2023 Porsche 911 GT3

Everyone has heard how manual gearboxes and naturally aspirated engines are a dying breed; everything is automatic and turbocharged nowadays - or it's going electric. So we're thrilled that the new Porsche 911 GT3 coupe we review here flies in the face of conventional wisdom, offering both a manual gearbox and a naturally aspirated engine to spectacular effect. Attracting a different, more hardcore clientele to the similarly priced 911 Turbo, the GT3 celebrates the 4.0-liter Porsche flat-six's ear-piercing shriek as it revs to a stratospheric 9,000 rpm. You can still get an automatic, but the 502-horsepower engine is breathing freely without forced induction in the manner of an increasingly small number of rivals such as the Lamborghini Huracan Evo and Audi R8. And don't forget about the Chevy Corvette Z06 - a comparative bargain at around $70k less than what this Porsche costs. The 992 generation GT3 still sits on the 991-derived platform that debuted in 2011 but has completely overhauled unequal-length control-arm front suspension to elevate its handling to the next level. Yes, Porsche has made it even better.

Both trims cost the same, and with a $182,900 MSRP, the price of the new Porsche 911 GT3 is in the same league as the 911 Turbo, but cheaper than a Huracan. These prices don't include the $1,300 gas-guzzler tax and the $1,650 destination charge - which push the total to $185,850 before any extras are added.

We run out of adjectives trying to describe the driving experience of a car elevated so far above what the average SUV driver is used to. GT Porsches have always offered incredible handling and immense grip, and this has been dialed to 11 in the latest version, which is the first-ever 911 fitted with unequal-length control-arm front suspension instead of the strut-based system used for decades. The new design better and more stably maintains negative camber, optimizing the front tires' contact patches and improving grip. The springs are much firmer but this is offset by rapidly adjusting adaptive dampers. The net result is cheek-bulging cornering gs that will keep the drool off your shirt, no doubt. And Porsche's ability to provide telepathic, feelsome electric steering that chatters away in your hands is undoubtedly the best in the business. All that is combined with rabid acceleration, instant throttle response, a rapid-firing PDK auto (or rifle-bolt manual - your choice), and ride quality that is liveable in everyday use and won't dislodge your tooth fillings. The GT3 is a dynamic tour de force bar none - except the track-ready GT3 RS.

The 911 GT3 demonstrates what can be done to a chassis that can be said to have its engine in the "wrong" place by obsessive engineers over a span of decades. The way in which Porsche has tamed, then honed, that pendulum out back - and now given it even more depth and ability with new front suspension - defies belief. The GT3's screaming engine is the state of the ICE art and the car possibly represents the ultimate combination of track performance and everyday usability on normal roads. It might not be as fast as the Huracan or Artura, but it's a good deal cheaper. On the other hand, it's a lot more expensive than the incredibly capable Chevrolet Corvette Z06, which is ahead in this class on tech and thrills per dollar, and is surely the General's most impressive engineering feat yet. Choose carefully…

The only differences between the two trims are that the GT3 with the Touring Package lacks the normal GT3's huge rear wing supported on swan-neck pylons, gets a body-color front fascia, and is slightly more plushly trimmed inside with a bit more leather and Alcantara. If you want to travel a bit more incognito sans the big wing - and you don't do enough track time to justify the downforce - the Touring Package might be for you. Both cars weigh and cost the same, but the Touring gets a smaller automatically deploying rear spoiler that can also be activated manually. If you're asking us, anything with a GT3 badge should have a big wing on the back. Go wing or go home, we say.