911 & Porsche World Magazine

The purist argument writes itself: GT3s are track cars with number plates. They don’t have fabric roofs, they do not weigh more than they need to, and they certainly don’t come with a £24,000 styling package. On this reading, the S/C is heresy. Porsche thinks the opposite. In fairness, strip away what a GT3 is supposed to be and look at what this one is. There’s a four-litre normally aspirated flat-six revving to 9,000rpm. There’s a six-speed manual gearbox and body panels lifted from the modern S/T. The S/C makes use of ceramic brakes and magnesium centrelocks as standard. The result weighs thirty-five kilos more than a manual GT3 coupe with no ‘lightweighting’ boxes ticked. A compromise? More like a rounding error.

Andreas Preuninger’s team has judged Porsche’s customers correctly. Put it this way, half of all GT3s now leave the factory in Touring specification, the majority with manual transmission. These buyers are not chasing Nordschleife lap times. They simply want the engine, the gearbox and a good road on which to use them. The S/C presents all this, plus the undiluted sound of the flat-six. Roof down, pedal to the metal. Sublime. The best sports cars Porsche makes? Most people will point to those on the road, which is where the S/C will live. Enjoy our review.