The pleasure of open-air driving, with 510 cavalli at your disposal
Drive in all conditions, thanks to a host of solutions drawn from the world of motorsport: the thrill of getting behind the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 S/C.
S/c, or ‘sport cabriolet’. An abbreviation that had never before featured in the Porsche 911 GT3 range and which can also be interpreted as ‘super engaging’. A definition that encapsulates the thrills evoked by the combination of the overwhelming performance of the flat-six engine – a rare example of pure engineering, being neither electrified nor supercharged, and available only with a manual gearbox – its weight, which is unusually close to that of the coupé versions to enhance dynamism and driveability, and the exhilarating symphony that fills the cabin – particularly with the top down – as the rev counter approaches 9,000.
Based on the Touring version – that is, the GT3 coupé without the striking rear wing supported by the iconic swan-neck mounts – the S/C is on sale for 280,000 euros. That is, €60,000 more than the S/T coupé versions – in simpler terms, the sports tourers.
Porsche 911 GT3 S/C: plenty of power and a manual gearbox / the ultimate evolution of the flat-six is combined with plenty of carbon fibre and magnesium
In practice, it can be said that the GT3 S/C not only brings to the table the weight savings that many designs have achieved – compared to the extra weight that convertibles typically add over coupés – but also adds a tidy sum of euros to the price. The extra weight is not solely due, as in many other cases, to the presence of the electrically operated soft top and the structural reinforcements to the bodywork to compensate for the absence of a metal roof – which were not necessary for this GT3 – but to the measures taken to ensure that its inclusion did not cause its weight to deviate from that of the GT3 coupés (less than 1,500 kg), particularly those fitted with the optional dual-clutch gearbox. This objective was achieved both by offering the 911 exclusively with a manual gearbox – which is lighter than the automatic – and through an extensive quest to save every gram, achieved by incorporating a massive amount of composite materials and magnesium into its construction, even in the weave of the fabric and the structure of the soft top. Furthermore, this GT3 features many carbon-fibre body and interior components, similar to those in an optional package for the coupés, carbon-ceramic brakes, 20-inch magnesium wheels at the front and 21-inch at the rear, and a compact, lightweight 40 Ah lithium-ion battery.
Under the bonnet lies the 4-litre flat-six engine found in the other GT3s, producing 510 cavalli and 450 Nm of torque, developed to meet current emissions regulations with two particulate filters and four catalytic converters. Fortunately, the complex exhaust system does not alter the characteristic roar of this engine, thanks to the meticulous work of Porsche’s ‘sound engineers’. The flat-six propels the GT3 S/C to 313 all’ora and to 100 orari in 3.9 seconds, just as it does with the coupés. From those versions, the Cabriolet inherits the direct steering feel and the chassis set-up derived from the track-focused GT3 – featuring CFRP anti-roll bars – and, for the first time on a 911 Cabriolet, a double-wishbone front suspension.
