Since its launch in 1999, the Porsche 911 GT3 has been the benchmark against which every other high-performance sports car has been rated, says AutoExpress. There may be cars more powerful, but "the GT3 represents the sports car at its purest and most intense".
This latest version comes with an all-new 3.8-litre flat-six engine and automatic transmission, and a new chassis, all of which have "extended the breadth of the GT3's abilities, allowing for more sophisticated day-to-day use, while retaining the driver engagement and track-bred handling it's famous for".
The "racy styling and sporty stance mark the GT3 out as something more than just another 911", however. "Few cars, at any price, can match this level of performance and handling." It is "simply one of the best sports cars money can buy".
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With electrically assisted steering, a new direct-injection engine, rear-wheel steering and no manual gearbox, it's a sea-change from past hardcore Porsches, says Georg Kacher in Car magazine. But has Porsche pulled off the gamble and done justice to the GT3 badge?
In short, yes. It's not as smooth-running and refined as some of its stablemates, but it has a "super-fast throttle response" and "only Italian exotics can match its enthusiasm to rev to an astonishing 9,000rpm". So hardliners need not worry: "all the trademark GT3 entertainment values are still present. The bonus is that the GT3's appeal is broader than before".
Price: £100,540Engine: 3.8-litre, flat-sixPower: 469bhpTop speed: 196mph0-60mph: 3.8 secondsEconomy: 22.8mpgCO2: 289g/kmOn sale: November 2013
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