Matt

Tell me a little about yourself, what you do, and where your love for cars originated.

Sure, I’m 30 years old, born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, love to learn the inner workings of things and have always loved cars since I was little. I grew up collecting matchbox cars and would line them up along the base boards of my house growing up. My parents love to tell the story of how they would try and mess with my cars order as I inched each one along (to replicate traffic, of course!) which resulted in them hearing me curse for the first time in my life (at the age of 4) in frustration and disgust.

My dad grew up as a gear head but hung up the hobby shortly after he graduated high school and began his career. He never really spoke of it much. I’m assuming it’s a gene I inherited at this point - thanks dad.

I work as a Director of Technical Pre-Sales for an industrial automation technology provider. My job entails ensuring top-to-top discussions pertaining to technical/solution topics are succinct and properly distilled, allowing senior leaders within our clients to understand what they’re buying, why they’re acquiring it, and how it will ultimately provide the benefits they’re seeking from both a business and technical perspective.

Much of the "depth" I mention in my notes above after meeting Matt for the first time stems from the way he talks about his cars. Loving how cars and other things work breeds an interesting perspective on car choice, the small details he likes about the cars, and the technical details that I don't know anything about - I learned alot listening to him talk about his car.

Why the GT3? This question seems dumb given it’s the perfect spec – but what drew you to the 991 GT3 originally and what has affirmed your decision since?

My obsession around Porsche, and more specifically the GT3, stems from a trip I went on back in February of 2016 with a friend of mine to Vegas in celebration of his 21st birthday. During this trip we were able to book an outing at the local exotic track rental business where I was able to drive a 991.1 GT3 (pictures to left). My friend and others with us took various cars that day - Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Huracan, GTR, etc. I chose the GT3, something about the lines of the car always intrigued me, the engine note sounded ‘right’, and the overall size just seemed more easily managed on the track. Within the first 5 laps I was able to get over the typical pendulum effect the 911’s are known for and really started to appreciate what a rear-engine based platform can deliver. Allowing the weight of the rear to drive that rear axle into the pavement and shoot you out of the corner - it was addicting. The next few laps that followed began my run through each of the cars as I reeled them all in turn by turn. It was apparent to me then and there that 1) everyone there was likely a horrible driver on track, but it made me feel good about myself and 2) I absolutely had to own a GT3 at some point in my life, the sooner the better.

While I agree it’s the perfect spec, I’m sure others will disagree, but to me it’s exactly what I envisioned a GT3 as if I would’ve been able to spec it from new. A subtle, but uniquely colored, car with just enough of an outward appearance to let you know it’s not your typical 911 - wing, exhaust outlet placement, etc. Since acquiring the car, it’s ability to go from docile when needed to a well damped, hunkered down, manic race car on demand has truly affirmed I’ve made the right decision. One of the things I love about the Porsche 911 is how they’ve slowly and iteratively improved the same design over time. These small incremental changes have allowed the 911 platform to take its shape, the delicate balance of a usable track capable car with road going manners is not something easily achieved. I feel like most gearheads really begin to appreciate this as they modify their own vehicles (sometimes too far) and begin to grasp how difficult it is to balance the desire for performance with overall usability - assuming it’s a street car.

Like I said before, such an interesting perspective on the cars! I love that there was a specific moment that he remembers wanting to own his own GT3

(Continued From Above)

The 991.2 GT3 drew me in with it’s overall styling, the performance, the sound, and the quality. The car’s styling is iconic, none of what I say here is going to catch anyone off guard if they’ve done any ounce of research on the GT3. The same familiar 911 silhouette we all know and love, the properly proportioned wing, the wide rear hips, the dual center placed exhaust tips, all are only small unique touches the GT3 offers over it’s standard 911 variants. The GT3’s performance is something that I couldn’t quite rave enough about either. It strikes the perfect balance at ~500 naturally aspirated HP of aural bliss with enough power to be respectably quick in a straight line while providing a properly usable, and downright playful, rev range. The sound of absolute mayhem that occurs from 8000 - 9000 RPM as you rev the car out to redline is something I’ve yet to hear any other car come close to. The quality might seem as an odd thing to list as a feature that drew me to the 991.2 GT3 overall, but it truly is. Porsche is known for building vehicles that just work, it is the Apple iPhone of performance cars. It. Just. Works. The buttons are intuitive, the infotainment is intuitive, the vehicle is stress tested beyond belief in its design cycle, and practically begs you to activate launch control at every chance you get (if you haven’t seen the Top Gear video of them doing this in the 991 GT3 generation - go watch it here). Knowing I can use every ounce of the car because that’s what it was designed to do from its very inception is an extremely liberating feeling. You begin to seek roads to experience the car with, rather than attempt to become one with noises, creaks, and rattles to hopefully help pinpoint where the next problem is on what’s supposed to be your fun weekend car.

The morning I met Matt for this shoot, he gave me a ride in the GT3 - this was my first ride in one, and it being a "hero car" for me you could say the expectations were built fairly high. I have spent hours researching, watching videos on YouTube, and admiring photos of these GT3's and this driving experience did not disappoint the slightest bit. The noise, the yellow stitching, the gear changes, it was all just perfection. Thank you, Matt!

What has been your favorite road trip or driving journey? What ingredients make up the best road-trip?

My favorite driving journey right now has to be the drive back from Chicago with the GT3. I spent 5 to 6 hours in a car I had been lusting after for 6 years, learning all of the car’s nuances and quirks as car people tend to do. Things like the way the PDK shifts at certain throttle positions. How the suspension handled various types of road imperfections (much better than the GT4 for whatever reason). What the radio sounds like at various volume levels. How the car turns over on cold and warm startups. Where blind spots do or don’t exist as your maneuver the car around. All these little things are what ultimately make up how a car enthusiast uses their tool - their car. We all do these things, to various degrees, but it’s how we bond with a car; as silly as that sounds.

The ingredients that make up the best road trip in my mind are the ones that are had with the best company and traverse the most memorable landscapes. The car is only half the equation for a memorable road trip. The saying that references “it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey” becomes more and more true as you begin to realize things (cars) in life matter little unless they’re being shared with special people around you. When you can combine special people with unique, memorable, experiences and add in a special car, it becomes a truly special memory. So I would say it’s the people, and the journey, not the car that are key ingredients for the best road trip. My wife and I plan to take the car on our first rally together this coming year, I truly feel as though it will make for one of the most memorable road trips to date for me.

Where do you go for automotive content & education? Favorite shows, magazines, websites, etc.

For automotive content I typically peruse YouTube for automotive based channels, like most tend to these days. I’ve really been enjoying the content the Hagerty media team has been putting out lately, in particular Jason Cammisa’s videos. A strong runner up is M539 Restorations, Sreten is a true gearhead who restores some of the most iconic BMWs of our time - his editing style is almost therapeutic to an OCD brain like mine for some reason. For education I head to forums, real forums - not Facebook groups. True forums are a dying breed and a treasure trove of vital information in most cases. Sadly, these bastions of knowledge are slowly fading into the abyss as the social media era has taken over the car community and it’s knowledge repositories.

I concur on Hagerty's media team and YouTube Channel. Their production value is extremely high and Jason Cammisa is an insightful and captivating host. The cars and topics they choose to do features on are always interesting to me.