Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Makes a Strong Case For Manual Cars At The Autobahn - story fullscreen Fullscreen

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Makes a Strong Case For Manual Cars At The Autobahn

This manual Porsche 911 GT3 Touring goes over 190 mph on the Autobahn, makes a strong case for stick shift cars

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The Porsche 911 GT3 is the ultimate, normally-aspirated 911 and the YouTube channel AutoTopNL recently got its hands on a 992 GT3 Touring – the more street-oriented, “less shouty” version of the normally-aspirated track weapon, without the crazy aero. And while race tracks are the home of the GT3, here, we see how capable the wingless version is, on the Autobahn. Is the “purest 911” capable enough, in the age of turbocharged performance cars?

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Makes a Strong Case For Manual Cars At The Autobahn
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There’s something charming about a capable car that’s under the radar and although the GT3, with its rev-happy, 4.0-liter, normally-aspirated flat-six is anything but discrete, the Agate Grey Metallic finish and regular, silver wheels give it more of a stealth look. In the case of this one, the 510 horsepower and 347 pound-feet (470 Nm) go to the rear axle through a six-speed manual.

Given that the seven-speed PDK gearbox is also available, which one should you get? Max, AutoTopNL host, takes us around the car and then for a spin. He also notes, and I actually back him up on it, that the GT3 Touring should be had with the six-speed manual, as it’s more aimed at driving on Mountain roads and being enjoyed, whereas the GT3, which is a no-nonsense track weapon is better off with the much quicker PDK gearbox.

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Makes a Strong Case For Manual Cars At The Autobahn
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Just to put things in perspective, the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint takes 3.4 seconds with the PDK and 3.9 seconds with the manual. While, on paper, both the GT3 Touring and GT3 have the same top speed of 199 mph (320 km/h), the GT3’s more aggressive aerodynamics would surely slow it down at high speeds.

How does it perform on the Autobahn?

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Makes a Strong Case For Manual Cars At The Autobahn
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One thing that becomes apparent is that you need to rev the 4.0-liter flat-six high, in order to get the most out of it. Max torque is at 6,100 RPM, while peak horsepower is at 8,400 RPM. How does this translate on the Autobahn? The six-speed manual has long gear ratios and in second gear you can reach 78 mph before you have to shift. Fourth gear is good for just over 140 mph (225 km/h).

In terms of 100 to 200 km/h (62-124 mph) acceleration, a normal GT3 with a PDK does it in 7.46 seconds, which is slightly better than the much more powerful Dodge Challenger Hellcat with an eight-speed automatic. The manual-equipped GT3 Touring, on the other hand, managed a still-impressive 7.74-second time, which is slightly better than a manual-equipped Challenger Hellcat.

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Makes a Strong Case For Manual Cars At The Autobahn
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Finally, Max manages to touch 191 mph (308 km/h), which is not far from the 911 GT3 Touring’s top speed. While there are more capable cars out there, the 911 GT3 Touring is one of the very few to offer a pure driving experience in a relatively subtle package. A while back, we wrote aboutanother AutoTopNL autobahn run, this time with a Porsche Carrera GT. Which one do you think sounds better? The GT3’s normally-aspirated flat-six or the Carrera GT’s race-bred, shrieking V-10?


Dim Angelov
Dim Angelov
Born in 1992, I come from a family of motoring enthusiasts. My passion for cars was awoken at the age of six, when I saw a Lamborghini Diablo SV in a magazine. After high school I earned a master’s degree in marketing and a Master of Arts in Media and Communications. Over the years, I’ve practiced and become skilled in precision driving and to date have test driven more than 250 cars across the globe. Over the years, I’ve picked up basic mechanical knowledge and have even taken part in the restoration of a 1964 Jaguar E-Type and an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint. Lately, I’ve taken a fancy to automotive photography, and while modern cars are my primary passion, I also have a love for Asian Martial Arts, swimming, war history, craft beer, historical weapons, and car restoration. In time, I plan my own classic car restoration and hope to earn my racing certificate, after which I expect to establish my own racing team.  Read full bio
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