The Porsche 911 is my dream car—just like a lot of you guys. Luckily, I was able to review one for a long drive in Thailand for a Porsche Asia Pacific media event for the 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid, so that’s a dream that lasted for more than 400 kilometers fulfilled. In my defense, I’ve already been a Porsche 911 fan way before it even became so hyped up by Instagrammers and influencers with a questionable love for cars, but I digress.
I’ve always seen the 911 to be a stubbornly good sports car, since it was built on a formula that wasn’t supposed to work. And yet, here we are, the rear-engined, rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) formula now perfected in 2025. It seems that Porsche could do no wrong, right? Well, as with everything that social media hypes up, this motivated Porsche to drastically raise the 911’s price to a point that it has gotten too expensive and too out of reach for a brand that wasn’t meant to compete side-by-side with Ferrari or Lamborghini for exclusivity.
We’ve reached a point where you can no longer get a brand-new 911 Carrera for less than $100,000. But what if you’re a hardworking dude who still managed to overcome all these challenges and is finally able to purchase the 911 of his dreams? Let’s imagine that dude is me. What would be my dream 911 configuration? Join me as I daydream about my ideal Porsche 911 configuration, which, in some ways, also offers a glimpse into what my personality is all about.
The 911 That Suits My Preference
As we speak, there are 20 variants of the 2026 Porsche 911, and what a first-world problem it is to have a difficult time selecting the perfect 911 variant if money is no object. With the 911’s price point stretching from the low $130,000s to the high-$200,000s, the 911 in 2026 ranges from outright expensive, all the way to variants being difficult to get an allocation for, even if you have the money.
A GT3 For Long Drives
As with many of you, my dream 911 is the GT3 Touring, in which, beginning with the 2025 992.2 update, they made a few changes. Actually, the 911 S/T is my pinnacle 911, but with that limited edition model discontinued, the 911 GT3 Touring inherits some of the traits that make it more civilized for daily use. These include nearly an inch more of spring travel for a better ride, since the GT3 lineup had track-focused adaptive suspension tuning. GT3 RS-derived suspension geometry, on the other hand, eliminates the nose-dive that a longer suspension travel creates. Speaking of which, even the double-wishbone front suspension received aerodynamic enhancements through the new teardrop-shaped trailing arms, which create more downforce through the wheel arches.
To match my preference for a GT3 built for driving mostly in mountain passes with track performance being a secondary priority, I immediately went for the 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats Plus for $2,730, the no-cost option to bring back rear seats, and my asthmatic self will thank the $360 built-in ionizer I opted for. Lastly, I also added a dashcam for $506, because why the heck not, right?
No Manual, No Go
With a vehicle that has precisely well-engineered steering and body control that communicates its intentions to the driver, opting for the six-speed manual is a must for me. For the 992.2 facelift, the GT3 Touring’s six-speed manual has an eight percent shorter final drive ratio, which translates to shorter gearing and thus, more frequent shifts. I’m going to be driving this car on mostly public roads, and I want to enjoy rowing through its gears at legal speeds, as second gear now ends at a still-legal speed limit in most states.
The 4.0-liter, 9,000 rpm-revving flat-six remains largely similar, as it still produces 502 horsepower and an intoxicating noise, but torque has been reduced from 346 to 331 pound-feet. Blame emissions for the dip in torque, but we’ll take the compromise just so the 911 GT3 Touring can keep its brilliant engine. I am skipping the Lightweight Package, since it’ll make the GT3 Touring less touring-y as I would like, but lightweight wheels that reduce unsprung mass by 3.3 pounds come as standard already.
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A GT3 Touring With Luxury Touches
Now on to the fun part, the exterior and interior selection. This is a segment where your personality starts to be revealed, from the color selection to the preference in small details. With that in mind, let’s start dressing up the 911 GT3 Touring of our dreams.
Blue With A Touch Of Uniqueness
For the exterior, I would pick my favorite shade in the Paint-To-Sample (PTS) catalog called Yachtingblue Metallic for $16,820. It’s a shade of blue that somehow looks gray in certain lighting conditions, while the somewhat indigo shade pops under bright or diffused lighting. I do like my silver wheels, don’t get me wrong, but just as a way for my 911 GT3 Touring to stand out, I opted for the standard 911 GT3 wheels to be painted in High Gloss California Gold for $1,340. I seem to think that the gold isn’t too ostentatious, and it blends well with the beautiful blue shade.
