The Porsche 911 GT3 is the finest sports car ever made. Period.

We know it’s annoying that automotive journalists keep calling it that, but it is true. There’s nothing else quite like it, and it’s proof that you can have fun with ‘just’ 502 horsepower. Excessive horsepower may even be seen as a waste, as proven by the GT3’s more track-focused RS derivative’s Nurburgring lap time with just 16 hp more.

Porsche already made the GT3 track-friendly, but it still needs to work in the real world. Having driven the previous generation of this car on the road and track, we know that Porsche always nails the brief, but, unfortunately, our time with the latest GT3 was limited to the track, courtesy of Dream Racing in Las Vegas. Still, a day at the track was ample time to get to grips with Porsche’s ultimate sports car.

Exterior: Iconic Lines Or Lazy Design?

There are two ways of looking at a Porsche 911. You either see it as the perfect evolution of an iconic shape, or as lazy car design. We’re firmly in the former grouping, and we love that keeping the basic 911 shape means that, even in GT3 guise, this is a useable daily car.

It’s tiny compared to 90% of the vehicles on the roads today, but it’s easy to see out of. Those iconic humps on the hood let you know exactly where the extremities of the car are, which means it’s easy to park. The GT3 even has enough ground clearance so you don’t have to worry about speed bumps and potholes.

Naturally, the GT3 has a few design elements that are model-specific. The most prominent is the fixed rear wing with swan-neck mountings. Beneath that, it has another integrated spoiler, and at the front, you’ll find additional air intakes.

Our favorite design element is the staggered, model-specific wheels. You get a set of 20-inch wheels at the front and 21-inch at the rear. They fill those arches beautifully and you’re left in no doubt what this car was built for.

Powertrain: Flat-Six Heaven

By modern standards, the GT3’s engine is on the weak side. It’s a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six, producing only 502 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque; you get more torque from a turbocharged four-pot truck engine these days. As a result, the straight-line performance isn’t that special either. Using launch control, a GT3 equipped with a PDK transmission will hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, and it will top out at 197 mph. There are quicker electric cars out there.

But to dismiss this engine because of its outputs would be a disservice. It’s one of the all-time greats, and you realize this the first time you take it to 9,000 rpm before changing gears. At 9,000 rpm, this car emits a noise that is gloriously mechanical and entirely orgasmic. At 9,000 rpm, you wonder why on earth you’d ever buy an electric vehicle.

It can be mated to a PDK or six-speed manual. Call me a heretic, but I’ve always preferred the PDK. In the company of other gearheads, I’d likely lie and say that the manual is the only option, but if I had the money, I’d want to use this car every day. And in that scenario, the PDK makes more sense.

Driving Experience: Best Thing You Can Do With Pants On

The GT3 is a car you need to learn to drive as fast as it will possibly go. Initially, it can be pretty intimidating. It may not have a lot of power, but all of it is sent to the rear wheels, and as we know, all 911s have a rather unique engine placement. When you start driving it, you’re suddenly very aware of the pendulum effect caused by having the weight at the back end.

So, you play it safe for a few rounds, first noticing how fantastic the front end is: this is how the car gods wanted us to build sports cars. With drive going to the rear, the front wheels only have to steer. Thanks to the new control arm front suspension, they do a superb job, which allows the maximum amount of rubber to grab onto the road.

And what’s this odd sensation coming through the wheel? Is that steering feel? We forgot what that felt like, but Porsche worked it into an EPAS system.

Words can’t accurately describe the feeling from behind the wheel. As you go around the track, you start looking for the limit of adhesion. You turn into the corner harder and press down on the throttle a bit more, waiting for that point where the front starts to understeer or the rear lets go. But it never comes. So you point the nose even further into the apex and stand on the throttle, but the revs keep piling on as the GT3 hurls itself through a corner. This car wants to be driven hard. It wants you to use all of the revolutions, all of the time.

Many don’t agree that Porsche’s seven-speed PDK transmission is the way to go, and that’s okay, but I feel that while the GT3 RS is meant to be a hardcore track day special, the GT3 still needs to work on the road. That means traffic, and if you want to be a hero, go right ahead. This writer prefers the PDK’s lightning-quick gear changes on track and how they blend into the background when you’re on the road. Most importantly, the PDK transmission lets you concentrate on steering, braking, and going through the corners smoothly.

Interior: Standard 911

The 2023 GT3’s interior is mostly the same as you’ll find in every other 911. That’s fine by us because the standard car already has a pretty nifty interior with high-quality materials. On the new car, the infotainment and climate control systems are integrated into a central touchscreen interface, which means you can’t delete the sound system or the air conditioner. Praise Porsche for doing this because the average person is not talented enough to get a better lap time by losing a 30-pound AC compressor.

The model-specific touches are nice, too. Porsche’s sports steering wheel is perfect, and the paddles are located precisely where you want them. Instead of the toggle switch you’ll find in other 911s, the GT3 with a PDK ‘box is equipped with a traditional shift knob. It’s meant to be more engaging when you’re on it, but the work is now so accustomed to paddle shifters that we no longer need it.

Practicality: Porsche Missed A Trick

Hold on to your hats because we’re about to criticize a Porsche 911 GT3. We like the idea that you can’t delete the air conditioner in the GT3, but why can’t you have rear seats?

It’s not Porsche’s fault. You see, you can order a GT3 with a roll cage in other parts of the world, but you can’t do that in the USA. So, instead of a half cage, you get additional storage space. It’s pretty useful because the frunk is only big enough for two soft bags, and the trunk is full of engine.

Still, one of our favorite things about the 911 is that it allows a family man to have his cake still and eat it. We know from experience that you can easily fit a nine-year-old- and six-year-old in the rear seats. You can laugh about that if you want to, but this practicality is one of the main reasons why Mercedes-AMG gave the new GT a pair of small rear seats to better rival the 911.

You can order the more sedate 911 GT3 Touring without the massive rear wing, so why not allow people to order rear seats, too? Luckily, aftermarket companies will put a pair of seats back there, and it’s the one modification we’d make to this car if we were going to buy one.

Pricing And Verdict: It’s Worth Twice The Price

If you can get on the list, a new GT3 retails for $182,900, currently. Or you can buy used, but you’ll still pay a hefty premium for getting one. Whatever the case, you need to get one if you can afford it. The GT3 punches well above its weight, as proven by its Nurburgring lap time.

The GT3 doesn’t feel as cumbersome as supercars twice its price, and it can easily hang on to them on a track. It gives you so much confidence to push harder and doesn’t feel precious.

Like every GT3 that came before it, the latest iteration is a marvel. May the car gods bless Porsche for building it and working on the synthetic fuel needed to keep it alive for years to come.