The 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 Is Twice the Fun
Why only have one GT3 when you can celebrate 25 years of the model with two new Porsche 911 GT3s?
You may not realize it, but the Porsche 911 GT3 has only been around since 1999 and the 996 generation. It was an amazing car, too, with nearly 360 hp with a slick six-speed from the 993 GT2 and lapped the Nurburgring-Nordschleife in 7:56.33. Fast forward 25 years and those numbers are no longer as impressive as they were then. For 2025, Porsche didn’t just want to improve its track performance, but also wanted to give owners who just want a fun car to drive on their favorite roads the GT3 touch. That’s why there are two versions of the 2025 Porsche 911 GT3: one for the track with a wing and one to “tour” around in with more than just two people.
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For the first time, Porsche is releasing the 911 GT3 as both a track focused model and as a GT3 with Touring Package for those who just enjoy the drive. Porsche usually releases a Touring version of the GT3 later in its first model year lifecycle, but 2025 changes that. First, let’s talk about what both variants have in common and that is its 4.0-liter naturally aspirated boxer six-cylinder. Despite all the emissions requirements, this engine comes equipped with individual throttle bodies to flow air into each cylinder with optimized butterfly valves. With the addition of revised oil coolers, this engine produces a mighty 502 hp with nothing enhancing the H-6 ICE-power, but this power is the same as the previous GT3.
The GT3 and GT3 Touring both don’t utilize a starter button to fire up that engine. Rather, the 2025 GT3s will use a rotary ignition switch. The digital instrument panel is also unique for the GT3s with contrasting color displays. When in track mode, the displays the flank the tachometer are reduced to just key data of the tires, oil, water, and fuel while also offering a flashing display to indicate when to shift. Drivers can also rotate the tach so that its 9,000 rpm redline is at the 12 o’clock position, like an old school racer would prefer.
Shift It Yourself in Two Flavors
Both versions of the 2025 911 GT3 will also come as a six-speed GT Sport manual or as the seven-speed PDK with flappy paddles. The major update to the transaxle is a new final drive ratio that’s been reduced by 8 percent. While Porsche didn’t list the exact number, it says the sprint to 60 mph is just 3.2 seconds for the PDK version while the manual gets to the same speed in just 3.7 seconds. Despite the eight-percent final gear reduction claim, these numbers match the 2022 version (which also retain the same tire sizes of 255/35R20 front and 315/30R21 rear).
Lightweighting the Lightweights
If you’re thinking it’s the weight between 2022 and 2025, that maybe is the difference as Porsche claims the 2025 GT3 (non-Touring, mind you) is only 11 pounds heavier than the 2022 version. That’s despite losses in weight from new wheels and lithium-ion 12-volt battery. The wheels are 3.3 pounds less than the previous GT3 and the new 40-ah (a reduction from the 60-ah capacity) is 9.9 pounds less. It’s possible there are weight gains in other places, so we’ll need to compare them once we get the 2025 version for testing. There are also magnesium wheel options for the new Weissach GT3 Package (a first time offering for the GT3) and the Lightweight Package for the GT3 Touring that drop weight by an additional 20 pounds.
The suspension of the 2025 GT3 sees changes that were brought about with the 911 GT3 RS with a set of new trailing arms on the double-wishbone front axle. This joins a lowered ball joint position on the lower trailing arm to reduce pitching under braking and keep the aerodynamic balance consistent under heavy braking. Nothing worse than suddenly losing downforce while you’re slowing for that corner out of the straight.
A More Comfortable GT3 with the Touring Package
Now, let’s get to the parts that make the 2025 GT3 Touring and non-Touring GT3 different. First is the obvious change that there isn’t a wing hanging around on the Touring. This is replaced by an active rear spoiler with a Gurney flap. This change is matched by underbody air guides to maintain aerodynamic balance on the Touring due to the loss of the wing. Inside, the Touring gains rear seats as an option for the first time, but both versions are two-seaters as standard. It also offers more leather upholstery options versus the track focused GT3, making it the more customizable of the two.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to individualize either version of the GT3. With the trackable car, you can get the Weissach Package, mentioned above. This adds lightweight components made from carbon fiber like the anti-roll bar, coupling rods, and shear panel of the rear axle, joining the roof, wing side plates, top mirror shells, and air blades in the front area. There’s also additional leather and Race-Tex upholstery inside the cockpit. For the GT3 with Touring Package, it gains an additional Lightweight Package that matches the Weissach, but the roof is painted and, of course, the wing is missing. It also gets the shortened gear lever from the 911 S/T for the manual transmission version and a plaque just ahead of either shifter with “Leichtbau”—the German word for “lightweight”—inscribed on it.
Get a Watch to Match Your GT3
As if that wasn’t enough, Porsche has made a watch in the themes of the 2025 911 GT3 and GT3 with Touring Package to wear on your wrist. If you’re a watch enthusiast, these chronographs are COSC-certified with a WERK 01.200 movement with a flyback function. It will come with a titanium case with an optional black titanium carbide coating. The dial features yellow accents and a hexagonal structure to mimic the instrument panel and the winding rotor is based on the GT3 wheels. The band is made from the same leather used by Porsche for its upholstery.
Coming Summer of 2025
With 2024 wrapping up, order books will open for the 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 with Touring Package. Production timing will put these GT3s on dealer lots by Summer of 2025 with a price tag of $224,495.
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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