11:10 am, March 5, 2013
PORSCHE has revealed the next track-hardened 911 GT3, which for the first time will be available only with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
The GT3 has a purpose-built 3.8-litre six cylinder engine developing 475bhp – an impressive feat in its self given that there’s no turbocharger – and 0-60mph is dealt with in 3.5 seconds. Top speed, meanwhile, is a heady 196mph.
Porsche suggest that the GT3 will tackle the famous Nurburgring race circuit in under seven and a half minutes – around the same time managed by Nissan’s GT-R, and something Porsche says is crucial to win over the GT3’s track-loving owner base.
A seven-speed ‘PDK’ dual-clutch gearbox, complete with paddle shift, is also new – and specially developed for the GT3. Porsche says that its characteristics were ‘inspired by the sequential gearboxes used in motor racing’: yet another nod towards the GT3’s race-circuit abilities.
As is traditional the GT3 is rear-wheel-drive only, but Porsche has included a clever ‘active rear steering’ system for the first time for added grip around corners. Depending on the speed of the car, the system actively points the rear wheels in the opposite (or same) direction to those on the front – something which is said to improve both ‘stability and agility’.
The GT3 will cost from £100,540 when it arrives in Porsche Centres later this year, but option-list tickers can price the racy 911 much beyond that without too much difficulty. Buyers opting for Porsche’s LED ‘dynamic light system’ will need to hand over £1,926, while ceramic brakes come with a £6,248 price tag. First right-hand-drive deliveries will start from November.
