Shopping for a 9000rpm-capable Porsche 911 GT3, but don’t want to feel so claustrophobic? It is now available as a convertible.
Porsche has revealed its first-ever 911 GT3 sports car with a fully-electric folding convertible roof – reviving the iconic S/C designation in the process – due in Australian showrooms in the coming months.
Adding an electric soft-top roof comes at a cost: $139,400 more than a regular 911 GT3 coupe, bringing its drive-away price close to $650,000, even before options.
Porsche has previously sold the 911 Speedster, effectively an open-top GT3, but it used a different rear section to a regular 911 Cabriolet with a smaller folding roof that was not entirely power-operated.
The Speedster was also a limited edition, where the new S/C is a series-production model, priced from $588,500 plus on-road costs.
It is likely to go down as one of the last Porsche 911 GT3 variants with the 4.0-litre flat-six engine in its current form, as reports suggest future iterations may adopt turbo – or hybrid – power.
A strict two-seater, the S/C shares its rear body section with regular open-top 911s, which includes its fully-electric soft-top roof that can be opened and closed in 12 seconds at speeds up to 50km/h, and incorporates magnesium components.
Porsche has borrowed from the limited-edition 911 S/T to save weight, using carbon-fibre doors, bonnet, front wheel arches, anti-roll bars and underbody shear plate, plus magnesium 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels that save a claimed 9kg.
Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard fitment, said to save 20kg, while the lithium-ion battery selected for the sports car is claimed to drop 4kg compared to a regular item. Suspension from the softer 911 GT3 Touring is also fitted.
Despite the weight of the power opening and closing roof, the 911 GT3 S/C is ‘only’ 30kg heavier than the previous-generation 991-series 911 Speedster, weighing 1497kg.
The 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated ‘flat’ six-cylinder engine shared with the standard 911 GT3 produces 375kW and 450Nm, matched solely with a six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive.
It is claimed to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds, and hit a 313km/h top speed.
Styling details distinguishing the S/C include a black windscreen frame and black stone-chip protection film on the rear wheel arches, plus a ‘Gurney flap’ rear lip spoiler above the tail-lights. It is paired with the front and rear-end styling of the 911 GT3 coupe.
Inside, the S/C is a two-seater with power-adjustable sports seats as standard, which can be replaced with lightweight sports bucket seats – equipped with electric height and manual longitudinal adjustment – as an option.
The GT3 S/C logo is embroidered into the rear bulkhead trim, while black leather is used on the seats and steering wheel, and the coupe’s twin screens and turn-dial start/stop controller are carried over to the convertible.
Buyers can option the $58,670 Street Style Package, adding stripes on the front wheel arches and ‘PORSCHE’ door lettering in Pyro Red, grey or red (pictured) wheels, gold brake calipers, body-coloured air blades, and tinted headlights.
The package adds two-tone Slate Grey and Guards Red upholstery with four-tone braided leather seat centres, plus Guards Red interior highlights, extended leather upholstery on the sills and air vents, and suede-like upholstery.
Also included in the option pack is an open-pore laminated wood gear knob, with red highlights on the gear pattern.
The 2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S/C is available to order now in Australia.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
