This isn't meant for L.A. It's too rough, too noisy, too harsh, and too low. Its clutch engagement is stupendously stiff (after 10 minutes of crawling along I-405 North, your left leg burns with lactic acid buildup) and its gigantic six-piston front brakes hurl you at the windshield with every slight pedal tap. Let's not forget about that 3.8-liter flat-six. The entire car is raw...organic even.
That's exactly why we love it.
The 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 is not a grocery-getter or a Hollywood Boulevard cruiser -- save those runs for the Cayenne on 22s. If confined to L.A.'s rough pieces of pavement, the GT3 fast becomes a royal pain in the glutes and kidneys. It isn't fun when perusing boring urban blocks. It isn't comfortable when entering parking lots with the slightest of curbs, even with the available front axle lift bringing the nose up nearly 1.2-inches. Those things are better accomplished while looking stylish in your 911, Boxster, or even, 911 Turbo.
Below 4000 rpms it's taxing to shift the extra-stiff clutch with its bicep-building lever. Keep at it long enough and you'll have a right arm toned better than Arnold's. PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) in its standard mode transmits each road imperfection with teeth chattering effect. Don't even think about switching it into "Sports Mode" when out in the real world -- all the jouncing is a recipe for a headache. The car lives at the limits of civility, barely streetable in between track sessions or secluded back road runs.
This is a German thoroughbred born of countless race wins. It abhors trotting and can't stand being pent up. It wants to run and loves being pushed.
We mentioned it was "organic." In other words, it features no turbo or supercharger additives to motivate it to abnormally high speeds. It can be specified with little to no interior comforts. In Europe, a roll cage and fire extinguisher are optional. Stick some numbers on the doors, let it loose on a track, and you'll likely end up on the podium.
