Porsche 2018 GT3 6-Speed Manual: My "last" Porsche?

Not long after I bought back into my memories with a 1999 Carrera 996 with the factory GT3 style Aero kit... I started to long for the real deal GT3.  So...

Early this year, I bought a 2018 991.2 GT3 6-speed manual with 32K miles. Coming from Georgia to California. The car had been with the dealer for about 4 months, and it's a dealer I know on a personal level (the wonderful Jonathan Hull at Merit Partners), so I was comfortable doing the deal having never seen the car in person.  Now that this back in the garage, a few of my friends are now forgiving me for selling the 2018 Mustang Shelby GT350R. That car was fantastic, but not quite the same level as the GT3. 

The new car is silver, so that is a departure for me and my "Skittles" colors of the last few years, but this might cause the garage to get back to a more monochromatic stance. First, a few pictures, then the story of how it came to be.

If you've seen my prior posts, you may know I recently bought a 1996 early-build 996 Aero-kit car with only 17K miles. I absolutely love it, and I've taken it on a number of extremely fun drives with track buddies, local car geeks, etc. It's absolutely stunning and so much fun that the price seems insanely low. I originally thought I might flip it on Bring-a-Trailer, but now I expect to keep that car a long time. It's all the look of a first-gen GT3, with a great sound and a feel of a vintage Porsche at this point.

In that very fun 1999, I went on a spirited drive with a couple buddies in a 2021 "718" Cayman GT4 and a 2016 "981" Cayman GT4. I test drove them all and loved them all, but the 2016 manual GT4 981 version absolutely captivated me. I came home knowing I still had much want for a "real" GT car, even though my GT3 look-alike from 1999 is probably a better deal on a dollar-per s'mile ratio. 

So I looked at GT4s briefly, but realized I had done my time (9 years) with my Cayman S previously, and basically spent tons of money to turn it into a GT4-adjacent car. I concluded that a GT4 wouldn't scratch the itch quite enough, and why repeat the Cayman experience? 

So then I went to the Porsche site and spec'd myself a 2022 911 GT3 in Python Green with a 6-speed manual and the more comfy seats (I don't need buckets for my purposes, which includes long drives with my wife in the side seat). Speaking of my wife, she's the best. She saw me spec-ing the car and asked about it... she hasn't ever forgiven me for selling the Red 930 Turbo, but she looked at the GT3 and said: "ooooh, you should get one of THOSE". Um... OK, honey. So I called the local dealer and discussed timing and price. "December at best, probably 2023... and we are taking $70K over MSRP on these very hard-to-get cars". I thanked him for his time and tried not to choke on my ironic tone. I didn't see myself paying $250K for a car that could find itself being worth $120K at some point. I may look dumb, but I'm not that dense.

I mentioned my predicament to my friend Rick, who suggested I call our mutual friend Jonathan Hull at Merit Partners in Atlanta (these guys are amazing). I didn't need bucket seats, PCCB, Chrono, or anything crazy. Just a good 991 or 992 GT3 driver with manual. He suggested this car, which was enthusiast owned in CA and although it had high miles, it was in great condition. I told him I don't care about miles since I'm not a collector, per se, and I'm gonna drive it. And of course, I've seen all the accolades this car has gotten through the years and I have driven one before, so I know exactly just how wildly engaging it is to drive. 

Engaging isn't strong enough a word: intoxicating maybe, or "exhilaratingest". And although I always like colorful GT cars, this combo of GT Silver Metallic, with silver wheels and basic red calipers just spoke "classic" to me. Anyway, the dealer had the car for 4 months, so we came to a very interesting price, which made me feel like we rolled the clock back a couple years.

I finished the negotiations, via phone, on Valentine's Day while on a hike with my wife, who then said "Happy Valentine's Day". Damn, and I didn't even get her flowers. 

This car, alongside my 996 Aero, may actually present me with my "last Porsche". I expect to keep them both for a long, long time. But then again... never say never. 

After a few weeks of getting her PPF'd and shipped to CA, she landed in my garage and I immediately took it to the local DMV. My initial 30 minute drive to the DMV and back home confirmed all the superlatives heaped upon this car. It’s a beast. And that wing!!!

And, when parked next to the 996, the sibling from 20 years prior, you gotta love the unswerving Porsche design ethos.

Here’s a little ride along video on my next initial outing. A couple runs to 8000 rpm or so. 
This thing is SCARY fast. And I’ve lived with a McLaren MP4-12C for 7 years now.

 

Don't get me wrong: the McLaren MP4-12C is faster (objectively 0-100 in 5.9 seconds vs the GT3 at 7.7 seconds). But the 12C almost does it in a sneaky way... it is so fast and so capable that you barely have time to understand what just happened. But the WAY the GT3 builds up with such force and bravado is hard to explain. 

You think 4000 - 6000 RPM is fun and sounds great, but then it does this otherworldly shriek and kicks you in the back and runs to 7500 rpm and then it changes sound again as it peaks over 7500 to 8500 (As high as I've gone). And it feels a bit less grippy while it does it. Any bumps and road irregularities are immediately transferred to your butt-o-mometer. It is connected to the road but not in any artificial way. It communicates like all Porsches do and the need to pay attention to the gear you're in makes it more engaging as you rip through the gears, compared to a pdk or to the wonderfully smooth 12C paddle-shifter. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my 12C. But I fully "groc" why so many enthusiasts prize the 991.2 GT3 manual experience. When you're driving it, YOU are driving it, not driving in it.  I love it.