Porsche has taken the new 911 GT3 off the leash. The seventh edition of this high-performance sports car was also developed in close collaboration with Porsche Motorsport. It transfers pure racing technology into a production model even more consistently than ever before: the double wishbone front axle layout and sophisticated aerodynamics with swan neck rear wing and striking diffuser originate from the successful GT race car 911 RSR and the 375 kW (510 PS) four-litre six-cylinder boxer engine is based on the drivetrain of the 911 GT3 R, tried and tested in endurance racing. The acoustically impressive, high-revving engine is also used practically unchanged in the new 911 GT3 Cup. The result is a brilliant driving machine: efficient and emotional, precise and high-performance - perfect for the circuit and superb for everyday use.
The distinctive strength of the Porsche 911 GT3 lies in the sum of its characteristics. With a top speed of 320 km/h (318 km/h with PDK) it is even faster than the previous 911 GT3 RS. It accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. Porsche also offers the new model with a six-speed manual transmission for a particularly puristic driving experience. The sophisticated aerodynamics benefit from the experiences gained from motor racing and generate significantly more downforce without noticeably affecting the drag coefficient. In the performance position, the manually set wing and diffuser elements significantly increase the aerodynamic pressure for high cornering speeds. This is, however, reserved strictly for outings on the circuit, as it is there that the 911 GT3 can play all its trump cards.
During final testing, it lapped the Nuerburgring-Nordschleife, traditionally the ultimate proving ground for all sports cars developed by Porsche, over 17 seconds quicker than its predecessor. Development driver Lars Kern took just 6:59.927 minutes for a full 20.8-kilometre lap. The shorter 20.6-kilometre track, which had previously served as a benchmark, was completed by the Porsche 911 GT3 in 6:55.2 minutes. Running on the optionally available Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, the new model consistently delivered its performance over several laps in the expert hands of Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister. For Bergmeister, it is "by far the best production car" that the experienced professional driver has ever driven in the "Green Hell".
Despite a wider body, larger wheels and additional technical features, the weight of the new GT3 is on a par with its predecessor. With manual gearbox it weighs 1.418 kilograms, with PDK 1.435 kilograms. The front bonnet made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), lightweight glass windows, optimised brake discs and forged light-alloy wheels ensure weight discipline, as does the cover for the rear seat compartment. The lightweight sports exhaust system reduces the weight by no less than ten kilograms. With infinitely electrically adjustable exhaust flaps, it harmonises a highly emotional sound experience with the Euro 6d ISC FCM (EU6 AP) emissions standard. The combined consumption of the 911 GT3 is 13.3 litres/100 km (PDK 12.4).
Its racing genes are expressed in practically all the details of the new Porsche 911 GT3. The cockpit is in line with the current model generation. A new feature is the track screen: at the touch of a button, it reduces the digital displays to the left and right of the central rev counter, which reaches up to 10,000 revs, to information such as tyre pressure indicator, oil pressure, oil temperature, fuel tank level and water temperature, which are essential when driving on the circuit. It also includes a visual shift assistant with coloured bars to the left and right of the rev counter and a shift light derived from Motorsport.
Especially for the Porsche GT models, customers are increasingly requesting customised equipment. For this reason, the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur range is also available for the new 911 GT3 and is supplemented by GT 3-specific options such as a lightweight roof made of exposed carbon fibre. Other highlights include exterior mirror tops made of carbon, darkened LED matrix main headlights and matching Exclusive design rear lights with an arc of light with no red components. Guards Red or Shark Blue painted wheel rims enhance the black alloy wheels. In the interior, equipment details such as the dials for the rev counter and Sport Chrono stopwatch, seatbelts and trim strips set elegant accents in the body colour or other desired colour.
As exclusive as the Porsche 911 GT3 itself is the individual chronograph that Porsche Design offers exclusively to customers of the high-performance sports car. Like its motorised role model, it boasts a dynamic design, consistent performance and high-quality workmanship. Its housing reflects its Motorsport genes. Just like the connecting rods of the GT3 engine, it consists of robust, lightweight titanium. The timepiece is powered by an individual winding rotor reminiscent of the wheels of the 911 GT3. The coloured ring of the dial can be customised in the paint colours of the 911 GT3.
Porsche is offering the new Porsche 911 GT3 with a starting price of 152,416 euros including VAT and country-specific equipment. Delivery is set for May 2021.
Master of the Nürburgring Nordschleife
The new Porsche 911 GT3 reaches its full potential on closed racing circuits - like the 20.8 kilometre-long Nürburgring Nordschleife. It lapped the most difficult race track in the world in 6:59.927 minutes. Development driver Lars Kern set this time during the final fine-tuning work on the car. Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister achieved similar lap times repeatedly in succession - a sign of the consistent performance of the new top-performance sports car.
Emotive high-revving boxer engine
The 4.0-litre, 375 kW (510 PS), high-revving GT boxer engine lends the new Porsche 911 GT3 a thoroughbred temperament and accentuates this with an emotive sound. It delivers 10 PS more than the previous model and, like its predecessor, has a maximum engine speed of 9,000 rpm The maximum torque of the naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine has increased from 460 to 470 Nm. As in motorsport versions, the intake system features six individual throttle valves. Despite having two gasoline particulate filters, the lightweight sports exhaust system weighs less than the one fitted to the previous 911 GT3.
Manual or automatic gearshifts
In addition to a six-speed GT manual transmission with auto-blip function, a seven-speed Sport PDK transmission is also available. This allows gear changes within milliseconds without interrupting drive to the wheels. It therefore provides the basis for breathtaking acceleration: the new Porsche 911 GT3 catapults from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, reaching 200 km/h in 10.8 seconds. Porsche also offers the seventh edition of the 911 GT3 exclusively with rear-wheel drive.
Front axle with motorsport DNA
It is the first time that the intensively redeveloped double-wishbone front axle, already known from the successful Le Mans-winning 911 RSR, has been used in a series-production Porsche model. Among other things, this offers higher camber stiffness and eliminates disturbing lateral forces acting on the shock absorbers. The result is extraordinarily agile turn-in behaviour and a high level of driveability at the limit of grip.
Rear-axle steering with even more precise guidance
The tried-and-tested five-link rear axle based on the 'LSA' concept (lightweight, stable, agile) guides the wheels with even greater precision thanks to additional ball joints for the lower wishbones, which are subject to particularly high stress. Special shock absorbers combine greater driving comfort with improved race track performance. Rear-axle steering is also equipped as standard: it turns the rear wheels by up to two degrees in the direction of or contrary to the steering direction of the front axle, depending on the driving speed.
Larger brakes with more bite
With a diameter of 408 millimetres instead of 380 mm, the lightweight brake discs on the front axle are considerably larger than on the previous 911 GT3. In addition to high-performance sports tyres, road-approved race track tyres are also now available as an option for the first time. The front-axle lift system features a Smart Lift memory function.
Lightweight by design
In a high-performance sports car like the new Porsche 911 GT3, every excess kilo is one too many. That is why Porsche has comprehensively optimised the car's weight - from the lightweight glass in all the windows and the lightweight sports exhaust system through to the LiFePO4 starter battery. The result: its weight-to-power ratio of 2.8 kilogram/PS for the manual-gearbox variant is now even closer to that of a thoroughbred racing car.
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