{"id":50369,"date":"2026-07-08T00:48:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T00:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/50369\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T00:48:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T00:48:52","slug":"first-drive-2027-porsche-911-gt3-s-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/50369\/","title":{"rendered":"First Drive: 2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S\/C"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Stuttgart, Germany \u2014 It wasn\u2019t that long ago \u2013 well, it sort of was, but it doesn\u2019t feel like it \u2013 that I was driving on these very same roads in a brand-new Porsche, like the one pictured here. It was also a convertible, like the one pictured here and it also sat at the top of the line-up\u2026sort of like the one pictured here. It was the Porsche 718 Spyder RS, and it ended up being possibly the best sports car I\u2019d ever driven.<\/p>\n

\"\"2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S\/C<\/p>\n

So, it was with this in mind that I sat out \u2013 from the driveway of the same hotel as previous, nestled nicely in the Swabian Alps outside of Stuttgart \u2013 in the 2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S\/C. \u201cS\/C\u201d is shorthand for \u201csports cabriolet\u201d, but that doesn\u2019t really matter because \u201cS\/C\u201d is easier to see at write and sounds better anyway.<\/p>\n

It comes only in rear-wheel-drive and only with a six-speed manual transmission \u2013 that\u2019s right; with a clutch pedal and all. Let\u2019s not forget the power on tap: that\u2019s 502 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque from a four-litre flat-6 engine\u2026that revs to a stratospheric 9,000 RPM redline.<\/p>\n

So while it doesn\u2019t sit at the top of the 911 line-up \u2013 like the Spyder RS did \u2013 it\u2019s pretty darn close and with such a tantalizing combination, \u201ctop of the line-up\u201d in this case is really more of a numbers game. The Turbo S Cabriolet and GT3 RS both make more power than the S\/C does, but a look at the S\/C and consideration of what it took to get it to perform like Porsche wanted to suggests something far greater than numbers on a page.<\/p>\n

At just over 1,500 kilograms (3,307 pounds), it weights only about 40 kilos more than the GT3 Touring does \u2013 and that\u2019s if you strip your GT3. If you add, say, rear seats and PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission, you\u2019re looking at only a 21 kilo difference. Typically, removing a car\u2019s roof hurts stiffness and more chassis reinforcement is required to make up for it, adding weight. Then, there\u2019s the need for a folding roof mechanism and you\u2019re heavier still.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In order to compensate for all that, the S\/C gets the Weissach package as standard. That adds lightweight magnesium wheels (20\u201d at the front, 21\u201d at the rear), which save about 10 kilos. Ceramic brakes are also standard, saving another 20 kilos and the pesky roof mechanism gets a bunch of magnesium parts, adding less than 40 kilos. It stows in about 12 seconds, so you\u2019ll never be caught in the rain here. That\u2019s a clear advantage this car has over both the manual top Spyder RS and 2019\u2019s 911 Speedster, which was the last time we saw a naturally-aspirated 911 with no top.<\/p>\n

Fabric straps that act as interior door release handles, a manual-adjust tilt and telescope steering wheel and no back seats keep the weight down.<\/p>\n

If you want to save even more, you can spec options like carbon-fibre bucket seats. Personally, I find these too narrow and prefer the 18-way power items that come as part of the \u201cStreet Style\u201d package. That adds a host of style touches such as woven-look inserts (that require over 660 meters of leather for every square meter of material), a wooden shift knob, special wheel colours and additional exterior graphics. A multitude of colours are available, including a 150-plus catalogue of special \u201cpaint-to-sample\u201d options.<\/p>\n

Porsche insists that the GT3\u2019s chassis and suspension tuning was so honed that only a little extra chassis reinforcement was required to make the convertible feel just as competent.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t see all of that from behind the wheel, but that doesn\u2019t matter because the full-on assault on the senses that comes with piloting a car like this means it could be painted in a charming kaleidoscope of flat white and beige and my hairs would still stand on end.<\/p>\n

Since there is no turbocharging, power delivery is instantaneous and it feels like that whenever I depress the throttle, no matter the revs, no matter the speed. It\u2019s just a seemingly infinite swell of torque that feels so much more than the numbers on paper. The sound it makes is absolutely guttural, too, shrieking all the way to that 9K redline.<\/p>\n

I stab the light clutch, snag fourth from third and it all starts all over again, that addictive, transcendent wave of power thrusts me down this beautiful road just outside of Stuttgart, part of a network in the Swabian Alps where cars like this are tested and honed by the manufacturer.<\/p>\n

\"\"2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S\/C<\/p>\n

If the any gear, any speed acceleration is thrilling in the hair raising, the steering and handling is thrilling on a more cerebral level. The steering \u2013 as is the Porsche way, from sports cars to SUVs \u2013 hits that perfect note between road feel, weight and responsiveness. Since I\u2019m sat so close to the front axle it feels like I\u2019m quite literally on top of it. That means that it\u2019s so easy to get in tune with what\u2019s happening with the front end, making it so easy to place within the lane and through long, sweeping turns with \u2013 \u201cpinpoint\u201d isn\u2019t strong enough \u2014 laser-point accuracy.<\/p>\n

At around $350,000 CDN at base, this is an expensive car. It is. Cars like the GT3 S\/C exist, though, because every so often, a manufacturer wants to show that they can. That they can take one of the best performance coupes in the world, decapitate it, and have it deliver the same performance, the same handling and the same thrills. It\u2019s a marvel of modern sport car engineering, which is the case no matter the price.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all great \u2013 in theory. The question remains, though, is whether or not I was smitten to the same degree with the S\/C as I was with the Spyder RS. The answer, in the end, is that it doesn\u2019t\u2019 really matter. I was absolutely mitten when I drove the Spyder; it looks amazing, its mid-engine configuration recalls so many past race cars. With its low weight and high power, it drives like one as well \u2013 and that\u2019s all great.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t get it with a manual gearbox though \u2013 well, you can\u2019t get it at all, anymore, since it\u2019s been discontinued \u2013 and while it was the flagship of its line-up, it wasn\u2019t a flagship for the brand.<\/p>\n

Those laurels go to the 911, and the S\/C has decades of sports car cach\u00e9 and know-how to rely upon. Even without a roof, it\u2019s a 911 in the purest form and that is almost impossible to replace. Sports cars don\u2019t come much better than these two, and that\u2019s the bottom line.<\/p>\n

Quick Specs: 2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S\/C
Powertrain: 4.0-litre flat-6 cylinder
Output: 502 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque
Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Drag Coefficient: 0.39 Cd
0-100 km\/h: 3.9 seconds
Top Speed: 313 km\/h
Interior Highlights: Street Style package, optional fixed-back carbon-fibre seats, frunk, canvas convertible roof with magnesium parts
Starting Price (Canada): $351,324<\/p>\n

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