Conflicted: Porsche 991 GT3

From what I can tell, Automotive journalists are required to provide an objective view on a cars merits and foibles, throw in a bit of personal opinion on the vehicle in question, and sum up the proposition of owning said vehicle.

Problems arise when controversies of great personal importance come up and there is a division in the automotive community. To maintain objectivity when contesting such issues is a task difficult to achieve. Much in need of good practice in this area, and very aware of how punchy and opinionated I can be I will lay out the problem of the 991 GT3 thus. Attempting to maintain objectivity throughout. 

Sad but this car or any of its successors won't see...

The 997.2 GT3 for me is a hero car. It represented the purist no compromise drivers car which in a world full of manettino laden paddle shift 458's and torque vectoring GT-R's, was a front to the computer age of recreational motoring. For this i respected, revered and loved the GT3 as time and time again no matter the comparison, out performed or not, the Porsche could not be matched for driving appeal. Naturally then upon hearing the news the the 991 would without argument drop the manual shift that it had become so famous for I was embarrassingly offended. This is something I shall attempt to avoid in my assessment here now. 

Aside from the omission of manual in favor of PDK, the 991 achieves a 475bhp maximum redlining at an impressive 9000 RPM (exceeding its Metzger predecessor by around 5 or 600). It's rear steer, wider front track and various suspension calibration upgrades as well as tyre upgrades have reportedly quelled the understeer qualms of old. Software and calibration have reportedly given the previously numb rack of the 991 Carrera feel and character sorely missing prior to the release of the GT3. Economy and efficiency are up and so Porsche have seemingly successfully replaced an outgoing model with something that bests it in most areas. They have with relative success ushered the GT3 name into the modern age. 

This however is not what a large demographic of enthusiasts want to hear. For sure, no matter how good the new car is, it will ever be without what is considered to be a core pillar of the GT3 philosophy, the manual three pedal shift setup. In the past the name GT3 was synonymous with a purity that gave cars wearing the moniker were considered some of the ultimate drivers cars. On this view the 991 GT3 is if anything representative of the commercialization of the GT3 name. Trading purity and heritage for mass market appeal with the use of PDK. 

One of these. 997 packing a 6 speed manual.

To begin with I was a wholehearted proponent of this view that the GT3 would never be the same. For sure the 997 and 996 resale values will be bolstered by the news that there will never again be a driver focused 911 with three pedals. However as time passed and the community gradually got its hands on and got to grips with the new car, the following plus points were identified in this new era. The PDK gearbox, though somewhat detracting from the experience 1 out of 10 times, will add everyday usability and the capacity to experience nine tenths of what the GT3 has always been, for 90% more of the time. The sweet flat six wail for 600rpm more of the time, the gorgeous creamy steering feel, all more accessible for more of the time. In my mind the more time I can soak up the greatness of the GT3 formulae, the better. The GT3 faithfuls initial reaction to the new car was  like it was a Carrera with a wing attached but the reality is far from the case. Every other aspect of what it is to be a GT3 has been enhanced and improved and as aforementioned bulked to contention for 2014. The new car from what I can tell is an evolution of the animal which throughout the past 4 iterations has serenaded our love of driving, only this time coming with new weapons with which to preach the good word of GT3. 

As much as I adore the 997 and everything it stood for, I respect that Porsche must usher in and improve on the old car by as far a margin as the technology of the day, as well as the hearts and minds of a following will allow. The PDK issue is a controversy and always will be but to a certain extent is a necessary evil. Objectively speaking, It is a fantastic car and will carry forward the GT3 torch, if a touch differently to its predecessors, with gusto. 

However the burning question for me remains... Could they not have offered the option?

I'd fork out 4k for a stick and third pedal personally. Lucrative, ay Porsche?