Tested: 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring PDK Is All About Choice

You’ve likely made some good life decisions if you’re shopping for a new Porsche 911 GT3. Yet, if you previously found yourself configuring a GT3 in its optional Touring spec, you were limited to one transmission choice (a manual, thankfully) and little else to distinguish your discerning taste other than this subtler-looking GT3’s lack of a giant rear wing—a first-world problem but a legit gripe for this model’s prior 991.2 generation. For the latest, or 992, version, Porsche has opened up more of its option book, which should help buyers of this hardcore 911 feel as special as their car is to drive.

It’s important to note that the no-cost Touring package doesn’t make for a lesser GT3. Sure, the greater downforce produced by the winged version lets it turn quicker lap times on the racetrack. But that’s of little consequence in the real world when the Touring is otherwise mechanically identical. It still packs a 502-hp 4.0-liter flat-six that revs to a 9000-rpm crescendo, painting everything around it with 100 decibels of glorious internal-combustion wail. It features the same unequal-length control-arm front suspension as other new GT3s, complete with ball-joint connections that help render the road surface in braille through the most sublime of electrically assisted helms out there. Rear-axle steering further assists the car’s adherence to chosen vectors, while adaptive dampers maintain strict control over wheel movements. Sharp impacts on shoddy Midwestern pavement are firmly felt yet fall short of being punishing.

The most significant change for the latest Touring is the availability of a PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission, another no-cost selection. Based on the unit from the previous-gen GT3, there are seven speeds compared to the eight found in tamer self-shifting 911s, as well as a chunky mechanical shifter instead of a dinky electronic toggle. This is a welcome source of manual gear control (steering-wheel paddles also are included), although to some, the lever’s resemblance to a stick shift will be a reminder of the marvelous six-speed manual you should have opted for. Either way, it’s your choice now.

The automatic’s contribution to performance, however, is not up for debate. With launch control engaged, a 6500-rpm clutch drop catapults the Touring to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds—similar to the last winged GT3 we tested with the PDK and 0.5 second quicker than one fitted with the manual. The quarter-mile happens in 11.0 seconds flat at 127 mph, handily trouncing the 11.7-second, 122-mph pass of the previous manual-only Touring model. With effortless cruising in gridlock and an almost-telepathic sense of gear selection, the PDK setup is practically faultless.

Despite the contemporary 911’s growth spurt, Porsche has kept the latest GT3’s weight in check. The Touring’s hood, rear deck, and active rear spoiler are made of carbon fiber. Lightweight window glass and a compact lithium-ion battery are included, while a new stainless-steel exhaust system saves 22 pounds over the 991.2 model’s pipes. Being a GT3, the rear seats also have been deleted and there’s an available carbon-fiber roof (which our car didn’t have). All in, our PDK test car weighed 3334 pounds, a mere 31 pounds more than before. Rolling on street-friendlier Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport R summer tires—making it the first current GT3 we’ve tested that didn’t wear ultra-tacky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rubber—our example’s 1.10 g’s of stick on the skidpad matched that of the previous Touring, although it’s less than the 1.16 g’s we’ve seen from the new winged GT3 on Cup 2 Rs. But only in this context can that be considered a downgrade. With stops from 70 mph in 143 feet and from 100 mph in 274 feet, the Touring maintains a vise-like grip on the road.

According to Porsche, though, many current Touring owners weren’t keen on their car resembling a standard GT3 that had its wing sheared off in a car wash. They wanted their car to look more unique within the 911 range—and were willing to pay for it. To that end, the Touring now replaces the regular GT3’s black exterior accents with silver window surrounds and a body-color lower front fascia. A model-specific chainmail-like texture also graces the dash and door panels. Although our car was built to showcase a $12,830 paint-to-sample Iris Blue exterior finish that looked deep enough to dive into, its somewhat dreary black leather cabin—itself a $6230 upgrade—also could’ve been enhanced via the range of new two-tone leather combinations only offered on GT3 Touring models.

This being a Porsche, those fancy leather upgrades alone run an additional $15,350. And even without them, our car included some $29,650 in extras, pushing its as-tested price to $193,400. Should we ever find ourselves in such a privileged position, we’d also weigh the fact that the placement of the Touring’s active rear spoiler stifles some of the glorious flat-six intake noise that emanates from the vents under the standard GT3’s big wing. We’d also take ours with a manual—although with the 911 GT3, no matter what options you choose, it will still be magnificent to drive.

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Source: www.caranddriver.com