911 GT3 is not the answer that question? Every generation since its first appearance in 1999 has been the answer, unless you’re one of those weird people who denies the 911. Yes, it’s kind of predictable, but it’s not the Porsche 911’s fault that it’s the best sports car in the world. Marinated in the monumental genius of Porsche motorsport, the GT3 is traditionally the sweetest of the sweet spots and just as devastating on the road and on the track.
However, for the first time since ’99, the new GT3 arrives in unusually hostile territory. The view of this highly conceived type of selfish hedonism is not as forgiving as it once was. Then there is the challenge inside, in the form of the latest Turbo S whose phenomenal pace is now more nuanced than ever. And what about Taycan, Porsche that electrifies itself in many ways?
The 911 GT3 from the 992 era suggests that the game is not yet up and running. It also confirms that Porsche is ready to make amazing efforts to keep believers happy. The naturally aspirated 4.0-liter engine has little in common with the unit found elsewhere in the 992 range and has a lot to do with the one used in the Porsche GT3 Cup race car. Power increases from 10 hp to 503 hp, torque to 347 lb ft. It is enough. It will accelerate to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 198 mph. Also ample.
The engine is built on the same production line as the competition unit, has six individual butterfly valves and there is a new stainless steel exhaust system. In other words, this is a 911 variant with its own custom power supply, which deliberately avoids the technology used by its brothers, probably because that is what the 911 GT3 customers prefer. No forced induction. Similarly, you can have it with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK, the manual being more popular in the US for some reason than the dual-clutch automatic (it’s 50/50 in the UK). PDK is 20 kg lighter than the one used elsewhere, because it has a lower ratio and offers torque vectoring through a different electronically controlled lock. The manual has a mechanical back lock, and the hardware gives it a weight advantage over the larger PDK of about 16.8 kg.
Saving weight is one of the obsessions that make this car what it is. Some examples: the carbon fiber roof is 1 kg lighter than the usual steel roof, full-cup carbon seats are 15 kg lighter than standard four-way sports seats, eliminating some of the sound-absorbing material 992 lose another 1.9 kg, and if the pony for ceramic brakes (6,498 GBP) you will save another 17.7 kg. This methodology informs every aspect of the car and ensures that the GT3 with PDK that TG drives here weighs 1,435 kg, only 5 kg more than the output car (despite the addition of a gas particle filter and other regulatory gubbins ).
Ask any car designer to name the rival product they admire the most and they will quote 911. The visual transformation of the 992 GT3 is mainly about aerodynamics, most of which is borrowed from motorsport. The surfaces of this car, especially the pieces you can’t see, are very agitated. There’s an adjustable four-speed front divider, a full-body undercarriage, a juicy-looking rear speaker, and probably the most elaborate rear wing ever seen on a legal Porsche. It sits on a so-called manually adjustable “swan neck”, which improves airflow on the underside of the wing.
The result is a car whose numbers make the old GT3 look as aerodynamically sharp as a brick warehouse; at 124 mph, with the wing in aerodynamic performance adjustment, generates 385 kg of air force (an improvement of 150% over the previous car). The width of the front track has increased by 48 mm and, in general, the 911 GT3 is now in mortal danger of losing maneuverability which is one of its key attributes. Don’t let it get bigger, Porsche.