I only use this car to travel to French or german tracks, most favorably the Nürburgring Nordschleife. If open road cruises have lost most of their appeal with modern GTs, the 997 GT3 furthers that sensation. With stiff suspension, the car tends to loose composure on bad pavement. On smooth asphalt, only ferocious speeds will feel gratifying, while socially responsible cruises remain robustly dull. The stiffness of the chassis, the immediacy of the controls and steering inputs are always an experience, but for road use, I would take a Carrera S any day. Not as sharp, but with a torquier engine and a chassis tuned for a greater variety of pavements.

The 997 GT3 remains a capable grand tourer, long freeway trips are disposed of without much fuss, and can even be enjoyable on unrestricted german autobahns. Gas mileage is excellent, as little as 9 L/100km (26 mpg) at legal speeds in Switzerland, 12 L/100km (19.6 mpg) at resolute cruise speeds in Germany, comfortable enough to cruise tirelessly at 220 kph (140 mph), roomy, practical, reasonably silent. The queen of track-oriented GTs reigns ruthlessly on its niche: no other car in her segment offers comparable capabilities without elective surgery on brakes, springs, dampers, cooling or worse.

 

Contrary to most journalists, I find the gearbox stick to be an area ripe for improvement. Hard when cold or at low revs, shifts get more fluid and swift under attack, but this stick will never be a true ally. Focus and precision are required, but perfectly executed shifts are all the more rewarding. A stark contrast with top notch paddle shifters like the Ferrari 430 Scuderia or 458 Italia where a simple dab puts you in the right gear, anytime, anywhere. The final ratio is exceedingly long, with roughly 125, 175, 220 and 265 kph reached in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th (GPS speeds). Mounting a GT3 cup final ratio is a very pertinent option to consider.