First Drive: Could the 911 GT3 S/C be the most exciting Porsche road car of all time?
It’s the first time that the GT3 has gone roof-down, but did Porsche make a good decision in creating the S/C? Jack Evans finds out.
What is it?
That all changes in 2026, though. Here we have the GT3 S/C – the very first car to wear the GT3 badge while offering that roof-down experience? Is it a good match, though? We’ve been finding out.
What’s new?
Those components are used on what is, at a base level, the body of a 911 Cabriolet. It means you get a smooth and quick-to-operate fabric folding roof which can be opened or closed in 12 seconds at speeds of up to 31mph. It’s a long way from the complicated roof systems that we’ve seen on previous performance convertibles like the Speedster and Boxster Spyder.
What’s under the bonnet?
Capable of revving to 9,000rpm, the flat-six is only available with a six-speed manual gearbox. Unlike the hard-top GT3, there’s no PDK automatic version to opt for – it’s a move which both helps to create a greater sense of involvement and keeps the car’s overall weight down to 1,497kg, only 35kg more than the coupe.
What’s it like to drive?
But the real strides are made simply because of that folding roof. With the top down, you get unfiltered access to the chorus from the 4.0-litre engine’s exhaust. It makes the whole affair truly exciting and – we’d argue – even more interesting than the one you get from the regular GT3. As with other Porsche cars, the GT3 S/C does have very long gearing and, in second gear, you can easily get close to breaking the national motorway speed limit in the UK. A shorter final drive ratio for the gearbox means that there’s very little let-up in the excitement, too.
How does it look?
The fabric folding roof also mimics the silhouette of the metal-roofed version, so at a glance there’s little to distinguish the two. The 911 S/C also launches with the option to add the Street Style Package, which brings decorative graphics on the front wings and ‘Porsche’ lettering on the sides. It will, however, set you back around £25,000 and given how good – to our eyes – the S/C looks already, it might not be needed.
What’s it like inside?
Unlike the hard-top GT3, the S/C is only available as a two-seater, though having the rear chairs removed does mean there’s more space for bags and, in the standard car, they don’t offer much legroom anyway. The S/C will also be available with an optional storage box which fits in the area behind the front seats; it brings a lockable storage area of 80 litres, which is ideal for keeping things secure when you park up with the roof lowered.
What’s the spec like?
Of course, much of the cost of the GT3 S/C is due to the sheer level of mechanical involvement required to create the car. However, it feels like it lives up to the price tag both in how it feels and in what it’s like to drive.
Verdict
A lot of critics will have said that the convertible GT3 is a car that shouldn’t have been made. Convertibles don’t tend to be seen as track cars and the GT3 has always been the go-to choice for those who want to take to the circuit.
But we’re beyond pleased that Porsche has pushed on and made the S/C. It’s sublime, both to drive and to be around. It seems cliched to say that the £200,000 Porsche-engineered convertible is a marvel, but it’s just the case with the S/C.