Of all the many and varied possibilities available within the Porsche 911 range, a few stand out, and those from Porsche’s GT department rise above all of them. The racing division develops road cars to legitimise its weekend activities, which means that the GT3 is unashamedly linked to Porsche’s race cars. The result is a 911 that’s lighter, purer and more focused than the regular Carrera models, a car with a hardcore nature that appeals to customers who will take their cars to the track, regularly.

The outgoing GT3 was overshadowed by the GT department’s more recent GT3 RS and 911 R models, so you might have forgotten about it. But while those two have been stealing the headlines, Porsche’s GT division has been readying this new 911 GT3.

In typical Porsche fashion, incremental improvements define the changes, with more power, greater grip and poise, as well as new equipment, too. The high-revving flat-six engine grows in size to 4.0 litres, power up to 500-horsepower now and its appetite for revs is undiminished - the naturally aspirated unit redlines at a heady 9,000rpm. There’s now the option of a manual gearbox alongside the PDK paddle-shifted auto, while improvements to the aerodynamics and chassis allow owners to better exploit and enjoy the GT3 as intended.

First impressions

An obviously more focused 911, the GT3 wears its track intentions with pride, if not quite with the extrovert wide Turbo-bodied stance of the 911 GT3 RS. Not that the 25mm lower ride height, C...