The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It has been assembled since 1999 to today. It was named after the Group GT3 racing after several group GT3 racing cars, which had a successful racing career in the one-make national and regional Porsche Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge series as well as in the FIA World Championship. A further hardcore model known as the GT3 RS, has also been introduced, which had even more driver focus and even more sharp handling.
The GT3 and GT3 RS have often been described as the finest 911 by most petrolheads, due to it's high revving engine, it's more track-focused handling and its exciting drivetrain. The GT3 has received universal praise all colleagues while the RS has received mixed reviews, some believing it to be superior to the GT3 and some believing it to be no better than the GT3.
Richard Hammond has been particularly fond of the GT3 and GT3 RS, praising both sports cars, for their razor-sharp handling. He had high praise for the 996 models, fell in love with the 997 models, and ended up purchasing both 991.1 models, a GT3 in 2014 and a GT3 RS in 2016.
Appearances[]
- In Series 3, Episode 1, Richard tested the 996.2 GT3 at the Top Gear Test Track. He praises the car's handling, speed, character, excitement and drivetrain, stating it to be the best ever 911, which Jeremy later agrees with. Black Stig sets his final lap in the wet, in the GT3 of 1:27.2, which happens to also be the fastest wet lap at the time.
- In Clarkson: Shoot-Out, Jeremy drives the 996.2 GT3 for the first time, praising, it's handling, sharpness, speed, excitement and engine. It comes a close second in its category but ultimately loses to the Aston Martin DB7 GT.
- In Series 4, Episode 3, Jeremy compares the 996.2 GT3 RS to the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale at the Top Gear Test Track. Despite praising the GT3's handling, speed, drivetrain and excitement, he ultimately prefers the 360, for being more exciting. Despite this, in the Hands of the Stig, the GT3 RS sets a lap time of 1:22.3 round the track, matching the Ferrari.
- In Series 9, Episode 4, the 997.1 GT3 RS was ranked as "Seriously Uncool" on the Cool Wall due to Jeremy criticizing the car's rollcage and comparing it to scaffolding.
- In Series 10, Episode 1, Richard chose the 997.1 GT3 RS as his lightweight supercar in search of the best driving road against Jeremy in the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera and James in the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24. Although he adored the GT3 RS, Richard felt there was no significant improvement over the regular GT3.
- In Clarkson: Supercar Showdown, Jeremy tested the 997.1 GT3 at the Ascari Race Track in Spain.. Despite praising it's handling and sharpness, he criticized it's racing nature and ended crashing it. Despite this, in a test involving the GT3 driven by the Stig, and an Audi R8 driven by Sabine Schmitz, the Porsche ends up winning both a drag race and a track test. Despite this Jeremy maintains the R8 to be superior.
- In Series 11, Episode 6, for the final challenge against D Motor, racing driver Tim Schrick in a 997 GT3 Cup racer loses to the Stig, pretending to be James in an Aston Martin DBRS9 manages to beat, giving Top Gear overall victory.
- In Top Gear: Apocalypse, Richard uses a 997.2 GT3 for his final drive against James in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. After winning a drag race, Richard praises the GT3's character and speed, maintaining it's brilliance over decades of engineering, as he and James race around the the Top Gear Test Track.
- In Clarkson: The Italian Job, Jeremy praises the 997.2 GT3 as his favourite 911, when driving it around Imola, praising it's handling, excitement, speed, drivetrain and soundtrack. Later that same programme he criticizes the 997.2 GT3 RS for having no significant advantage over the standard GT3 despite costing significantly more. He later races the 997.2 GT3 RS against an Ariel Atom V8, which it loses to.
- In the East Coast Road Trip, Richard chose the 997.2 GT3 RS as his choice against Jeremy in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and James in the Ferrari 458 Italia. Despite losing most of the challenges, Richard maintained his love for the GT3 RS.
- In Top Gear: At The Movies, the 997.2 GT3 RS takes part in the best engine noise competition, for the six cylinders. Richard praises its handling and honest soundtrack. The GT3 RS is ultimately named as the best sounding hero car.
- In "American Supercars" Foust pits the 997.1 GT3 RS against the Lucra LC470 in a bid to prove that American Supercars are better than European ones.
- In Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip, Richard intended on using a 991.1 GT3 at Pau against Jeremy in a BAC Mono, however this was ruined after they had their licences revoked.
- In TGM 2013 Awards, Richard announced the 991.1 GT3 as his Car of the Year 2013.
- In Series 21, Episode 4, Richard is revealed to have purchased a 991.1 GT3, which had a tendency to catch fire. To test it's fireproof, Jeremy intends to cover the car in Pizzas, but ends up covering Richard in pizza, after the latter refuses for his car to covered. It's revealed the following episode that his GT3 was revoked by Porsche.
- In "Europe vs America" Foust uses a 991.1 GT3 in the European Supercar test against Wood in the McLaren 650S and Ferrara in the Ferrari F12.
- In Series 23, Episode 6, during his review of the 911 R, LeBlanc compares it to the 991.1 GT3 RS, but reveals the comparison to be pointless, as the GT3 RS is faster but not as exciting.
- In Enviro-mental, at the Eboladrome, Clarkson compares the 991.1 GT3 RS to the BMW M4 GTS. He praises the GT3 RS' handling, speed, sound track and excitement finding it to be better than the M4 GTS in every single manner. Despite this, he concludes the M4 GTS is superior due to Hammond owning a GT3 RS. The American later takes it around the Eboladrome, and sets a time of 1:20.4.
- In "Supercars" Coddry brings the 991.2 GT3 against Bovingdon in the McLaren GT and Sheppard in the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500.
- In Series 31, Episode 1, the presenters are tasked with finding a better track car than a 992 GT3.
- In Series 32, Episode 5, Harris uses a 992 GT3 to test a synthetic fuel against McGuinness in a Lamborghini Aventador SV J Roadster.