► First ever 911 GT3 convertible
► Manual-only; lightweight S/T parts
► £200k and no production cap

Your eyes are not deceiving you – this really is a soft-top version of Porsche’s hardcore 911 GT3, a car likely to split opinion like no other recent 911 given the GT3’s road racer roots.

For potentially apoplectic purists, Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger offers a few words of reassurance on the new 911 GT3 S/C. ‘This is not a 911 cabriolet with the GT3 engine in it… it’s a GT3 Touring or an S/T without a roof,’ he tells CAR at a studio preview in Stuttgart.

Indeed, only the S/C’s aluminium rear three-quarter panel and rear deck lid carry over from the standard 911 Cabriolet. Everything else – drivetrain, chassis and interior – is replaced with full GT3 hardware, plus selected lightweight parts from the 911 S/T.

A 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six revs to 9000rpm and sends 503bhp to the rear wheels alone. Weight is sub-1500kg despite the extra heft convertibles always introduce. And the S/C is so structurally sound that even Preuninger says he can’t feel the difference compared with the coupe. Did we mention the S/C is a manual-only? Porsche spins it as a pure driver’s machine to enjoy the open road, with the manual all part of that – but there’s a little more nuance to it than that, which we’ll come to

Hasn’t Porsche basically done this before?

In spirit, yes. The previous 911 Speedster was essentially a 991 GT3 convertible in all but name, but paired a cut-down windscreen with a fiddly manual roof in the name of purity – and in deference to the 356 Speedster. Porsche says customers not unreasonably asked for the convenience of an electric roof. And because a regular 911 fabric roof has to integrate with the standard windscreen frame, it’s no longer a Speedster. The S/C bit? Well… Porsche isn’t officially saying, but we’ll guess it stands for Sport Convertible.

The roof itself opens in around 12 seconds at up to 32mph, and gets new magnesium flat bows under the fabric for a tauter, more precise appearance when closed. It also integrates more cleanly than the Speedster’s twin-hump rear deck, giving the car a more cohesive GT3-derived stance. Plus, the (optional) black windscreen frame visually hot-rods it too.

It sounds pretty light for a convertible…

The official 1497kg is only a small increase over a manual GT3 Touring, depending on spec, and nowhere near the 90kg or so penalty you’d expect. That’s achieved through extensive use of S/T components, including carbonfibre doors and front wings, not to mention the usually optional magnesium wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes.

Inside, weight-saving continues with lighter trim, reduced sound insulation and the deletion of rear seats, replaced by storage compartments.

All this means the GT3 S/C stays within the homologation weight range of a GT3 (ie if you toss a few heavier options at the coupe), allowing Porsche to short-cut the usually onerous homologation process – bringing the car to market in just 16 months, which is handy given the challenging financial situation it’s recently found itself navigating.

Does the suspension get a bespoke tune?

Surprisingly no. The 992-generation stiffer body-in-white is key – in large part a response to ever more-challenging crash regulations – allowing Porsche to carry over the GT3’s suspension unchanged, rather than soften it off as you might expect.

That means the full set-up remains – including double-wishbone front suspension, rear-wheel steering and GT3 steering rack. Preuninger says they factored suspension recalibration into the development programme, only to conclude it wasn’t required (yes, you’re right to be cynical but our experience says Preuninger is a pretty straight talker).

Any key options?

Yes, the Street Style Package gets 18-way seats, four-colour braided leather extending even to the glovebox lining, and Race-Tex technical fabric for the top, A-pillars and sun visors. Expect to pay around £20k more for that.

How much is it – and when can I buy one?

The GT3 S/C starts at £200,500 in the UK, around £40k more than a coupe. Pricey, yes, but the difference is accounted for by the usual premium for a convertible, the lightweight parts for which GT3 coupe owners typically pay a large premium, and the S/T wings and doors they cannot buy. Unlike the last Speedster, it is not strictly limited, although European supply will be capped at 1500 units (another homologation free pass that means neither lane-keep assist or speed warnings are initiated by default).

Still not convinced? Here’s Mr Preuninger again with a few more words of reassurance: ‘[The GT3 S/C] feels like the same car while offering even more emotion… Enjoying this engine alone for me is like a sacred object these days, but without a roof, the sound, the emotion it provokes, is on a different level.’ We’ll know for sure after that first drive.