The new Porsche 911 GT3 could have claimed to be the best road car money can buy when it launched in GT3 and GT3 Touring guises last week. It certainly has the firepower, with a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six serving up a deliciously responsive 510PS (375kW).
As you’d imagine, Porsche hasn’t exactly returned to the drawing board regarding styling. The new GT3 is a tweaked and improved version of the old model, with a re-contoured front diffuser, modified underbody and revised rear spoiler, all said to improve downforce.
The look has been tidied with Matrix LED headlights that negate the need for a separate light housing and allow for improved cooling. You’ll find the same nip-and-tuck job at the back, where the 911 gets a redesigned diffuser, air inlets and lid, with angled side plates now bolted to the rear wing. You also get manageable dimensions that mark the GT3 out from rivals like the Ferrari SF90 and McLaren 750S.
Aerodynamically shaped trailing arms and teardrop profile double-wishbones on the front axle keep artistry going underneath the skin. They increase downforce and brake cooling and are based on the setup of the S/T limited-run machine. Dive has also been reduced by lowering the ball joint in the front trailing arm, modifications carried over from the GT3 RS. According to Porsche ambassador Jörg Bergmeister, “the anti-dive system noticeably reduces the pitching movement when braking. As a result, the car’s balance remains significantly more consistent under all conditions.”
New lightweight aluminium wheels reduce unsprung mass by more than 1.5kg, the optional magnesium wheels (as part of the Weissach package or the Leichtbau packages) save 9kg, and you can shave another 4kg with a lightweight lithium-ion battery. The result is that the GT3 tips the scales at 1,420kg in its lightest form.
That should be plenty with a flat-six pumping out 510PS (375kW). Despite power that mirrors the old GT3, Porsche has done significant work to extract more performance from its engine, but the most important change is the new low-ratio six-speed manual gearbox taken from the S/T.
Thanks to stricter exhaust standards, the GT3 now has no fewer than four catalytic converters and two particulate filters. The power they sap is offset by the GT3’s new cylinder heads and sharper cam shafts taken from the GT3 RS that help the new car rally towards the red line.
The result is that in seven-speed PDK form, the new GT3 accelerates from 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and tops out at 193mph. Manual models do 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and keep going 194mph.
With their slight tilt towards road use, GT3 Touring models are likely to be the most popular. They lose the rear wing, which “preserves the timelessly elegant line of the 911,” and get a ‘911 GT3 touring’ logo on the rear lid.
To go with the more restrained styling, you also get more practicality with a rear seat option that includes Isofix. The rear seats mean this is the first GT3 to be offered with bucket seats with a folding backrest, giving people access to the back. However, the removable front headrest – needed to accommodate a helmet comfortably – wins the GT3 back its racer credentials. The GT3 is also the only 911 to get a turn-key rather than a starter button, and the infotainment is littered with track-day functions like a rev counter that displays its 9,000rpm limit at 12pm.
Porsche doesn’t like to miss out on an opportunity to sell a pack, and the GT3 isn’t different. The Weissach Package is offered on the standard GT3 with the anti-roll bar, coupling rods and shear panel on the rear axle made of CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastic) as are the roof, side plates of the rear wing, exterior mirror top shell, mirror triangle and the front airblades.
Inside, Weissach Package models also get leather and Race-Tex upholstery, with the upper side of the dashboard covered in anti-glare Racetex and lightweight doors with CFRP door handles. A CFRP roll cage and magnesium lightweight forged wheels are options.
Regular GT3s are also offered with the Clubsport package, which, for no extra cost, includes a steel roll cage, six-point harness and fire extinguisher.
Touring models are offered with the Leichtbau Package, getting the same CRFP parts as the Weissach Package but adding lightweight magnesium wheels, a shortened gear knob taken from the S/T and a ‘Leichtbau’ plaque proving you splashed the extra cash.
On sale at the end of the year, prices for the new GT3 start from £157,300. The Weissach Package costs £19,530.00 with a roll cage, £15,597 without. Meanwhile, the Touring’s Leichtbau Package costs £29,225.
All of this leaves us with one easy and one (slightly) more difficult question to answer – which GT3 do you want, and how are you going to pay for it?
Report by Russell Campbell
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