Experience The $163,750, 502-HP Porsche 911 GT3 Without Buying One

At $163,750 before options—and you know Porsche fans love their options—a 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 isn't exactly a toy everyone can afford. Fortunately, there is another option for getting behind the wheel and, no, you don't need to be a buddy with someone who owns one or turn to Turo or some other rental arrangement. Starting now, you can enjoy the thrill of driving or being driven in the 992 version of the 911 GT3 at the Porsche Experience Centers in Atlanta, Georgia, and Los Angeles.

Meant To Be Driven and Experienced

Driving the latest 911 GT3 is an experience that just needs to be felt in real life. Simulators and video games just don't do the car or its absurd naturally aspirated flat-six engine justice and anyone who owns one will tell you the same. Fortunately, Porsche is well aware of this and isn't afraid to supply its own cars and two tracks for non-owners to sample them on.

With the 992 GT3 now on sale, it was time for those Experience Centers to absorb a few into their fleets. "Like all Porsche sports cars, the new 911 GT3 is meant to be driven—and this one even more so, since it was born from motorsports and tailored to the road," said Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of PCNA. "The feel, the sound and the dynamics make for a very special experience that anyone can enjoy on the closed track with personal instruction. I'm sure the new GT programs will bring an extra level of excitement to our centers in Atlanta and Los Angeles." Indeed, and the key point here is thatyoucan experience that.

The Experiences

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While both the Los Angeles and Atlanta centers have many of the same cars, their experiences are unique from each other. This also includes the GT3 programs. While they both share a 90-minute 911 GT3; GT3 vs. Turbo; and GT3 Generations driving programs, the L.A. center gets two unique, four-hour GT3 and GT3 Generations experiences known as "Accelerated."

Data Doesn't Lie

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These four-hour programs give you a data acquisition app on your phone that tracks you as you drive your chosen 911 GT3, helping you see where you're doing well, where you need improvement, and hard data for those bragging rights against your friends. The 911 GT3 driving opportunity does come with two caveats: you must be 21 and you must also have completed one other 90-minute Porsche experience drive. Either package must be booked in advance.

The Cost

Even though it does cost money to participate in any of the programs at the Porsche Experience Centers, they are certainly within most budgets. The 90-minute sessions in Los Angeles start as low as $450 for normal Porsche models while the 90-minute single 992 GT3 session costs $1,095 and the GT3 Generations experience costs $1,295. No price is mentioned on the four hour Accelerated sessions, but you can guess they're probably more money. Atlanta's 90 minute Porsche experience sessions start at $450 but the 90-minute GT3 Generations session costs $1,200.

If you've never stepped foot in a Porsche Experience Center and must therefore factor the requisite $450 90-minute regular Porsche drive into the cost of the 911 GT3 drive (remember, can't drive the GT3 without prior Experience Center, um, experience), it's still a deal. Unless you have really generous friends, you're unlikely to track a borrowed GT3; and we have a feeling convincing someone on Turo to let you do the same will require effort. So for a mere fraction of a 911 GT3's MSRP, you can have yourself a ball.