Porsche (finally) unwraps 375 kW normally aspirated new 911 GT3

With the wraps having come off of the Turbo S and then the ‘conventional’ Turbo last year, Porsche has officially revealed the eagerly awaited 992 generation 911 GT3 poised to arrive on local shores later this year.

Claimed to “transfer pure racing technology into a production model even more consistently than ever before”, the base for Porsche’s motorsport activities continues to be normally aspirated with power from the 4.0-litre normally aspirated flat-six standing at 375 kW and torque at 470 Nm. Mated to the seven-speed PDK ‘box, the GT3 will get from 0-100 km/h in a claimed 3.4 seconds before topping out at 318 km/h. In addition to the self-shifter, a six-speed manual is also offered, which results in the same 0-100 km/h sprint but with a top speed of 320 km/h.

Faster than the 991.2 GT3, the newcomer, which Porsche says has been round the Nürburgring in six minutes 59.927 seconds, an improvement of ‘over 17 seconds’, has been significantly revised and tweaked inside and out with the use of a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) bonnet, a titanium sports exhaust system, a wider front track, new cooling system, lightweight glass and forged lightweight alloy wheels measuring 20-inches at the front and 21-inches at the rear helping to reduce weight to 1 435 kg.

In addition to a new front splitter, adjustable rear wing and updated diffuser, all largely made out of carbon fibre as well, the GT3 comes as standard with a double wishbone front suspension instead of the standard 911’s MacPherson struts, while the front brakes having been upgraded to either the standard 408 mm stoppers, or the optional ceramic composite units with 410 mm discs.

As before, the GT3 loses the rear seats for a roll cage while also coming equipped as standard with a model specific steering wheel plus drive mode selector, electrically adjustable sport seats, a manual-look gear lever for PDK models, a Track Screen located within the instrument cluster and from the options list, carbon fibre bucket sport seats as well as a range of customisation trim piece from the Exclusive Manufaktur catalogue.

Priced from €152 416 (R2 694 328) in Germany, the GT3 is yet to be officially stickered for South Africa, but Porsche has hinted on social media that only the PDK would be offered as no reference is made to the manual.

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