Broadly considered one of the best driver’s cars on the planet, how has Porsche set about updating its 992-generation 911 GT3? Ian McLaren attended this car’s international launch in Spain to find out.
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Porsche 911 GT3 Fast Facts
- Powertrain: 4.0-litre, flat-six, naturally aspirated
- Transmission: 6-speed manual or 7-speed PDK
- Power: 373 kW
- Torque: 450 N.m
- Driven wheels: rear
- 0-100 km/h: 3.4 (GT3 PDK) 3.9 sec (Touring manual)
- Top speed: 311 km/h (GT3 PDK) 313 km/h (Touring manual)
- Fuel consumption: 13.8 L/100 km
- Emissions: 312 g/km
What are we driving?
A badge introduced in 1999 as a means of incorporating Porsche’s enviable track racing acumen into a road-going series product, the enduring mandate of the 911 GT3 is the ability to deliver best-of-both-worlds driving enjoyment, whether on a track or, indeed, on the way home from recording lap times. Built around the 911 of the time, complete with ever-evolving racecar-derived aerodynamics and interior appointments, the heartbeat of each generation of the GT3 has been a high-revving, naturally aspirated flat-six engine.
While the halo GT3 RS derivate has evolved to become essentially a racing car with number plates – including active aerodynamics – the introduction of a so-called Touring package with the 991-generation GT3 piqued the interest of buyers less inclined to lap times yet still seeking the attributes associated with Porsche’s latest track-derived 911. The most notable change brought about by this selection is the deletion of the standard car’s distinct rear wing.
Why is the 992.2 Porsche 911 GT3 significant?
While Porsche prides itself in the steady evolution of each of its products, few are held in such high esteem among driving enthusiasts as the GT3. Ahead of my time behind the wheel of the so-called 992.2 generation 911 GT3, the head of Porsche’s GT division, Andreas Preuninger, pointed out the three factors considered by his department ahead of each update to a product broadly regarded as one of the best driver’s cars on the planet.
The first is customer feedback. In a global survey conducted during the development of the newest GT3, most existing owners made it clear this model needed to retain its high-revving naturally aspirated engine for as long as possible (more to this later), as opposed to any form of hybridisation as introduced in the current 911 Carrera GTS.
What’s new on the 992.2 Porsche GT3?
While it was this kind of engagement with owners that led to the reintroduction of the manual transmission as an option in the 991.2 car, the inclusion for the first time of rear seats in the Touring, the adoption of intricately designed new front seats with foldable backrests and the availability of bespoke lightweight packages for the GT3 and GT3 Touring are some of the changes made based off customer feedback.
As though anticipating future surveys, Porsche’s decision to retain an ignition toggle over a starter button, include a heritage-inspired display option on the new digital instrumentation and introduce a one-stop button where owners can easily deactivate most modern driver assistance programmes will likely prove popular.
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Other key changes to the new GT3 package have been made based on this brand’s ongoing development work on track and in different series car departments. Indeed, the 2023 introduction of the limited-edition anniversary 911 S/T derivative showcased several enhancements to this platform’s steering, suspension, transmission, and cosmetics now included in the GT3. On the latter, it’s interesting to note adapting the S/T’s small Gurney flap to the wing of the Touring means this item doesn’t raise as tall at cruising speeds as on the previous car, something noted as being “unbecoming” of this derivative’s otherwise sleek and unassuming profile.
The third consideration for changes to the updated 992-generation GT3 focused on ever-stricter legislation around emissions and crash safety. While Preuninger feels rightly proud that the car’s 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine has retained its 373 kW and now 450 N.m of available torque (20 N.m less than on the outgoing model), as well as a signature 9 000 r/min redline, he admits this hasn’t been an easy task; with even stricter EU legislation targets already being touted.
The adoption of the 911 S/T’s 8% shorter transmission ratios for sharper performance, together with the introduction of new camshafts with longer opening times, new cylinder heads, an updated intake system and flow-optimised individual throttle valves, have all had a role to play in balancing uncompromised performance with emissions legislations, most notably regarding weight management. The GT3 now has four catalytic converters sited within its exhaust system.
What does the 992.2 Porsche 911 GT3 cost?
- Porsche 911 GT3 – R4 709 000
- Porsche 911 GT3 with Touring package – R4 709 000
Pricing includes a 5-year/100 000 km Drive plan
What are the 992.2 Porsche 911 GT3’s rivals?
It’s an interesting question, notably as the GT3 retains its naturally aspirated engine and is sold as standard in Touring form with a manual transmission. While Ford suggests that its forthcoming Mustang GTD has the GT3 firmly in its sights for now, the closest rivals are the Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé and Aston Martin Vantage.
What is the 992.2 Porsche 911 GT3 like to drive?
With ultimate weight saving arguably less of a consideration for the owner of a Touring than for the driver of a winged version, my morning drive in an Oak Green Neo-coloured GT3 with Touring package ranks among the best I’ve experienced. Fitted with an optional lightweight package that introduces magnesium wheels, a (body-coloured) carbon fibre roof and several interior modifications compared with the standard car, the undoubted highlight is the inclusion of a short-throw manual transmission lever. Complete with rev-matching “blips” on each downshift, the reward for making each up-change as late as possible is a spine-tingling, smile-inducing, and undeniably addictive corresponding exhaust note as the rev needle crests the 8 500 r/min mark.
Two standout features of the updated GT3 package are its revised steering setup, engineered to offer improved feel, weight and precision, especially around the centre position and a recalibrated suspension designed to deliver superior bump absorption in all conditions via the damper, spring ratings and related software inherited from the 911 S/T.
If my morning drive was an exercise in carefully carving through mountain passes on either side of quaint Spanish villages – Porsche’s optional ride height system detecting via the navigation system when to lift for approaching speed bumps – my post-lunch session on the intimidating Circuit Ricardo Tormo (home of the annual Valencia MotoGP weekend) served as a reminder of why the GT3 package remains so special to car enthusiasts.
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While, on any day, keeping pace with a Porsche test driver driving a GT3 RS is an exercise in staying focused while holding your breath and plenty of humility, the appeal of the modern GT3 (with standard PDK transmission) is that it offers so much in the way of feedback, poise, and inherent ability, that it encourages you to be a better driver and “find” the fastest way around a lap – before calmly merging onto the highway and heading home.
Verdict
Culminating with a passenger ride with Porsche racing maestro Jörg Burgmeister to make certain I knew my best lap wasn’t that fast, I asked myself the same question I did the last time I drove a new 911 GT3: where to from here in terms of improving on this already spectacularly capable car? Indeed, perhaps a more pertinent concern is how much longer exhilarating, free-revving enthusiast cars like the Porsche GT3 will be permitted to exist.
I would have a 911 GT3 with Touring package with a manual transmission in my ultimate two-car fantasy garage.
