Porsche 911 GT3 + manual gearbox = rev matching made in heaven

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Who needs that perfect PDK anyway?

The manual transmission is slowly dying and we’re not supposed to feel sorry for it. But there are some cases where the old way might actually be the more satisfactory one.

Porsche 911.2 GT3 Drive Hype 1

At a recent track day event — organized by a group of car dudes called Drive Hype and held on the Motorpark Romania circuit — I’ve stumbled upon this Porsche 911 GT3 (you can check out thoroughly in the photo gallery above).

Porsche 911.2 GT3 Drive Hype 23

It’s the 911.2 GT3 if you like keeping score, so it runs a brand-new 4.0-liter flat-six good for 493 hp (500 PS) and 340 lb-ft (460 Nm) of torque. Tipping the scales at 1,430 kilos, it weighs just as much (or, better said, less) as before but thanks to the extra push it now can launch to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.4 seconds. It’s a serious machine, this one.

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Here’s one thing you don’t know about the 911.2 GT3: it doesn’t have rear parking sensors. At all. In this regard, paying €650 for a backup camera seems the perfect deal. One other thing that you might’ve ignored: it also comes with a six-speed manual. It’s not as fast as with the PDK — it does 0-to-62 in 3.9 seconds — but it's totally worth it.

Porsche 911.2 GT3 Drive Hype 19

Few things I remember after some hot laps in the passenger seat: you can never get bored by the way the rev-matcher puts the needle in the sweet spot every time you downshift. And if you don’t hold your breath while you upshift it you’ll feel like someone stole it from you with a kick in the chest.

Porsche 911.2 GT3 Drive Hype 2

Of course, there’s a degree of comfort you’ll have to sacrifice, especially if you’re planning on making the manual GT3 your daily driver. But owning a manual modern Porsche also boosts your coolness by at least 30%, if this thing would really be possible. Plus, it will depreciate less in time.

Hoping I will get back to you with a video featuring this Racing Yellow Elfer, check out the photo gallery above, it’s got good stuff in it.

SEE MORE: 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 RS goes in search of the lost Nürburgring Südschleife