First Impression: Porsche 997 GT3

Porsche has been making 911s since 1964. The 911 is known for having a flat-6 engine located in the rear of the car, just above the rear wheels. The current range of  the 911 is called the 997. One of the variants of the 997 is the Porsche 997 GT3.

I first was the Porsche 997 GT3 at the October 2010 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. It did not stand out when a Ferrari F40, Lamborghini Diablo and Gumpert Apollo were present. There are many different 991 variants at Cars and Coffee that a 977 GT3 would not stand out from the crowd. The 911 has had a consistent design style, but the 911 never was considered a good-looking car.

The Porsche 977 GT3 is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.8L flat-6 engine, paired with a six-speed manual transmission, that produces 429 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. The 977 GT3 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 194 mph. Prices for the 997 GT3 start at $112,200. It is quick and fast. The price is relatively low for a high-performing sports car.

The Porsche 997 GT3 was featured at Jay Leno's Garage. Motorweek reviewed the 997 GT3, which can be seen here. The 997 GT3 is playable in Forza Motorsport 2, Forza Motorsport 3, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Need For Speed: Pro Street, and Fast Five: Take Rio.

Final Thoughts: It is a good sports car. There are better performing sports cars on the road, but few can match the price of the 997 GT3. Porsche knew what it was doing when it put a flat-6 engine in the rear of the car.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from a camera phone