STUTTGART, April 15, 2026, 15:00 CEST
Porsche on Tuesday took the wraps off the 911 GT3 S/C, marking the first time the GT3 series gets a convertible variant with a fully automatic soft top. The Sport Cabriolet (S/C) is priced from $273,000, or $275,350 with delivery, and is set to arrive at U.S. Porsche Centers by fall 2026.
Porsche could use the boost right now. Global deliveries dropped 15% in the first quarter, totaling 60,991 vehicles. Yet the 911 bucked the trend, climbing 22% to 13,889 units. Investors will get a closer look when the company posts its first-quarter financials on April 29.
So the GT3 S/C isn’t just a curiosity. CEO Michael Leiters last month emphasized Porsche’s focus on sports cars with fatter margins, saying, “We are not looking at volume.” U.S. retail sales of the 911 surged 83% in the first quarter, reaching 3,826 units. Reuters
Porsche’s GT3 S/C sticks with the 911 GT3’s 4.0-liter flat-six—no turbos, just pure naturally aspirated power. Output hits 502 hp, revving up to 9,000 rpm. Buyers get one option for the transmission: a six-speed manual. Zero to 60 comes in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 194 mph, Porsche said.
Porsche leaned on the lightweight 911 S/T’s playbook, bringing in carbon-fiber panels—doors, fenders, hood—plus magnesium wheels and roof parts to balance out the heft of a power soft top. Standard carbon-ceramic brakes also keep weight in check. For the U.S. spec, that all adds up to 3,322 pounds.
Frank Moser, vice president overseeing Porsche’s 911 and 718 models, described the car as a response to customers seeking “sports cars that are particularly fun to drive.” Porsche points out that, unlike the 2019 911 Speedster, the GT3 S/C will have no cap on production numbers. It’s also the sole open-top 911 in the lineup that’s offered exclusively as a two-seater. Porsche Newsroom
Porsche’s GT boss Andreas Preuninger calls it “the first time an open top 911 uses a double wishbone front axle,” a suspension design aimed at tighter wheel control. Porsche says the fabric roof drops or raises in about 12 seconds. Development pulled from the 911 Speedster and 718 Spyder RS. Porsche Newsroom
The numbers show where Porsche’s focus is. North American sales—still the company’s top market—slipped 11% in the first quarter. China was even weaker, down 21%. But the 911 lineup bucked the trend, jumping 22%. That left the sports-car range standing out as one of the company’s rare bright spots on the delivery sheet.
Still, a fresh model launch won’t do much to ease the broader strain on luxury automakers. China’s demand continues to lag, while ongoing trade disputes and economic jitters cloud the outlook. Metzler’s Pal Skirta said last month, “Even high-net-worth individuals may become more cautious with discretionary spending.” Reuters
Porsche is counting on a lighter, manual-only 911 with an open top to hold buyers’ attention as challenges persist. The GT3 S/C enters an already crowded lineup, but its role seems clear: keep the 911 squarely in the middle of Porsche’s recovery strategy.
