Porsche 911 GT3 Manual

Stuttgart's superstar welcomes an old friend

- Greg Kable

PURISTS were up in arms when Porsche launched the then new 911 GT3 exclusively with a dual clutch PDK automatic gearbox in 2013. A manual 'box had been a 911 GT3 mainstay since its introduction back in 1999. Four years and countless discussions later, it’s back in the form of a newly developed six speed manual, first seen in the 911 R.

Not only does the 991.2 GT3 run the much sought after manual gearbox, but it also gets a mechanical locking differential in place of the electronically-controlled unit that comes combined with the PDK. Refreshingly traditional, then. But as we’re about to discover, it’s also all the better for it – as long as you’re not intending to hit the track too often.