Goodbye, Ultraviolet GT3 RS: A Porsche Love Story

Chasing the thrill, the sound, and the regret of letting a masterpiece slip away.

Every car enthusiast has that one — the car that slipped through their fingers, the one they still dream about years later. Of course, we could argue about whether it really "got away" or whether we willingly let it go. But does that distinction even matter when you’re lying awake at night, replaying the exhaust note in your head? Probably not.

For me, that one was my 2016 Porsche GT3 RS in Ultraviolet. A car so spectacular, so achingly beautiful, that I occasionally wonder if I was ever worthy of it. And no, I’m not being dramatic. Ultraviolet isn’t just a color; it’s a declaration. Add a set of HRE R101LW wheels in Frozen Silver, the yellow flash of PCCB calipers, and a lowered stance with aggressive camber, and its automotive perfection. Oh, and did I mention the Dundon Motorsports race exhaust? Catless headers. Lifetime rear muffler. The kind of sound that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It was, in every sense, a masterpiece.

Well, except for one thing: the exhaust fumes that lingered in the garage. My spouse had… thoughts. Let’s just say she might be more inclined toward the newer hybrids that silently glide out of the driveway. But hey, nobody’s perfect.

How It Came to Be

Like all great love stories, this one started unexpectedly. I was eight months into owning a Racing Yellow 991.2 GT3, a car that most enthusiasts would happily sell their firstborn for. It was fantastic, no complaints. But one fateful July afternoon, I made the "innocent" decision to visit my local Porsche dealer. Just to chat. Just to maintain relationships. (Pro tip: visiting a dealership “just to look” is about as innocent as a fox wandering into a henhouse.)

Sitting on the showroom floor was her: a 2016 GT3 RS with only 700 miles on the clock. Ultraviolet paint gleaming under the lights like a freshly polished gemstone. I knew the car’s history; the previous owner was meticulous. This was a unicorn, and I knew it.

As I stood there gawking, one of my track buddies appeared. He owned an identical GT3 RS and immediately gave me the warning: "Don’t do it. Don’t even think about driving it."

Well, you can guess what happened next.

My salesman, ever the enabler, dangled the keys in front of me and said, "Have you ever driven a GT3 RS?" When I admitted I hadn’t, he practically shoved me toward the car. My track buddy just shook his head and laughed. "You’re about to find out why I said don’t do it."

Fifteen minutes later, my life had changed. The steering, the handling, the sheer visceral thrill of it all — it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I came back to the dealership with a silly grin plastered across my face. My track buddy was practically in tears from laughing so hard as I marched straight to the salesman’s desk and said, "Let’s make a deal."

And that’s how it happened. One impulsive test drive, and the 991.2 GT3 in Racing Yellow was unceremoniously booted from the garage to make way for the Ultraviolet RS.

How It Got Away

So, if it was so perfect, why did I let it go? Well, as any car enthusiast knows, we’re always chasing the next best thing. Call it an addiction, call it insanity — either way, it’s expensive.

The "next best thing" came in the form of an allocation for a 991.2 GT3 RS. My dealer hyped it up with the usual doomsday spiel: "This could be the last naturally aspirated RS! The next one might be turbocharged or even hybrid!" Cue the internal conflict. Could this really be the end of the line for pure ICE (internal combustion engine) RS models? Was my Ultraviolet RS about to be outclassed? These questions gnawed at me.

There was also the lingering issue of the finger follower problem on the 991.1 engines. Yes, there were fixes available, but they weren’t cheap. And while I’d never had an issue with mine, the whispers of potential failure weighed on me. Combine that with the siren song of a brand-new RS allocation, and… well, you can guess the rest.

I sold the Ultraviolet RS. And yes, the 991.2 GT3 RS that replaced it was fantastic. Objectively better in many ways. But here’s the thing: cars like the Ultraviolet RS aren’t just about objective measures. They’re about emotion, about the way they make you feel every time you see them, drive them, or hear them. And while the 991.2 was incredible, it didn’t stir my soul quite like the Ultraviolet did.

Lessons Learned

So, what’s the takeaway here? If you have a car that makes your heart race every time you look at it, think long and hard before letting it go. Sometimes, the grass isn’t greener on the other side. Sometimes, the perfect car is already sitting in your garage.

Do I regret selling it? Of course. But as any enthusiast will tell you, the chase never really ends. There’s always another unicorn out there, another car to lust after. That’s the beauty (and the curse) of being a car lover.

What about you? Do you have a "one that got away" story? A car you wish you’d held onto? Share your story in the comments below. Misery loves company, after all.

Happy driving!