| A Week at the Wheel | Bucks, England | Porsche 911 GT3 |

Inside & Out:

Porsche has always been good at spinning models off its core 911 model, with the best being the lightweights. And this GT3 is no exception. If you want the most focused, immediate and downright exciting 911 in the range then the GT3 is it - the short-lived GT3 RS special no longer offered on the price lists. It might seem cheeky to ask customers to pay more for less, but the 'less' part of the GT3 is what makes it so appealing and allows it to deliver so much more. Outside that's made abundantly clear by its low tarmac scraping front splitter, bold rear wing and large, lightweight alloy wheels.

The simple GT3 lettering on the rear signifies this as Porsche's track-focused model, but if that's not a big enough give-away then getting in sharply delivers the message. Inside there's an Alcantara covered steering wheel and gearshift knob, impossibly deep sports seats and a smattering of GT3 lettering. Over your shoulder you'll notice the lack of rear seats, which make it feel like the road-racer it is. Though for the full-on effect there's a roll-cage - if you've opted for the Clubsport pack (as you should, really). Serious stuff then, but this is a very serious car.

Engine & Transmission:

Ponder the 415bhp Porsche has squeezed out of the 3.6-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six engine for a moment. That's over 115bhp a litre, a quite extraordinary figure for any engine, let alone one that's in a road car. And it really is a special engine, more than simply a development of the Carrera's 3.6-litre unit; the GT3's block is very closely related to the engine that powered Porsche's GT1 endurance racing cars in the late 1990s. So it's built from exotic materials and revs up to a dizzying 8,400rpm. Yet despite its race roots and high-rev antics it's a remarkably friendly and tractable unit that'll chunter around in fourth and fifth in traffic with no complaint.

It sounds glorious too, the rumble from the engine behind you amplified by the lack of the rear seats and some judicious removal of sound-proofing. Mated to one of the slickest six-speed manual transmissions around, working the engine and gearbox on the GT3 is a pleasure that everyone who enjoys driving should experience at least once. Never anything less than scintillatingly fast, the GT3 is able to cover the benchmark 0-62mph sprint in just 4.3 seconds and charge onto 100mph just 4.4 seconds after that. Top speed - if you're on an autobahn on the way to the Nurburgring - is rated at 193mph.

Ride & Handling:

Porsche upset the purists when it announced that the GT3 would adopt the PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) that's offered elsewhere in the 911 range. Obviously it's been set up to suit the GT3, the regular setting firm, but not too compromised for the road. Press the Sport button and you'll want to be on a track, as it's a setting too far for the road and best kept for smooth circuits. In typical 911 fashion it takes a while to learn to lean on the steering. It's alive in your hands, the input linear and precise and feedback plentiful, but the front end feels light. Take the time to push through the initial unease at the lively front end and you learn to trust the tyres and then you can bring the rear into play.

Power oversteer is just a prod of the right-hand pedal away at any occasion. This easily coaxed throttle adjustability is key to the GT3's appeal. There are electronic controls to reign in your enthusiasm if you go too far, but the GT3 really does feel completely at your command and hugely rewarding as a result. It never fails to delight, even after many miles and familiarity, the sheer precision it offers you, the intimate, immediate feedback and remarkable pace and poise making it one of the most exciting and involving drivers' cars you can buy.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

It's more money than the standard Carrera and Carrera S, but the GT3 is worth it. Factor in its exotic race-derived engine and it actually looks like a bargain in the performance car world. Seriously, the GT3 is one of the most exciting cars you can buy at any price, yet being a 911 it has the added benefit of genuine day-to-day usability. Equipment isn't extensive - the GT3 stripped for purpose - though we'd really like to see Porsche offer its PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes) as a no-cost option. Given the performance on offer economy is pretty respectable - the GT3 able to return 21.7mpg on the official combined cycle, and easily more on a long motorway run. An emissions figure of 312g/km, while not exactly the most planet friendly out there, isn't bad either.

Overall:

The Porsche 911 GT3 is a very special car that appeals to a hardcore driving audience. What's remarkable though is just how useable and exploitable it is. It'll happily outrun everything but proper race cars at track days yet is also a genuinely useable and enjoyable road car. Nothing for the money comes close, Ferrari's 430 Scuderia costing significantly more, and not so friendly in everyday use.