: Porsche

Alone, many of these improvements would go unnoticed. But together, things like the steering changes, the suspension updates, and the shorter final drive deliver a lot of new feelings. And all of them make the car better. As a driver’s car, the GT3 remains the industry benchmark, price point be damned. It puts the driver’s experience front and center, combining modern chassis engineering, modern tire tech, and modern brakes to a near-extinct drivetrain pairing most manufacturers have long since abandoned. 

I would have the 2025 911 GT3 over any new McLaren, and likely any new Ferrari. The toughest question, ironically, is whether I’d have one over the last GT3. It’d be an easy choice if they were priced similarly, but Porsche decided to slap a $40,000 premium on the new car. I’d understand if this were a ground-up redesign, but for a run-of-the-mill refresh, it’s brazen. 

Photo by: Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Speculators will tell you Porsche is just trying to encroach on dealer markups. In its current iteration, the GT3 has been in high demand, with even used models routinely selling for above MSRP, years after they left the factory. Porsche just wants a slice of that pie. 

Either way, it’s tough to make a case against the new price. Nothing else on the market drives or sounds like the GT3, even at double MSRP. Buyers will happily pay to play, and if the last car is anything to go by, they’ll likely pay extra to dealers for the chance. I don’t blame them. If I had the cash, I would too.

109

Motor1.com / Porsche