I also opted for a Motorsport Stripe Decal on top in black for $670, because I have a friend who owns a 992.1 GTS in PTS Lava Orange with this same stripe, and I love how it looks on his vehicle. I also opted for the HD Matrix LED lights, though I understand that in the United States, their functionality is limited. That’s a bummer because I love how the lane marking indicators, as well as the nuanced control on the high beams to prevent dazzling other drivers or pedestrians, work perfectly from where I live. Finally, I like clear taillights, and so I opted for those for $670.
A Tan Interior To Match The Gold Wheels
Did you know that my dream combination for any vehicle would be a blue exterior and a tan interior? So yes, I selected the Two-Tone Exclusive Manufaktur Leather Interior for $15,540, which requires the Extended Exclusive Manufaktur Leather Interior for $3,030 to achieve those goals. I’m a sucker for tan leather interiors (heck, my Mazda 6 Wagon 20th Anniversary Edition’s interior is bathed in the thing), so that preference carries over through this 911 GT3 Touring. Due to my luxury orientation for the GT3 Touring, I opted for the Anthracite Brush Aluminum interior trims, which are a no-cost option.
The Exclusive Manufaktur extended leather package also requires the Bespoke Logo on the center console Lid for $810, while other decorative options I selected include the Porsche Design GT Clock for the Sport Chrono clock for $2,240, and the ambient LED lighting for $600. Lastly, the front axle lift is going to be a must, along with the rear park assist.
An Eye-Watering Price
As expected, my dream 2026 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring didn’t come cheap. In fact, it’s outright expensive for everyone but the most obscenely high net-worth folks. It isn’t helped by the fact that, versus an equivalent Aston Martin Vantage or Mercedes-AMG GT, the 911 GT3 Touring even appreciates once it hits the used market.
Nearly $300,000
As is, the 911 GT3 Touring retails for $230,500, but my options totaled $52,160, while accessories (specifically the dashcam) are worth $506. Add up the gas guzzler tax and handling fees, and the total price for my dream 911 GT3 Touring is a whopping $287,216. If you want to follow my configuration, I’d be flattered if you did, and so here’s the link. Unfortunately, this is a car that is out of reach, even sometimes to a few rich folks, no thanks to the demand for this car far exceeding supply.
Fortunately, I also have another dream 911—one that’s a lot more accessible. Not cheap, but you have a higher chance of being able to afford one, or heck, even have an allocation for one. Take a look at my second dream 911 configuration because, apart from the engine, this 911 variant already offers 90 percent of the experience for about 60 percent of a standard GT3 Touring’s price.
Here’s A More Realistic, But Still Brilliant Alternative
Say hello to the 2026 Porsche 911 Carrera T—my second dream variant of the 911. Essentially a base 911 Carrera in a manual, but with a few weight-saving measures, this variant is what I’d consider a “GT3 Touring-lite”. A 911 Carrera T in coupe form starts at $143,700—a nearly $100,000 difference from a standard GT3 Touring. In this spec that I am happy with (not going all-out with what’s possible, but already content), its total price is $168,590—for a 911 that already offers 90 percent of what a GT3 Touring can be, bar the 9,000-rpm redlining 4.0-liter non-turbo flat-six.
2026 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring And Carrera T Specs
|
911 GT3 Touring |
911 Carrera T |
|
|
Engine |
4.0-liter flat-six |
3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six |
|
Layout |
RWD |
RWD |
|
Horsepower |
502 hp |
388 hp |
|
Torque |
331 lb-ft |
331 lb-ft |
|
Transmission |
6-speed M/T 7-speed DCT |
6-speed M/T |
|
0-60 mph |
3.7 sec. (M/T) 3.2 sec. (DCT) |
4.3 sec. |
|
Top Speed |
194 mph (M/T) 193 mph (DCT) |
183 mph |
|
Base MSRP |
$230,500 |
$143,700 |
Apart from the 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid, I also drove the base 911 Carrera on that same Thailand drive, and never did I think that the base Carrera was lacking. I even thought it was just right—easily enjoyable even at legal speeds. With 388 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque from its 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six, it is good enough for a 0-60 mph time of just 4.3 seconds. Besides, a certain James May, who used to present for Top Gear, once said that it is “more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow”, and I agree—to a certain extent. Anyway, if you want to take a look at my other dream 911 spec, here’s a link to my personal configuration. I’d also be flattered if you followed my personal specs.
Sources: Porsche