SHARP Drives: 5 Things We Learned Piloting the 2025 Porsche 911 GT3
The king is dead, all hail the king. That’s right, there’s a new Porsche 911 GT3 for 2025, which also means there’s a new default answer to the question of what is the world’s best sports car. We’ve just been to Spain to drive it — on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo and on the roads west of Valencia — and we’ve learned some surprising things about the thoroughly revised 992.2-gen GT3.
The good news is that the new 2025 GT3 still ticks all the right boxes for the fans (addicts?) of Porsche’s GT division cars. This is still, miraculously, a naturally-aspirated, high-revving, rear-drive sports car with an absolute peach of a six-speed manual transmission. Beyond that, however, is where things get interesting.
Making the New GT3 Was Tough




Andreas Preuninger, the long-running head of Porsche’s GT division, explained to us that simply getting this car to pass all the latest global emissions regulations was a major challenge. It was only four years ago that the 992.1-generation GT3 was introduced in 2021, but since then fuel-economy and pollution controls have become much more strict.
The new 992.2-gen GT3 has the same 4.0-litre engine that revs to 9,000 rpm. But to ensure it remained road legal, the engineers had to add two additional catalytic converters, which added weight to the exhaust system. They also had to revise the engine’s air intake and cooling systems.

Preuninger said he’s not sure how much longer he and his GT division can continue to make these high-revving engines without turbochargers and/or a battery-electric hybrid system. It all comes down to regulations, he said, and those are always in flux. So, enjoy the GT3 while you can.
The 2025 GT3 Has Less Torque, But You Can’t Tell



As a result of those changes, the 4.0-litre engine still makes the same 502 horsepower as before, but slightly less torque: 331 lb-ft versus 347 lb-ft in the older model. This bucks the unwritten rule in the sports car world that says every new car must have more chutzpah the previous model.
After driving it on the road and track, we can confidently report you won’t ever notice the slight drop in peak torque. It simply doesn’t matter.

Shorter gearing compensates for the difference, and actually makes the new car feel (subjectively) more responsive when driving on Spain’s twisty hillside roads. The shorter ratios are especially wonderful in combination with the six-speed manual transmission. Third gear is still good for over 160 km/h, and the top speed is still far beyond anything you can legally get to in Canada, so it’s a win-win.
Softer Suspension



Preuninger and his team took some of the lessons learned from the limited-edition 911 S/T and applied them to the newest GT3. Specifically, it’s the softer suspension tuning from the S/T that seems so magical.
The stiff and uncompromising ride that could make driving the old GT3 around in the city — where speeds are low and the roads a generally in poor condition — feel like a chore. By contrast, the 992.2 GT3 immediately feels softer, like there’s more bounce and cushion even a low speeds. When driving out a city to go find some good roads, you’ll arrive feeling less tired and jostled-around. It’s a small change on paper, but the softer setup made a big impression during our drive.

Speaking to Preuninger, he explained the changes are due to the fact there’s more usable spring travel paired with next-generation electronic dampers and damper tuning.
Even with the softer setup, the GT3 is still a peach on a racetrack. At Ricardo Tormo, the latest GT3 felt more balanced and bidable than ever. Turn-in seems less twitchy, which makes the whole car feel slightly more easygoing and confidence-inspiring. It’s no drift king like the recent Aston Martin Vantage, but oversteer and understeer are on the menu if you provoke the GT3. When provoked, it won’t bite. Oversteer is supremely gentle and predictable, at least with the Michelin Cup 2 tires fitted to our track car.
A Better Everyday Sports Car



Preuninger also acknowledged that more customers are using their GT3s on a daily basis, simply because they love their cars and want to drive them as much as possible. So, it makes sense to soften up the ride. (Besides, if you want a track-day car, there’s still the hardcore GT3 RS.)
In keeping with the theme of being a better, more usable everyday sports car, Porsche has also added optional rear-seats. They’ve been a much-requested optional feature among the GT3 fanbase.
More Customization Than Ever, For a Price
Speaking of options, there are a lot. In surveys, GT division customers said they wanted more options for customization, and Porsche delivered.
There’s the standard GT3, which has that huge rear wing, or the GT3 Touring, which is de-winged. The latter is optionally available with a new Lightweight Package, which adds a smattering of carbon-fibre bits, a shorter stick shifter for the manual box, as well as a pair of folding carbon bucket seats, among other things. It’s a $41,090 option. On the standard car, buyers can opt for the Weissach Package (previously only available on “RS” cars). It’s $22,050 and adds lightweight door panels, some carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) body panels with visible carbon fibre, and more. (But, sorry Canada, the carbon roll-cage is still only available in Europe.) On top of that, there are optional ultra-light forged magnesium wheels (as seen on the 911 S/T) that ring in at approximately $20,000. Carbon brakes and an endless array of colour and trim options also help customers spend more of their hard earned money.



Now, we must talk about the price. It’s gone up, a lot. The 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 is $245,300 in Canada, for either the wing car or the Touring. (For reference, the 2022 model was $180,300.) If you tick some of those new option boxes — as every GT3 customer surely will — the price quickly climbs above $300,000.
Preuninger explains that the company’s costs increase each year. Energy, in particular, is quite expensive in Germany these days, and you need energy to make metal.
Gripe all you want, but the fact is demand will almost certainly outstrip supply for the new 992.2 GT3. There’ll be a merry band of loyal GT3 customers lining up for an allocation. And when their cars arrive this summer, we’d bet they’ll be very happy indeed.