The key to that is a front end with newfound levels ... Such is the way of things and certainly a 996 GT3 driver will feel like they can exercise their car more easily and less conspicuously ...
Amongst 911s you could make a case for many an RS model, or even the 1987 Carrera CS (for Club Sport), being a forerunner of the current GT3, but in the end the 996 GT3 was just too neat to ignore ...