Porsche 911 2026 review: GT3

“It’s almost too good.”

Normally when someone in a car company shirt says something so overwhelmingly positive about a car, you can dismiss it as pure marketing hyperbole. But not this time.

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Youlden is talking at Sydney Motorsport Park, where Porsche allowed us to sample both variants of this updated 911 (officially known as the 992.2 generation for the trainspotters), which features both the big-winged GT3 and the 911 GT3 with Touring Package.

This is the first time Porsche is launching the Touring Package at the same time as the ‘standard’ GT3. The Touring Package removes the track-appropriate rear wing and replaces it with a more understated pop-up spoiler, to give you all the performance upgrades but without the ‘look-at-me’ image.

This dual-model strategy both celebrates the 25th anniversary of the GT3 nameplate, but also underscores the importance the model now plays in the carefully orchestrated and increasingly diverse 911 range.

This is the hardcore, driver-focused member of the 911 family, sitting between the new hybrid 911 GTS and the more potent, all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo. So where better to test them than at Sydney Motorsport Park, one of Australia’s premier racing venues and a true test of man and machine.

Motivation for the GT3 still comes from the same 4.0-litre six-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine which still makes the same 375kW of power as the 992.1. However, torque has actually decreased, from 470Nm down to 450Nm, largely thanks to the need to pit two petrol particulate filters and four catalytic converters to meet emissions laws. In reality, only racing drivers like Youlden will notice the difference, and thankfully it hasn’t impacted the glorious sound the naturally aspirated flat-six makes as it screams all the way to its 9000rpm red line.

It certainly doesn’t feel slow on the track. Down the front straight at Sydney Motorsport Park the GT3 is nudging 250km/h as the engine sounds like a race-ready Carrera Cup machine - even with the mandatory safety helmet on.

The GT3 is available with either a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (PDK in Porsche-speak) or, for the driving purists, a six-speed manual. Another one of the subtle but significant changes for this 992.2 is a shorter final drive ratio, to enhance the responsiveness. This was a much-needed move thanks to the relatively tall gear ratios this manual gearbox has at this point in its lifecycle.

Now, which gearbox you choose will really define what kind of car person you are. The manual is for those who love the physical act of driving, the nuisance and skill required to perfectly change gears each time. The PDK is for those who want speed above all else, as it provides lightning fast shifts that no human can match - certainly not consistently.

Porsche claims the GT3 with the manual takes just 3.9 seconds to launch from zero to 100km/h, which is incredibly quick, but the PDK does it in 3.4 seconds.

Both have top speeds of more than 300km/h but the GT3 isn’t a car built for top speed, it’s designed for handling. Every element of the GT3 is designed to help it go around corners quickly and make the driver feel special.

That extends to how it looks, with the new model featuring restyled front and rear bumpers that have been designed to enhance the aerodynamics and improve downforce when cornering.

All of these means that the 911 GT3 does indeed feel almost too good. Provided you have knowledge in driving quickly and the correct technique, the car flatters the driver with its incredible dynamic limits.

It can be pushed harder and faster than any other sports car in this segment, with rivals often feeling skittish and unpredictable when approaching the limit. Not so the GT3, in either original or Touring form, it simply sticks to the track like glue and throws you out of the corners with a ferocity few can match.