2026 Porsche 911 (992.2) GT3 Touring review

It’s funny how preconceived ideas can throw you off when test-driving a new car. In my mind, having never driven the variant before, the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring was a little bit more soft-edged and somewhat more restrained in its delivery of race car theatrics on the open road.

Turns out, that assumption was way off base – the 911 GT3 Touring is every bit as raw, focused, and characterful as a regular 911 GT3. It just so happens to lose out on a big, ostentatious rear wing.

Here’s how I came to that understanding after spending time with the recently refreshed 992.2-generation 911 GT3 Touring…

For those unacquainted, the 911 GT3 Touring was originally only available with a six-speed manual transmission – a formula shared with the popular 911 R of the 991 generation.

However, it now comes with the option of the seven-speed PDK automatic transmission in this latest 992 iteration. To get technical, we’re now in the 992.2 era, which heralded big changes to the regular 911 range – with hybrid integration offered on certain other 911 variants – but this electrification isn’t yet incorporated into the purist’s 911 – the GT3.

As for what has changed, you’d have to be a trainspotter to notice the differences in terms of styling, but there’s sadly less torque provided by the 4.0-litre flat-six-cylinder engine – it loses 20Nm compared to the pre-facelift due to strict emissions regulations.

Power and torque figures now stand at 375kW (unchanged) and 450Nm. As before, drive is sent to the rear wheels exclusively, and the naturally aspirated engine can rev right out to a wild 9000rpm.

Other tweaks for the latest GT3 include upgraded camshafts from the previous 911 GT3 RS, new oil cooling, revised cylinder heads, and a shortened final drive ratio that knocks the top speed back from 320km/h in the PDK-equipped Touring to 313km/h. Still, I wouldn’t complain.

There are also lightweight aluminium wheels that save 1.5kg each, plus a lightweight lithium-ion battery that shaves 4kg from the previous car’s weight. The 911 GT3 Touring PDK now stops the scales at 1477kg.

The steering and dampers have also come in for additional tuning, while running changes to the suspension suggest that the car should remain more stable under heavy braking with reduced nose dive.

In terms of equipment, the car now gets matrix LED headlights that incorporate daytime running lights within the same housing, there’s a new fully-digital display for the driver’s gauge cluster, and rear seats are a no-cost option as part of the GT3 Touring, so the whole family can join in on the fun.

Price of entry has risen some $30,000 over the previous generation, meaning the new GT3’s price is $446,700 before on-road costs.

That is a substantial outlay, especially when you consider you’ll probably be adding options too. But the good news is the fact that there’s no difference in price for the 911 GT3 or the GT3 Touring, plus there is no charge whether you decide to go for a PDK car or a six-speed manual one.

All told, our car was fitted with approximately $75,000 in options, meaning an on-road price close to $600,000 drive-away.

I’ve got to say, the colour combination on our car looked pretty hot when I first picked it up from Porsche Centre Melbourne. Wearing Slate Grey Neo on the outside ($7870) paired with grey wheels, plus a rich, tan two-tone interior (to the cost of $28,000), our tester flew under the radar with an 'if you know, you know' type of appeal.

After I jumped into the hot seat for the first time, it was a surprise to see a pair of rear pews. I presume they’re meant for double leg amputees, because anyone else wouldn’t fit in the impossibly tiny second row.

Changes inside the cabin are very minimal, arguably the most notable being the deletion of the mechanical instrument cluster in lieu of a fully digitised setup. This could be a point of contention for Porsche purists, and although it does have more variability in terms of the information and displays it can show, it doesn’t invoke the same spirit of the predecessor. That car’s instrument cluster had the perfect blend of mechanical dials and digital screens, and the latest car does away with a bit of old-style flair.

In any case, it’s very easy to get comfortable inside the cabin. Despite my tester being specified with the comfort-oriented seats, I was able to get low and cosy enough that even my tall 194cm height fit snugly, with plenty of head room.

Oddly, the pedals were placed offset to the left-hand side of the footwell, which would take some getting used to – at least, it did for me.

Elsewhere, you’ve got a smidgen of storage space that doubles as a cupholder in the centre console (depending on the insert fitted), plus buttons for seat heating around the gear shifter, which does a good impression of looking like a manual stick.

It’s frustrating that Porsche is yet another brand that has placed certain controls within the infotainment system – namely, the Sports exhaust and rear spoiler extender switches that traditionally had dedicated buttons – but at least the air-conditioning controls are physical.

It’s also a shame that there’s such limited storage space. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t need SUV-like levels of stowage – but it’d be great to have a dedicated space for my phone, keys, and wallet. They sat on the passenger seat for the entire time I had the car.

