2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Review: Undercover Superstar

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQ

One might think the point of a vehicle like the Porsche 911 GT3 is simply to go as fast as possible on a racetrack. And sure, if we want to distill the essence of the GT3 down, that is the point. But while outrunning friends at the local track day is fun, there’s also something undeniable about simply being seen in the big-winged, boxer-powered star.

Admittedly, though, showing off is not for everyone, and that’s where the 911 GT3’s Touring pack comes into play. Now entering its second generation following a wildly successful appearance in the last-gen 991.2, the latest GT3 Touring improves on the formula with a no-cost dual-clutch transmission. Whine if you want about the purity of the standard six-speed stick, but as I found out during a week at the helm, a two-pedal Touring is a glorious vehicle for low-key heroics.

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• Exterior Color: Iris Blue Metallic (Porsche Paint To Sample)
• Interior Color: Black/GT Silver
• Wheel Size: 20 Inches / 21 Inches (Staggered)

Porsche’s expanded Paint To Sample service ($12,830 in this case) shines with this tester’s stunning Iris Blue Metallic. The ultra-low-profile tires (255/35 front and 315/30 rears) and sizable silver wheels fill the arches perfectly and play neatly with the GT3’s lowered ride height. That height difference emphasizes the 911’s classic proportions, with the GT3’s nose – modified via the menacing, CFRP vented hood – looking even longer than normal. The rear of the Touring might do without the big wing, but it retains the fantastic center-exit exhaust pipes, engine intake scoops, and integrated diffuser.

A 911’s cabin can get pretty wild with options, but by the standards of my configurator fantasies, this tester’s black leather upholstery and GT Silver contrast stitching is restrained. The 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats lack the visual impact of the fixed, carbon-backed buckets, but they’re inarguably more comfortable for long-distance cruising and, at $2,640, are less than half the price. I will say, though, I’m not a huge fan of the PDK’s manual-look shifter. We’ve reported on Porsche’s reasoning for this before, but I’d rather just have a conventional gear selector than this poseurish “stick.”

• Seating Capacity: 2
• Seating Configuration: 2
• Cargo Capacity: 4.6 Cubic Feet (Frunk)

The GT3 is all about performance and the Touring pack does little to change that. And yet, the track-stiff ride is surprisingly tolerable, even on Detroit roads. The firmness is the biggest issue – you’ll feel impacts here, there’s no denying that – but in terms of stability and predictability on rough roads, the GT3 and its adaptive dampers are a cut above even rivals like the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Of course, switch the GT3 Touring’s chassis into Sport mode and all bets are off.

And no matter how the systems are set up, there’s no getting around the huge amount of noise that comes off those foot-wide Goodyear Eagle F1 tires and their super-skinny sidewalls. Fortunately, the lack of a rear wing means the GT3 Touring is a touch more slippery, so wind noise was rarely an issue during my week at the helm. The 18-way chairs, meanwhile, are as comfortable here as in any other 911. The deleted rear seats make the cabin more versatile, too.

• Center Display: 10.9-inch Touchscreen
• Instrument Cluster Display: Twin 7.0-inch Displays
• Wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto: Yes

The GT3 Touring doesn’t make many substantial tech changes relative to any other 911. The display layout, with two screens flanking a physical rev counter, along with a healthy touchscreen just ahead of the gear lever, is familiar and the functionality almost identical. The big standout is the track screen, which hides any and all information that could be distracting. Only mechanical stats, like temperatures, pressures, and the drive mode show up.

• Engine: 4.0-liter H6
• Output: 502 Horsepower / 346 Pound-Feet
• Transmission: Seven-Speed Dual-Clutch

Twist the stubby ignition knob on the left of the steering wheel and the GT3’s naturally aspirated flat-six fires up with a purposeful, precise, and motorsports-inspired bark before quickly settling into a classic Porsche clatter. It’s truly remarkable how that clatter, despite being so much like lesser 911s, builds into something wholly different and more special as the revs climb.

The 4.0-liter flat-six has a precise, weighty throttle – everything that happens around your feet, for that matter, demands strength and commitment – but is all too willing to surge forward when given enough boot. Despite the naturally aspirated nature, torque feels like it’s always a wish away, although that’s probably because the engine explodes to its 6,100-rpm torque peak in a flash.

But it’s the sound, the almost baleful howl from out the back, that helps the GT3 stand out. As a total package, this 4.0-liter flat-six might be my favorite engine… well, ever. Truly, from the sound to the performance to the way it screams toward redline, it feels every bit as special as AMG’s old 6.2-liter V8 or the Audi R8 and RS4’s 4.2-liter V8.

And I’m sorry purists, the seven-speed dual-clutch is just plain better. The shifts are so fast and so electrifying that every pull of the right-most paddle gives a taste of what life would be like as a 911 factory racer. And not to get technical, but with a 3.2-second run to 60, the 7AT is half a second quicker to 60 than the six-speed GT3 Touring.

Frankly, attempting to suss out the GT3’s handling prowess on public roads is as difficult as it is stupid. The thresholds are just too high. But in the few instances where I could properly and safely attack a bend, the 911 wowed with effortless grip from the big Goodyear tires and virtually no unwanted body motions. To be fair, the biggest problem is that my foolhardy attempts to explore the 911 felt like the car was merely tolerating me. It always seemed to want or need more than I could give.

That quality extended to the brake pedal, which was so heavy it felt almost unpowered. The stiff, square thing demanded real weight to activate, but it was so perfectly natural and easy to modulate that I quickly fell in love. More than any other element, it felt purposeful and true to the GT3’s mission.

• Driver Assistance Level: SAE Level 0 (Hands-On/Off)
• NHTSA Rating: Not Rated
• IIHS Rating: Not Rated

The GT3 line has precious little active safety equipment to speak of. Adaptive cruise control is totally unavailable, as is lane-keep assist. Blind-spot monitoring isn’t available, while rear parking sensors are an optional extra. Traffic sign recognition is available, which is good for a car that does 199 miles per hour. And like all 992s, automatic emergency braking is standard.

• City: 15 MPG
• Highway: 18 MPG
• Combined: 16 MPG

• Base Price: $114,400 + $1,650 Destination
• Trim Base Price: $163,750
• As-Tested Price: $193,400

As the old saying goes, if you have to ask about the price… The good news is that Porsche charges no more for the Touring than it does for the standard GT3. But still, the 2023 edition’s price comes in at a hefty $186,250, including $3,350 in destination and gas-guzzler charges, or a whopping $22,500 more than my 2022 GT3 Touring tester’s $163,750 base price.

That said, the GT3 still manages to slot in pretty neatly between its two main rivals, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Nissan GT-R Nismo. My 2022 test model comes in at $193,400, including its $12,830 Paint To Sample finish, $3,670 front-axle lift, upgraded seats, and a host of smaller options. Ignore the aesthetic changes and there isn’t a huge amount of must-have options on the GT3.