Porsche Cut the Roof Off a Manual GT3, and the Testers Couldn't Find the Catch

Every review of the Porsche 911 GT3 S/C starts with the same suspicion: convertibles are not supposed to be GT3s. The car exists anyway, and the four outlets that drove it in early July spent a lot of their word count trying to catch it out. CAR's Piers Ward came closest to a verdict on that question when he wrote that there is "so little scuttle shake it feels like you're sat in a carbon-tubbed car."

The Drive, Top Gear and CAR published on July 7, and PistonHeads followed on July 8. All four drove on roads around Stuttgart, with no track time. TORQFOLIO did not drive it. Here is what they found.

What it is

The simplest description comes from The Drive's Adam Ismail: the S/C is the limited-run 911 S/T done up as a convertible. That means the GT3's 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six, which revs to 9,000 rpm and makes 502 hp and 331 lb-ft in The Drive's U.S. figures, paired only with a six-speed manual. Auto rev-matching comes on in Sport mode. The doors, front fenders and hood are carbon fiber, carbon-ceramic brakes and 20- and 21-inch magnesium wheels are standard, and the rear seats are gone. Top Gear's Greg Potts adds that it is the first 911 Cabriolet with double-wishbone front suspension.

The result is light for a drop top. The Drive lists a curb weight of 3,322 pounds and says the roof assembly weighs just 80 pounds. PistonHeads' Sam Sheehan quotes 1,497 kg and says that is only 28 kg more than a GT3 coupe, while CAR puts it 36 kg heavier than a GT3 Touring. Porsche quotes 3.9 seconds to 62 mph and, per Top Gear and PistonHeads, 194 mph.

Where they agree: no flex, more noise

The big test was the structure, and it passed with every reviewer. Potts wrote that the body does not flex unless you are at maximum attack on track, and that the suspension carries over from the GT3 Touring because the development team tried softer settings and found the chassis could take more. Sheehan wrote that GT department director Andreas Preuninger told PistonHeads even he was surprised that early prototypes needed no structural changes, and that on German roads with the Cup 2 tires warm, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference from a coupe.

The other point of agreement is the sound, which is the reason to buy this car over a Touring. Potts described the flat-six going from a motorsport chunter at idle to a primal metallic scream at the limiter. Ward said the tunnel run with the roof down was reason enough to buy one. Ismail noted the engine does not really kick until 5,000 rpm and that buyers who do not use the top 4,000 rpm are missing the point.

Top Gear also got the clearest statement of intent from Porsche. Preuninger told Potts that roughly half of GT3s are now ordered as Tourings, which is why the S/C made sense, and when asked about the manual-only spec he answered: "If you want a cruiser, buy a Turbo."

Where they split

The differences are small and mostly about feel. Sheehan found a little less texture through the steering than he remembered in the coupe, though he said it would take a back-to-back drive to confirm. Ward felt a fraction more shoulder movement in some corners, which he blamed on the roof mechanism's weight sitting behind the occupants. Both said it would not change their verdict.

Inside, there is little to argue about. Ismail called the current 911 interior the perfect cabin, technologically current but still tactile. Ward missed the central analog tachometer from the S/T but otherwise found it business as usual for a GT3, and said the optional lightweight bucket seats, which Preuninger calls a must-have, put you very low and hold you well. Where the rear seats would be, buyers get either an empty shelf or optional lockable storage boxes that Ward says are not big enough for a helmet but are still useful. With the roof down, he found the electric wind deflector good enough to hold a conversation at 80 mph.

Gearing is the most repeated gripe. Potts wanted shorter ratios despite the 992.2 update's 8 percent shorter gearing, since second gear already runs to illegal speeds. Sheehan made the same point. Ismail had a different issue: the lightweight flywheel drops revs so fast that he stalled the car three or four times in as many hours, and he said the carbon bucket seats were hard on his lower back and suggested the 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats, which now offer ventilation.

The price

The S/C starts at $275,350 in the U.S., and the car Ismail drove had $19,920 in options, including $6,940 folding carbon buckets, a $3,890 front-axle lift and $2,680 HD Matrix headlights. Porsche also offers a $34,190 Street Style Package with stripes and woven leather that PistonHeads expects to be divisive. Ismail warned of limited allotments and dealer markups. On the other hand, The Drive and Top Gear both point out that the lightweight equipment that costs extra on a GT3 coupe, like the Weissach parts, comes standard here.

TORQFOLIO's read

Reading the four reviews together, the S/C is the GT3 for the person who would have bought a Touring and drives mostly on back roads. Nobody found a structural compromise worth worrying about, and every reviewer said the open roof makes the best naturally aspirated engine on sale more of an event. PistonHeads' Sheehan did point out that the track is the one place the S/C is likely to seem a notch below the coupe, so if your GT3 lives at time attack and HPDE days, the winged car is still the tool.

For the Euro scene, the S/C also says something about where Porsche thinks the market is going: manual, naturally aspirated, and built to be enjoyed at legal speeds as much as at the limit. At this price, that is a very small club. The testers think it is the right one.