Porsche 911 GT3 Touring 2021 UK first drive

And yet, the GT3 Touring just so obviously is a magnificent thing, capable of changing direction so crisply and with such cohesion between its axles that it is genuinely breathtaking. The sense of lightness on the move defies the reasonable but in no way modest 1418kg kerb weight, too. Fluid at speed and with the dampers left in Sport, this chassis also communicates in a manner that means you quickly find a level of confidence you would swear had been years in the making. And the engine – four litres of naturally aspirated, individual throttle-bodied flat six that spins to 9000rpm with joy – is unforgettable.

When people talk about 'addictive' driving experiences, it's generally some sort of Caterham or Lotus or some other memorably raw car they're referring to, but in manual form the GT3 Touring gets to you in much the same way. There's a purity and agility that feels mid-engined, but underneath it reside 911 handling idiosyncrasies, including immense, trustworthy stability at the back axle under power and finely honed front-end throttle-adustability within (rather than beyond) the limits of grip. The GT3 is like a racecar in this sense: you set the heading with the steering, then trim your precise line with the accelerator, and you can enjoy doing this at reasonably sensible speeds.

Few if any rivals do the 'extension of your limbs' thing quite so well, and yet because this is a 992 you also have all the modern amenities you could want. Swapping the Cup 2 tyres for either of the more road-focused tyres that Porsche offers (Pirelli P Zero or Goodyear Eagle F1) would also make the Touring more dependable on colder, wetter days, as well as easier to play with in the window between grip and slip. If you never plan to do any trackdays (though you really should, because this car is made for that kind of thing and excels on circuit), the less serious rubber is worth considering.

I say 'reasonably sensible' in relation to speed, but in truth the use-case for this car's performance level is pretty marginal. The gearing is sensible but the engine possesses so much headroom that redline shifts in second gear mean going to 80mph. That's not a dealbreaker in itself, because even from about 5000rpm this scalpel-sharp flat-six is such a treat, all intake roar overlaid with valvetrain scream, but it's worth noting that you can't extend it without risk. The real problem is that the capability of the chassis encourages speed. You'll see an attractive S-bend up ahead, drop a cog then flow the car through, gently leaning of the outside tyres and squeezing the throttle to release power and glorious noise from the engine. All good, considered fun, you'll think to yourself. But then you'll look down at the dials and read unpublishable figures. It's just that kind of car: too good for the road, in way that the 991, by the skin of its teeth, wasn't.  

And then there are those other drawbacks: noise, over-sensitivity, ride-quality. Having driven the GT3 Clubsport the day before this Touring, I can tell you that without a roll-cage the car is less agitated on poor surfaces and less prone to firing strange resonsances and wolf-notes into the cabin, but driving the softer GT3 sibling is still an event whether you’re in the mood or not. Owners will need to accept that. For a car that laps up genuine touring duties yet still has some bite to its driving experience, the upcoming 911 GTS is going to be a better bet.

But if only the GT3 Touring will do (and I completely understand if that's how you feel), here’s what you want to hear. It touts not only the spacious boot common to all 911s but also, because there are no rear seats, there is at least three times as much cargo space again in the cabin. Note, however, that the non-folding bucket seats restrict the opening for loading. This is a spacious car, one also given enough range from its 64-litre fuel tank to get you from London to the Nürburgring non-stop (there's also a larger, 90-litre long-range tank, but it's only available on LHD cars for some reason).

In fundamental terms, the driving experience is also slick: pedal travel, position and weight are just so and the auto-blip function is useful on the road, where you generally won't hit the brake pedal hard enough to justify heel-and-toe shifts. The gearshift mechanism is accurate and easy, too, though a little light for me, and is probably tuned that way to play into the GT3's overall sense of nimbleness, which, in fairness, it does. Visibility is also excellent and the interior hits that functional-luxury sweet spot that Porsche does so well. And while it’s noisy inside, conversation is still reasonably easy, though at a cruise, I know from having lived with one that even a Lamborghini Huracán Evo is quieter.