Porsche 911 GT3 Touring 2025 review – is wingless 9000rpm special better than ever?

How do you evolve the Porsche 911 GT3? Well, according to Porsche and its customers, you don’t change much at all. To create the latest 992.2 version, Porsche consulted with 2000 owners from around the globe to nail down exactly what they want from future GT models. The results were somewhat predictable, with rear-wheel drive, a high-revving naturally-aspirated engine, no hybrid or electric power and minimal drive modes being some of their wishes. In other words, exactly the opposite of what most car makers are leaning towards these days. It wasn’t easy, but Porsche has managed to keep the fundamentals of the new GT3 intact in the face of ever stricter legislation, while fine-tuning the details to squeeze even more from the package. 

That means it still has a 4-litre flat-six that revs to 9000rpm, and now complies with the latest sound and emissions regulations. There are no turbos or batteries in sight, and customers continue to have the option of a six-speed manual or seven-speed PDK gearbox. There’s still the choice of a winged version or sleeker Touring, tested here, but at a higher price than before – £158,200. For that you get a GT3 that’s been refined in every area, including its aero, suspension, powertrain and cabin, which now includes the option of rear seats at no extra cost. In other words, what could be the ultimate sports car for road and track. 

Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

A naturally-aspirated flat-six engine is a defining feature of all GT3s, and that remains the case with the 992.2. But keeping it wasn’t easy. The demands of tighter than ever emissions regulations in the GT3’s various markets worldwide necessitated modifications to the 4-litre unit, including the fitment of additional catalytic converters. This has dropped torque from 347lb ft in the 992.1 to 332, but peak power remains the same at 503bhp, and the redline still hits the magic 9000rpm mark. To compensate for the torque drop, Porsche has given the 992.2 GT3 the same eight per cent shorter gearing as the 911 S/T. The seven-speed PDK gearbox option, too, has the same eight per cent lower ratio.

The chassis has been tweaked too, with GT3 RS-style anti-dive geometry for the double wishbone front suspension, updated software for the adaptive dampers, retuned steering, redesigned bump stops and aerodynamically shaped trailing arms. The front and rear suspension and their surrounding neighbourhoods have also grown all kinds of ducts and fins to help cool the brakes, driveshafts and axle assemblies. There are diffusers on the lower front wishbones, intricate funnels on the front and rear lower trailing arms and underneath the driveshafts, and redesigned brake ducts mounted in the front wheel well areas.

All in the Touring weighs 1461kg in manual form, with the PDK gearbox adding 16kg, but buyers can spec a Lightweight (or Leichtbau) pack: a reassuringly/terrifyingly expensive £29,223 option bundle which includes forged magnesium wheels (as seen on the S/T), carbonfibre for the roof, rear anti-roll bars and coupling rods, lightweight door panels (and the aforementioned folding carbon bucket seats, which can be specced separately for £5390; electric-adjust sports seats are otherwise standard equipment). 

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The pack saves 22kg, and it’s the first time you can spec the Touring in this way. So you can either take the car in a more comfort-oriented direction, or with the Lightweight package, toward a more road-racer-ish vibe. Porsche’s GT model line director Andreas Preuninger describes this spec as a sharper than ever Touring, ‘maybe a little s/t with no capitals.’

Part of the reason for the Lightweight pack option is customer demand – buyers expressed a desire to mix and match the Touring shell with more dynamic options – but also to claw back some of the extra weight necessarily added by measures to keep the GT3 homologated, plus reconstructed doors for safety regulations and thicker front brake discs, for maintenance. Pack or no pack, Porsche has managed to negate much of the extra weight by putting the GT3 on a strict diet and adding extra carbonfibre elements.

The standard wheels are now made from forged aluminium, making them cumulatively 1.7kg lighter than the Gen 1 992’s but the same size (20in diameter front, 21 rear, wearing 255/35 and 315/30 tyres respectively). The magnesium wheels are the same size again but a further 9.1kg lighter than the forged aluminium rims. Three tyre suppliers are available, Michelin, Pirelli and Goodyear. This car is fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

Performance, ride and handling

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The Touring we’re driving here has the Lightweight pack and six-speed manual gearbox (which, as part of the pack, swaps its regular gearlever for a shorter handle). The gearchange is easier to get to grips with than that of the S/T, with its tiny clutch and flyweight flywheel, but demands concentration nonetheless. You can’t dawdle – it rewards positive, well-timed shifts. The S/T is more rewarding still when you nail a perfect change, and though the GT3 lacks the transmission chatter of the limited-run special, there’s still audible gear whine and a distinctly mechanical feel to the drivetrain – no bad thing. You can achieve perfect rev-matched downshifts every time by switching on the auto-blip function, or choose to do your own heel and toeing. 

The shorter gearing and deleted sound deadening of the Lightweight pack does make it feel a little buzzy on the motorway. At 80mph the engine is spinning at more than 3000rpm, which might get a bit wearying on a long journey, as it does in the similarly short-geared 911 S/T. You almost wonder if it would be a better long distance car if sixth were a bit taller, more of an overdrive. 

