I refuse to believe any car enthusiast born in the late โ80s who claims to have had a Lamborghini Countach poster hanging on their bedroom wall. Early โ80s, maybe. But from 1986 onwards, if you had a Lamborghini up there, it was a Diablo โ most likely a violet SE30. If you were a Ferrari man, it was the F40, obviously. Both cars featured in the music video for Jamiroquaiโs 1996 hit Cosmic Girl, cementing their place โ for me at least โ as the ultimate poster cars of the โ90s.
Itโs been thirty years since Iโd wake religiously to watch Rage on Saturday mornings, sitting cross-legged in front of our cathode-ray-tube relic, waiting to catch four minutes of automotive fantasy. Fast-forward to 2025: the internet has rendered Rage a distant memory, and the car dominating social media โ and the memesphere โ isnโt made by either Lamborghini or Ferrari.
In all my years writing and consuming motoring content, no car has entranced aspirational males quite like the Porsche GT3. People I know who love cars want a GT3. People who donโt care much about carsโฆ still want a GT3.
At some point โ fuelled by Covid hysteria, insane secondary market valuations, and YouTubers like Mark McCann and Mat Watson โ everyone just decided it was the car.
Whatโs even more fascinating is how the GT3 Touring, technically inferior to the GT3 RS in outright performance, carved out its own passionate following โ despite being produced in far greater numbers and costing around 40 percent less.
Pinpointing the exact reason for the hype is near impossible. But know that iconic design, immense capability, fastidious engineering, unmatched liveability, unbeatable value retention, bulletproof reliability, a near-perfect seating position, and a six-speed manual gearbox all play their part.
If I had to pick one element that warrants the hype, though, it would be the magnificent, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six.
Unburdened by modern emissions standards, the legendary 4.0-litre still revs to 9,000 rpm, producing 375kW and 450Nm. The exhaust system utilises two particulate filters and four catalytic converters to remain compliant, yet still manages a soundtrack that sounds anything but.
Unburdened by modern emissions standards, the legendary 4.0-litre still revs to 9,000 rpm while producing 375 kW and 450 Nm. The exhaust system utilises two particulate filters and four catalytic converters to remain compliant, yet still manages a soundtrack that sounds anything but.
For GT3 RS fans, the hallowed Weissach package is now available on the 911 GT3 for the first time. It brings lightweight carbon components, optional magnesium wheels, and RS-derived suspension with aerodynamically shaped double-wishbone trailing arms that boost downforce and improve brake cooling. Combined with the GT3โs swan-neck wing and new angled side plates, the Weissach package delivers surgical responsiveness and inspiring confidence โ for anyone lucky enough to steer it. Like me.
When Porsche calls to say thereโs a new GT3 to sample โ under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park โ you clear the diary.
Unlike the launch of the 992 GT3, this time Porsche marked the badgeโs 25th anniversary by unveiling two versions simultaneously: the rear-wing model with the Weissach package, and the Touring package โ each available with either a manual or PDK gearbox.
Comparing the two variants, and their gearboxes, side by side is essential to figuring our what kind of GT3 driver you really are. Itโs a luxury few will ever experience, let alone on a racetrack,
so let me break it down.
Sure, the Weissach-spec car will lap the Nordschleife faster than the Touring, but unless youโre Porsche brand ambassador Jรถrg Bergmeister, that edge wonโt matter. For the gentleman driver, it all comes down to one thing: gearbox choice.
Down the Brabham Straight at Sydney Motorsport Park, I was seeing 250 km/h in the PDK cars, but only 230 km/h in the manuals. Which variant I was in โ Weissach or Touring โ felt irrelevant, because Iโm simply not skilled enough to notice the difference. What I can tell you is this: the new GT3 platform is perhaps the most forgiving supercar Iโve ever piloted, capable of dancing through corners at frightening speed, while patting me on the back for a job kind of well done. And itโs twice as engaging in the manual.
The six-speed is tantalising โ an all-encompassing, full-body-and-mind experience. The focus required to brake hard, downshift cleanly, match Bathurst winner Luke Youldenโs line through the testing double apex at Turn 2, and be patient on the throttle to avoid understeer before shifting to third again, is all part of the challenge. If youโre up for it.
The extra speed Iโm missing on the straight (and everywhere else) will come as I develop as a driver โ and that excites me far more than just jumping in the PDK and pointing the car.
Both gearboxes share an eight per cent shorter final drive ratio, but it really shines in the manual. Paired with a 911 S/T-borrowed short shifter that trims the throw by around 10mm, shifts feel quicker and more mechanical. The shorter gearing tightens the whole experience, pulling harder through the revs and amplifying that signature GT3 sound and immediacy. Honestly? Itโs pure sex.
I set up my phone to shoot a piece to camera, but when I wasnโt silent โ concentrating harder than ever โ I was hooting or laughing at just how bloody good it was. None of the footage makes any sense, just like the car itself. How Porsche keeps making the GT3 better while preserving its unfiltered, unassisted 4.0-litre masterpiece is truly mind-boggling.
With the development of the T-Hybrid in the 992.2 GTS, the PDK gearbox is integral to the power unit, housing the electric motor that delivers the torque boost. In the GT3, itโs not โ which brings me to one final thought: whether you choose the 911 GT3 with its glorious rear wing or the understated Touring spec, please just get the manual.
Donโt think about traffic. Donโt think about daily usability. Because you wonโt always be in traffic, and you wonโt use it every day. Just think about the wail of the flat-six chasing the redline, and the glorious left-foot plant and shift that follows.
On the off-chance cost does impact your decision, itโs worth noting that the Weissach package adds $47,530 to the $446,700 RRP โ plus another $33,480 for the forged magnesium wheels. My take? Youโd be better off buying the Touring in Slate Grey Neo ($7,870 extra) and spending that $73K difference learning to drive it like Jรถrg. Thatโs the one going on my wall, anyway.
