The latest Porsche 911 has been caught undergoing initial testing. Hot on the very brisk heels of the facelifted 997 – due on sale in July 2008 – comes Porsche’s track-biased 911.
At this stage it’s unclear whether the car snapped in our photos is the GT3, or the niche-within-a-niche GT3 RS. The front splitter, nose-mounted air vent and central exhausts are common to both models but that big rear wing is straight from the current RS.
Quite why the RS would appear on test before the ‘regular’ GT3 – which goes on sale in summer 2008 and has yet to be scooped – is unclear, unless the GT3 is getting said wing. From our pictures it’s unclear whether this car has the RS model’s wider rear track.
So tell me about the next Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 RS.
The GT3’s 3600cc flat six – which can trace its mechanical origins back to the GT1 Le Mans racer – will be further tweaked to boost performance. At 113.6bhp per litre, the current car’s 409bhp output is pretty close to the engine’s limit but the power hike will still be significant.
The latest news to leak from Stuttgart is that the next 911 Carrera S will have 380bhp as standard. A performance pack could take that to over 400bhp so the GT3 will put a clear step between it and the S with over 430bhp. Expect peak power at a frenzied 7800rpm (and redlined at 8500rpm) while torque should climb from the current 298lb ft.
The power increase will be enough to drop the GT3’s 0-60mph sprint to just four seconds and nudge its top speed to 195mph (current car’s 193mph). Porsche’ s PASM active suspension system will be recalibrated to deal with the performance boost, and as before, ceramic composite brake discs will be a (costly) optional extra.
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Will the GT3 get the new double-clutch gearbox?
Not yet. Although Porsche’s seven-speed PDK double-clutch gearbox will be an option on the standard 997, the GT3 is expected to stick with its conventional close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. Porsche insiders apparently feel the PDK set-up wouldn’t sit comfortably with car’s dynamics. And getting the system to work with over 8000rpm on the dial isn’t easy either, as BMW has found with its new M-DCT.
Weight-wise Porsche’s engineers will endeavour to further trim the current GT3’s 1395kg – expect plenty of composite bodywork, thinner glass, and lightweight 19inch one-piece alloys. The RS currently undercuts the GT3 by 20kg so expect a similar saving but no more power.
What other facelift tweaks will the GT3 get?
For your £80k-plus you’ll get new front and rear bumpers, new headlights and LED daytime running lights, plus LED rear lights. Inside the centre console is now black as opposed to silver in the current car. There will also be fewer buttons, and if you really want sat-nav in your stripped-out GT3, you’ll be pleased to know the system will now be hard drive-based, and come with a bigger screen.
Click here for our celebration of Porsche’s 60th anniversary, with exclusive videos and blogs