The experience of the GT3 Sport Cabriolet is only enhanced by the power-operated roof, but the big challenge will likely be getting one of these cars at all. Twelve seconds. That’s how long it takes to raise and retract the roof on the Porsche 911 GT3 S/C. It’s not a significant performance metric in this car, but it’s the only one that’s not improved over the standard Carrera cabriolet.
The point of the GT3 S/C is not to be the fastest 911 to drop its top but to bring open-air motoring to the GT3 experience. The roof of the S/C (short for Sport Cabriolet) is one of very few components unchanged from lesser 911 convertibles, although, to be fair, it already features lightweight magnesium components. But the emphasis here is on making this open 911 worthy of the GT3 badge it wears.
Central to the whole GT3 thing, of course, is the 4.0-liter horizontally opposed six mounted in the back, this still revving all the way to 9000 rpm. It’s not just the last naturally aspirated 911 engine; it’s also one of the best in the car’s 60-plus-year history. For the current “992.2” generation, Porsche has managed to preserve the engine’s 502-hp output despite meeting onerously stringent emissions standards. There is also speculation this could be the last generation of GT3 motivated purely by internal combustion. Which would make the S/C a near-guaranteed collector’s item.
View Price on AmazonBack in the here and now, the 911 GT3 S/C is as glorious as the badge suggests, and also no mere engine and transmission upgrade. Elsewhere, the S/C is a combination of standard and optional GT3 bits and a splash of S/T, the limited-edition 992.1 lightweight coupe that informed much of the 992.2 GT3’s suspension tuning. Like the S/T, the S/C gets carbon-fiber fenders and doors. This also means that the cabriolet features the older door pulls instead of the newer flush design, a detail that will appeal to 911 geeks. What we call the hood, and what Porsche calls the luggage compartment lid, is also made of carbon fiber.
The S/C also comes standard with its rear anti-roll bar, drop links, and rear undertray made from carbon fiber, part of the lightweight Weissach Package on the GT3 coupe. Also included in the $275,350 base price are magnesium wheels, which save around 20 pounds, and carbon-ceramic brakes which shave another 44 pounds. Even the six-speed manual transmission, the only gearbox available, saves 37 pounds versus the PDK automatic. Another big chunk of weight savings comes from deleting the rear seats, as in the GT3 coupe, and lightweight carpet from the S/T makes a contribution. All told, the GT3 S/C is the lightest 911 convertible in the lineup, at a claimed 3322 pounds.
That’s only 55 pounds heavier than the GT3 Touring coupe, and as such, the S/C’s suspension is unchanged. As Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger explains, they started with the GT3 coupe suspension, which felt good. Then, “We started playing around with the damping, we started playing around with spring rates, but always it got worse. . . . So, at the end of the day, we decided we leave it as it is, which is working beautifully on the car.”
Accordingly, the S/C drives as near to exactly like a GT3 Touring as I could perceive. Which is damn-near perfect. It remains astonishing how well the suspension handles bumps and rough surfaces. Even in its stiffer damper setting the car merely tightened its responses but never got harsh.
I mentioned the engine already, but it deserves more praise for the way it readily builds revs and then, around 5000 rpm, increases its climb rate. At no point through the rev range does it feel strained; it’s as comfortable sitting at 7000 rpm as it is at 3000 rpm.
Source: roadandtrack.com
