Porsche 991.2 911 GT3 revives the manual at Geneva

The manual ‘box is only an option, though – PDK double-clutch paddle shift is standard fare – and will only be “provisionally available” from September 2017, which sounds to us like "get your order in quick if you want one"… 

What else does the new 198mph version of the world’s most popular track-day toy get for this year? A new 4.0-litre flat six, naturally-aspirated praise be, boasting 493bhp and taken almost as-is from the GT3 Cup race car and familiar from the 4.0 911 R and RS. 

With the six-speed manual aboard the car has a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds. Showing just how good Porsche’s PDK is, the seven-speed auto allows the car to get to 62mph – half a second quicker. Yep, that’s a blistering 3.4 seconds. Still want that manual? Oddly, the manual has a 1mph higher top speed, though. With either transmission, the red line is a heady 9,000rpm, 750rpm higher than even the RS. 

The 2017 GT3 gets a tweaked chassis, still with the rear-steering, a bit of a weight loss and some small but effective aero and design updates. The result – at £111,802, first UK deliveries of PDK cars in the summer – is surely a step closer to the ultimate everyday car/track day toy rolled into one. And you can have three pedals!