Power

With the exclusive Porsche shuttle service to MASTERS EXPO

8 november 2021Door MASTERS Redactie6 min lezenMASTERS MAGAZINE

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According to Porsche, the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Package is a GT3 that is suitable for everyday use. That's right, but it remains a car for enthusiasts of sporty driving. That sometimes requires sacrifices. And speaking of which, a special offer you can't refuse: on Friday November 19 and Sunday November 21 you can give your MASTERS EXPO visit a sporty touch with an exclusive Porsche shuttle service. Text: Erik Kouwenhoven
Online editing: Mical Joseph
Image: PorscheA Porsche instructor will pick you up at home with one of the latest Porsche models and give you the choice: do you want to be driven to the fair, or do you take the wheel yourself? In a brief driving training, the instructor will explain various functions in the car and give you practical tips on driving skills to fully enjoy the ride. This sporty Porsche shuttle including a visit to MASTERS EXPO can easily be booked in the Porsche24 app. This is the loyalty platform for Porsche drivers, full of special events, various driving training courses, beautiful routes, sporty surprises and the latest Porsche news.

Back to the Porsche 911

The Porsche 2016 R, launched in 911, was the most desirable 911 of recent years. Not only because of the limited edition and the manual gearbox, but also and especially because of the knowledge that you are driving a car that is virtually identical to the GT3, but without being bothered by impractical items such as a roll cage, spoilers and a kidney stone-crushing chassis. In short: on paper a recipe that makes enthusiasts salivate. It was a car that did not only generate pitying looks from pretty female road users because of the many spoilers and air scoops. A car with which you can also tour to your holiday home on the Côte d'Azur without any loose fillings, but which also terrifies drivers in GT3s on the track. And then the manual gearbox: the lever moved quickly and precisely through the six gears, automatically producing intermediate throttle in the sports mode, so that you are immediately seen as a real cracker during track days.

Puristic 911 design

Not long after the car appeared on the market, the demand for this model turned out to be ridiculously high. However, the grotesque amounts offered for a 911 R indicate not only that the Porsche market became completely overheated around those years, but first and foremost that the world has had enough of the increasing electronics, electrification and digital data streams in modern cars. However, Porsche had promised that it would remain a one-off exercise with the 911 R. And that was true, but behind the scenes they quickly came up with a trick. Because the 911 R had barely been delivered when Porsche presented the Porsche 2017 GT911 Touring Package in 3. The name refers to an equipment variant of the 911 Carrera 2.7 RS from the 1973 model year. The new Touring Package also focused on the purist 911 design, which for the 2017 model year consisted of a 500 hp 4.0-liter boxer engine, a six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. In short: a GT3, but without spoilers, without excessive frills and with a manual gearbox. So actually a new R. This model quickly became the favorite car of everyone who has a thing for sporty Porsches. It should therefore come as no surprise that the German brand is also releasing a Touring variant of the latest 911 model. Porsche itself describes the new 911 GT3 Touring as 'an understatement on wheels'. And that's right, because due to the absence of a fixed rear wing, this model also looks a lot less extravagant than the 'regular' GT3. Nevertheless, under the tailgate is the same boxer engine, which now has 510 hp. Although, tailgate: the only thing you can open is a small flap to add oil and coolant. There is absolutely nothing left to see of the engine. As with its predecessor, this Touring comes standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, but for the first time the Touring is also available with the 7-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission at no extra cost.

The atmosphere of a classic sports car

The car can be recognized by the high-gloss anodized aluminum frame around the side windows, which underlines the sporty, discreet appearance of the newcomer. The nose is completely painted in the exterior color and an automatically extending rear spoiler provides the necessary downforce at high speeds. For those who find the optical difference between the GT3 and the GT3 Touring too great, Porsche will install a plaque on the back. It says 'GT3 Touring', so that even non-experts can immediately see that it really is a GT3 version. The interior completely exudes the atmosphere of a classic sports car. The steering wheel rim, gear lever, the lid of the storage compartment in the center console, armrests in the door panels and door handles are covered in black leather. The middle parts of the seats are covered with black fabric; the sky is also in black. The headrests feature a stamped Porsche logo and the door sill moldings and decorative panels in the dashboard and center console are made of brushed black aluminum. The cockpit now features a so-called track screen for the first time. A single turn of the easy-to-reach riding mode switch on the handlebar turns off the digital displays to the left and right of the tachometer. The information is then limited to tire pressure, oil pressure, oil temperature, fuel level and water temperature. An even more extensive leather package in black is also available for the GT3 Touring, which has been designed exclusively for this version. The front of the dashboard and the tops of the door panels have a special relief. Almost all options for the 911 GT3 are also available on the 911 GT3 Touring. Examples include all exterior and rim colors, LED headlights, various driver assistance systems, ceramic PCCB brakes, the lift system on the front axle, all seat variants and the audio systems. Just as exclusive as the Touring itself is a new chronograph that Porsche Design has designed especially for buyers. The chronograph is produced by Porsche's own Swiss watch factory and is exclusively intended for owners of this sports car.

Sharp reflexes

In short, just like the GT3, this Touring Package is still a car for tough men and women with sharp reflexes, a flexible body and good teeth. Because the steering is so direct that just once you sneeze you move into two lanes, getting in and out is reduced to half a gymnastics exercise by the deeply tucked-away sports seats with their high sides and the chassis has only two settings: hard (Sport) and filling-removing hard (Track). Perhaps Porsche will soon create another niche, that of the comfortable GT3. So a Touring Package with a softer chassis, rear seat, an exhaust that can also make little noise and slightly more sound insulation.