The ratios work beautifully on winding roads, though. The gearing of previous GT Porsches has been a little on the long side, and the shorter ratio means you’re more likely to use the full sweep of the engine’s revs without straying into irresponsible road speeds. If 9000rpm is a USP for the GT3, the lower gearing gives you more opportunities to reach it. Third gear now feels a bit more like a ‘second and a half gear’ at times, but it is still flexible enough for many B-roads, so you can flow along in third and fourth with an occasional dip into second for tight corners. Hearing and feeling the motor spin to the redline is as joyful as ever, the grittiness at low revs smoothening out into a full-bodied howl at the top end. It’s a wonderful engine, not as ballistic as a modern turbo powerhouse but more nuanced, responsive and measured in its delivery, and endlessly satisfying to wring out. 

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The electric power steering system has had an overhaul for this 992.2 GT3. It’s related to that of the 911 S/T, and incorporates automatic friction compensation software, which adjusts its response according to wear and temperature, the aim being a consistently direct, smooth feel. It’s a little less nervous just off-centre compared with its predecessor, again partly due to customer feedback, some owners reporting that their cars felt more sensitive than they’d like at high speed on the autobahn. So there’s now a little more ‘sneeze factor,’ if you like. In some ways the new setup is missing the absolute sense of connection you might expect, however, with a cleaner, lighter feel than previous 911s as you wind on lock. You may or may not like that; some people like the hiss of a needle on a record, some like digital clarity. But it is missing some sense of load as the tyres take up cornering forces.

Nevertheless, the steering works wonderfully as the roads begin to twist and rid themselves of traffic. You appreciate its measured directness more on the road than you do on the track, where you’re making broader inputs and corrections. You rarely need to move your hands on the wheel, clipping apices with smooth, easy inputs. As with the previous GT3, there’s rear-wheel steering in play too, but it’s subtle in its operation and never feels intrusive. Traction from the enormous 315-width rear Michelins is sublime, but there’s still scope to subtly tweak the balance all the way through a corner, balancing the load across the front and rear with the throttle. Few cars let you drive with such high fidelity. 

The suspension has gained new software for the adaptive dampers, similar to that of the 911 S/T (though not the same, since that car does without rear-wheel steering, which plays its own role in suspension control). It’s still a connected, firm-riding car even in the softest of the two damper modes, but does have a more rounded edge than the previous GT3 Touring, which could throw you about in the seat on bumpier roads. Befitting such a focused car it feels happiest with more speed under its wheels, settling down, finding a flow and in some cases riding better than the less focused 911 Carrera T. On some of the most challenging surfaces we know the Touring did reach the limit of control, the body jumping and jostling over bumps and keeping a lid on your commitment, but by and large it’s superbly poised and livable for a track car. 

Interior and technology

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The biggest change inside the new GT3 are the new carbonfibre bucket seats up front, which are foldable, electrically height adjustable and include removable headrest pads to make using a helmet more comfortable. They grip you firmly around the torso and combine with the slim-rimmed, perfectly round wheel, high-mounted manual gear lever and ideally-placed pedals in what is one of the most purposeful driving environments in any car. It’s very clean and business-like, lacking the detailing and extravagance of the S/T with its optional Heritage Design Package, but that’s always been the GT3 way. 

One element of design flourish that’s missing in this latest car is an analogue rev counter, replaced by a fully digital dial pack. In track mode it rotates to place the redline at the 12 o’clock position, like a competition car, but it’s undeniably less appealing than the intricate physical dial of old. The option of rear seats is a welcome addition though, since while you can’t fit adults in them, they’re useful for small children or luggage bags. 

Tech wise you get the same PCM infotainment system as other 911s, which means a relatively simple and easy to use interface on a dash-mounted touchscreen. The GT3 must now come with an array of driver assistance systems by law, but these can be accessed via a button on the dash and switched off on the touchscreen. 

Price and buying options

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The GT3 Touring costs exactly the same as the winged version, with a starting price of £158,200. And that really is just a starting price – add in the likes of the Lightweight pack (£29,223), fancy PTS paint (£10,310) and the Exclusive Manufaktur leather interior pack (£8102) and you could be looking at a £200k+ car. The extensive options list does however make the Touring more versatile than ever, with an S/T-style spec possible if you go for the Lightweight pack and a manual gearbox, or something more livable with PDK and rear seats. 

It’s hard to think of anything that can match the GT3’s blend of track ability and on-road poise at this price – certainly not with a manual gearbox and naturally aspirated engine. BMW’s M4 CS is more usable and tech heavy but not nearly as delicate or involving, there’s not yet a hardcore AMG GT to rival it and entry-level supercars like the McLaren Artura and Maserati MC20 are out of reach price-wise. But the used market is a different story – low-mileage 991 GT3 RSs are available for similar money, plus lightly used Mercedes-AMG GT R Pros for a completely different flavour of road and track car. 

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring (992.2) specs