Image: Porsche Image: Porsche The first open-air GT3 gives lucky buyers unimpeded access to that 9,000-rpm soundtrack. Fans of the Porsche 911 know the script. When a new model debuts, like the 992.2 mid-cycle facelift that arrived last year, we see the usual roll-out of models: the base, GTS, and S arrive first, with coupe, convertible and targa variations. Then come the Turbos and GT3s; the former is both coupe and convertible but the latter has stayed strictly tin-top. Porsche surprised us on Tuesday with the 2027 911 GT3 S/C, the first open-air model to carry the GT3 designation. S/C stands for Sport Cabriolet, though this droptop model borrows bits and pieces from previous special edition 911s such as the S/T. The most obvious are the carbon fiber doors and fenders, which give the S/C a distinctly different profile from the "regular" GT3. Unsurprisingly, carbon is everywhere here: multiple body panels are made of CFRP, and the ceramic composite brakes-optional on the GT3-are standard. Even the interior door handles are made of the weave. Magnesium plays a big role in the S/C as well, with the 20-inch front, 21-inch rear wheels being made of the stuff and-surprise surprise-borrowed from the S/T. Porsche has even replaced interior bits of the roof with the rare metal. Image: Porsche Image: Porsche The result is a low curb weight of just 3,322 pounds (1,507 kilograms), even with a fully automatic top. Yes, the S/C lets buyers drop the roof at the touch of a button, no complicated Ikea-style scaffolding required like the (admittedly intoxicating) Spyder RS. Open-air motoring will be the best way to experience that 9,000-rpm battle cry, too. The 4.0-liter flat-six puts out a heady 502 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, figures unchanged from the tintop model. Porsche wants to emphasize driver enjoyment here, so the 911 S/C will come only with the six-speed manual, which we can say from experience is fan-expletive-tastic. Not that numbers are the focus here, but the S/C will crack off a run to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.7 seconds and won't run out of breath until 194 mph (312 km/h). Another important performance metric: 12 seconds, which is how long it takes the top to raise or lower. 2026 Kia EV9 GT: All the Details Image: Porsche Image: Porsche The cabin is familiar 911, though the S/C bucks the 992.2 Cabriolet trend by being a strict two-seater. Understandably. Standard four-way adjustable sport seats can be replaced with lightweight, CFRP-backed buckets with partial power adjustability. What isn't carbon inside is leather, with perforated former-cow as the seat inserts and lining the right-sized steering wheel. No mere starter button here; the S/C has the ignition switch a la other GT3 variants. Porsche will offer an optional Street Style Package for the S/C, which provides a more customized look inside and out from Exclusive Manufacktur. This includes splashes of Pyro Red for exterior accents, as well as Victory Gold brake calipers. The real prize is the cabin upgrade however, with seat center inserts made of braided leather using for colors: Slate Grey, Guards Red, Magnesium Gray, and Kalahari. The Street Style package also amps up the leather usage, while peppering the cabin with perforated Race-Tex as well. A darker shifter replete with open-pore walnut completes the look. The German brand will also offer an additional storage box, which gives owners a leather-lined 2.8 cubic feet of additional storage. Yes, it can be matched to the Street Style package. This being a new high-end Porsche, a matching watch is of course available too. The 2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S/C will land in North America this fall. American pricing starts from $275,350 including destination, and unlike the 911 S/T and Speedster, the S/C will be a regular production model, with no cap on units. Happy hunting. AutoGuide's Take Image: Porsche Image: Porsche It's a Porsche 911 GT3. But without a roof, so you can hear one of the finest naturally-aspirated engines ever produced all the more clearly. We shouldn't have to tell you that we're fans, nor that every single one will be immediately spoken for. Hardcore folks will talk at you about structural rigidity this and lap times that until your eyes roll back in your head, but as we learned last year, there's an added level of sensory joy in a droptop 911. The people who will end up with a 911 S/C in their garage won't care one iota if their lap times are fractionally slower. Whisper it, though: it isn't the prettiest GT3. 2026 Subaru Uncharted: All the Details
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