To be fair, there is a wireless phone charger beneath the lidded centre console, but that’s about all you’ll fit there – it’s that shallow.

Largely, the 911 GT3’s interior is fuss-free and dedicated to the art of driving fast. There’s no piece out of place or without function, and panels are decked out in beautiful finishes – think fine leather, exquisite stitching, and rigid switchgear.

Fire up the car using the (still physical) turn-key switch, and you’re immediately rewarded with a gruff bark emanating from the GT3’s twin rear exhaust pipes. It’s not loud to the point of being antisocial, but it still gives off a satisfying bark at startup.

The exhaust noise is matched by shunts, vibrations, and mechanical clunks as the car moves about at low speeds – the kind of experience you’d expect from a GT3 racer or Carrera Cup car.

In this way, the GT3 Touring experience is every bit as race car-like as a regular GT3. You lose nothing with the switch to the Touring, so for those umming and ahhing with the choice, rest assured that the Touring specification remains a race car for the road.

Arguably, the first aspect of the GT3 driving experience to impress is the ripping-quick gearshifts. Even at a lowly suburban pace, the trademark PDK gearbox swaps the cogs with rapid effect and a satisfying ‘pop’ sound.

As you lean harder into the throttle and the engine creeps higher into the rev range, the gearshifts become louder and more distinct. It simply makes you want to lean harder into the throttle everywhere you go, just so you’re rewarded with a crisp pop every time the transmission changes gears.

It’s accompanied by a shrill, gravelly crescendo of noise the higher you climb through the revs. Wringing the GT3 right out to 9000rpm is not for the faint of heart – and not a casual affair.

This surely has to be one of the best-sounding cars on sale today.

The linear fashion in which the GT3 delivers its power is almost unfamiliar today, especially when compared to the other cars on the road that employ turbochargers to deliver power.

A total of 375kW is delivered right at the 9000rpm point, and peak torque of 450Nm is not far behind at 6250rpm. It means you really have to hang onto gears for as long as possible to eke out all the car can give.

I was only too willing to do just that, as I set course in the GT3 for Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. There’s a fair bit of freeway to contend with on the way out there, but even then, it’s not as though the GT3 is uncomfortable for humdrum driving.

It’s definitely firm, but it’s not bone-jarringly so on smooth bitumen. It’s only once you stick the car into its sportier modes – through the steering wheel-mounted dial – that things start to become raucous.

There’s transmission whirr, vibrations, suspension rattles, and engine clatter aplenty when driving the GT3. Those who were expecting otherwise needn’t have applied. This GT3 Touring is dedicated to going fast at the expense of luxuries like passenger comfort.

It means that the GT3 is best left as a weekend car. If you think you can sneak a 911 GT3 purchase past your significant other by claiming it as your ‘only car’, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

But it all adds to the appeal, to me especially. If I were to buy a brand-new car after collecting my lottery winnings, a box-fresh 911 GT3 would be high up on my list. I’ll just have to make sure I’ve got a beater run-around car as an everyday alternative.

Unexpected rain put a dampener on the experience of rocketing through the green Dandenong forests, and it did, unfortunately, limit the fun to an extent. But, I still learnt so much from the car.

It’s so entertaining to steer it. Twirls of the steering wheel are matched by rapid and direct changes in direction, and grip levels remained high despite the inclement road conditions.

There was plenty of force-feedback action to gauge traction levels at every steering angle. The weight had a syrup-like quality to it – smooth, but heavier than most other cars on the road.

It’s matched by a firm-feeling brake pedal. There’s no doubt that the actual braking ability is incredible, but you must lean hard on the brakes to extract proper stopping power.

The flatness with which the GT3 Touring rounds corners is wild – it’s stupidly quick and composed through back-to-back corners, and body roll is nary a thing.

I relished the opportunity of each new tight corner. It just meant that I got to downshift through the gears, hear that glorious exhaust on the overrun, then wind right back up through the revs on the other side of the bend.

It’s a car that wills you to drive it like you stole it – undoubtedly a ten-tenths car.

This character flies in the face of the GT3 Touring’s subdued styling. Yes, it’s a Porsche 911, and people do look. But, it didn’t get nearly the same attention as the regular bewinged GT3 I picked up straight after.

With that, the 911 GT3 Touring is for those who fly under the radar, but still want just as unhinged an experience on the road as you’d get while driving a Carrera Cup car on a racetrack.

Tom started out in the automotive industry by exploiting his photographic skills but quickly learned journalists got the better end of the deal. With tenures at CarAdvice, Wheels Media, and now Drive, Tom's breadth of experience and industry knowledge informs a strong opinion on all things automotive. At Drive, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.

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