Ah, the quest for automotive perfection, now there’s a subjective notion. Should we focus on the technical or the emotional aspect? As André Gide so aptly put it, to choose is to renounce.
Hans Meztger disagreed; the Flat 6 was born. For him, we don’t give up, but strive to create our own Eden. His was called Weissach and was 3 kilometers long. As the rounds went by, technical feats and mechanical monuments were born: a Flat 12, the TAG Turbo and the 1998 Manceau champion, a water-cooled 3.4L which was to serve as the basis for a road-legal racing car the following year.
Porsche surprises everyone with the unveiling of the 996 GT3 and its race-derived 3.6L naturally-aspirated engine. The first stone of sublimity has been laid, but it is not unanimously accepted by brand purists. This 996 is facing some virulent detractors, blaming its too-smooth lines, too-low roof and, the ultimate affront, its “fried egg” headlights.
“Perfection, the Porsche 997 GT3 approaches in an almost mystical way.”
The engineers listen and revise their copy in depth. Porsche has put all its know-how into the design of the 997 GT3. Every detail, from the chassis to the transmission, has been finely tuned to deliver exceptional performance. The Porsche 997 GT3 approaches perfection in an almost mystical way. It does what many other models fail to do.
Like a perfectly balanced gourmet dish, the 997 GT3 manages to blend power, agility and control harmoniously. It’s as if each component of the car is tailor-made to match the others, creating a driving experience like no other. The machine as an extension of mankind
The sound of the 997 GT3’s naturally-aspirated engine is a symphony in its own right. It’s as if each piston stroke were a note in a score written by the gods of speed. To drive this GT3 is to flirt with automotive purity. The gearshift is firm, the acceleration endless, the chassis surgical. Every turn is an adventure, every straight line a race to the horizon.
Even the biggest automotive skeptics can’t help but admire the 997 GT3. It’s as if it had the power to convert non-believers into car enthusiasts.
The Porsche 997 GT3 embodies everything we love about cars: power, beauty and, above all, pure driving pleasure. A breath of fresh air in this frantic race for insipid power, where technique languorously embraces emotion. If there were only one left, it would be this one .
