You have been seeing a tremendous amount of Porsche here I know but I also do know that these cars will never get boring. So here we are, another day, another kickass 911. Porsches are cars that only a few understand. Their lineup isn’t as simple as a Huracan for daily driving or an Aventador for once-in-a-month-driving and their names as simple as Superfast or Pista. These beauties are highly complex pieces of German master engineering. To begin with, the engine is in the wrong end which logically is a fundamental flaw but these boffins at Porsche have not only let the flaw be but also have gone ahead and unflawed the flaw, if that makes sense, in such a manner that the flaw becomes the cars biggest selling point. There aren’t too many cars are whose engine sits behind the rear axle. There aren’t too many cars with Flat6 engines. There certainly aren’t too many cars that have almost two dozen variants, and there definitely isn’t any car that has looked the same for the last 55 years. There is little doubt as to why the Porsche 911 is such an acclaimed car despite it being a culmination of everything unconventional. 

Anybody who knows a thing or two about the brand would know that any Porsche with the GT suffix is the epitome of Porsche’s wizardry. And here we are, at Porsche Centre Bengaluru, checking out the Porsche GT3 Touring. While you are most likely to be reading this article a few days late since the pictures were embargoed until the car reaches its garage, we are hugely grateful to the enthusiastic chaps at Porsche Centre Bengaluru for having us over to get a closer look at this stunner. All those of you who are active on the supercar scene would know that Porsche Bengaluru has been on a roll off late delivering more GT3s than the usual 911 Carreras so it comes with a little surprise that the only GT3 Touring Package earmarked for India went via Porsche Bengaluru.

For the uninitiated, the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Package is a variant of the 911 GT3. Infact, the Touring Package comes as a no-cost option on the GT3 which deletes the wing and adds a manual gearbox. Porsche intended this car to be used more on the road than on the track and the fact that this car skips the lightning-quick Porsche Doppelkupplung for 6 speed manual transmission, reinforces the same. The Touring Package is more or less the spiritual successor of the super limited Porsche 911R. The 911R was a manual, naturally aspirated car devoid of all the race car aero built for pleasure driving and not for smashing lap records. The GT3 Touring, too, is a manual, naturally aspirated car but it lacks on the retro touches that the 911R came with. While you can compare the GT3 Touring Package all you want to with the 911R, the R will always remain the special one. All comparisons aside, let’s focus on this Sapphire Blue Metallic stunner here. Spec is as classy as it gets! Full points on the silver wheels in an age where black wheels are the norm on sportscars.
The most noticeable feature of the Touring Package is the missing wing. It has the same GT3 widebody minus the wing which accentuates the booty to create a rear that is quite foxy. Making up for the missing fixed wing, the Touring is fitted with a retractable rear wing which is a lift off from the Carrera but is angled even steeper to cope with the more powerful motor. Powered by a 500hp engine, the driver is in full control of the GT3 via three pedals, and a dual mass flywheel manual gearbox. The euphoria that a manual short throw gearbox exudes is heavenly. Coupled that with the grunt of a Porsche RSR derived engine, this is one car that you’d most certainly get lost in, it’s driving experience crunching miles before you even realise it. Manual supercars are a dying breed and the GT3 Touring Package is one such car that gives you a perfect feel of the way cars were in the bygone era where driver involvement was paramount. It’s like the M5 of the two-door car world, looks like a garden variety Carrera at the first glance, but those who know will know what a special car this is!

Left in a puddle of drool as we bid adieu to the car, it is satisfying to know that it is going into the hands of a Porschephile gentleman who will enjoy her to the fullest! This is the aura of Porsche. You wouldn’t even think of buying one unless you are a purist. One can easily get the glitz of the Italian exotica for this money, but you must really know your cars well to splurge on one that looks ‘cute’ to most of the fairer sex. Of course, we know that there's nothing cute about this beauty after getting behind its wheel! A huge thanks to Porsche Centre Bengaluru for having us over and not minding while we poked around the car and got into long conversations about the nitigrities of this stunner. Here’s us thanking them for bringing to us such brilliant cars and wishing that they continue this streak in the years to come. And if you think they are stopping anytime soon then check this space in a month. You will not be disappointed with the kind of cars which are slated to arrive soon!