Porsche's First Convertible 911 GT3 Is Manual-Only on Purpose
Porsche built a GT3 you can drop the top on, then refused to fit an automatic. This is the first open-air 911 GT3, and it is manual-only on purpose.
Every 911 GT3 for the past twenty-plus years has come with a fixed roof. That was the whole point: a track-bred coupe, hard top baked into the recipe, no interest in compromise. The new 911 GT3 S/C breaks with all of it. This is the first 911 GT3 Porsche has fitted with a fully automatic soft top, and the twist is that dropping the roof didn't water down anything underneath it. The high-revving naturally aspirated flat-six stays, and the manual gearbox is the only way to order the car.
The reveal came in two stages. Porsche showed the car first in a digital world premiere on April 14, 2026, then let it run under its own power at the Goodwood Festival of Speed that July for its dynamic public debut. "S/C" stands for Sport Cabriolet. The way Porsche frames it, this is a lightweight special that happens to lose its roof, closer in spirit to a stripped-out track car than to a boulevard cruiser. The spec sheet fills in the rest.
A GT3 that trades its fixed roof for a folding one
Start with the roof, since it's the reason the car exists. In place of the GT3's fixed panel, the S/C gets a fully automatic fabric top built around magnesium ribs and frame components to hold the weight penalty down. Porsche says it opens or closes in roughly 12 seconds and will work on the move at speeds up to 50 km/h, about 31 mph. Everything above the beltline leans on carbon fiber: the bonnet, front wings, and doors are all carbon, borrowed from the lightweight 911 S/T.
Naturally aspirated, and it revs to 9,000
Under the rear deck sits the familiar 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six, still carrying the high-revving character that has defined the modern GT3. Porsche quotes 510 PS (375 kW, roughly 503 hp) and 450 Nm of torque, with the redline at 9,000 rpm. Zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes a claimed 3.9 seconds, and top speed comes in at 313 km/h, close to 194 mph. There's no turbocharger and no hybrid assist, which at this money is getting rare.
The numbers that matter
| Spec | Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EngineNaturally aspirated flat-six | 4.0 L | 9,000 rpm redline |
| OutputPower / torque | 510 PS / 450 Nm | 375 kW, ~503 hp |
| TransmissionGT Sport, manual only | 6-speed | ~17 kg lighter than PDK |
| 0–100 km/hManufacturer claim | 3.9 s | 0–62 mph |
| Top speedManufacturer claim | 313 km/h | ~194 mph |
| Curb weightDIN | 1,497 kg | ~3,300 lb |
Porsche's international figures are metric; the U.S. market may state slightly different curb weight and output equivalents depending on measurement standard. All performance numbers are manufacturer claims.
Manual only, and lighter for it
There's no dual-clutch option, full stop. The GT3 S/C comes only with the six-speed GT Sport manual, which Porsche says is about 17 kg lighter than the PDK automatic it stands in for. That helps the car settle at roughly 1,497 kilograms, which Porsche calls the lightest open-top model in the current 911 range. More of the 911 S/T turns up in the chassis: carbon-fiber anti-roll bars and a carbon-fiber shear plate carry over to keep weight down and stiffness up. And for the first time on an open-top 911, the front suspension runs a double-wishbone layout instead of the usual strut design.
"For the first time, the 911 GT3 S/C uses the double wishbone front axle on an open-top 911."
— Andreas Preuninger, Head of GT Cars, Porsche
When you can buy one, and for how much
Porsche opened orders when it revealed the car. U.S. pricing has been reported at around $275,000 including destination, though that number comes from market sources rather than the international press release, so read it as a reported starting point until Porsche confirms official U.S. figures. And as with any low-volume GT car, demand and dealer allocation will do plenty to shape what buyers actually pay.
On paper, a drop-top GT3 sounds like the sort of idea that blunts what a GT3 is for. Porsche clearly saw that objection coming and answered it in the hardware. The naturally aspirated engine stays, the manual is the only choice, and carbon panels plus S/T-derived parts keep taking weight out, all of it pointing the same way: this was built to be driven hard, not folded open for the valet queue. The double-wishbone front end on a convertible 911 is the bit enthusiasts will obsess over, and they're right to. It's a car that only really pays off if you plan to use it.
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