The fifth generation of bringing racing to the road.
The Porsche 911 GT3 has always been a special model for customers. The German automaker has made quite a name for itself in racing and motorsports, and while a great deal of the technology and performance engineering gained there has translated into the standard 911 models, the true motorsports feel is best displayed in the 911 GT3 models. Fifty years after the first 911 rolled off the production line, the new fifth-generation 911 GT3 based on the 991-generation chassis is rolling into Geneva with all sorts of new technology that makes it a force to be reckoned with on the road or race track.
Sitting at the rear of the super car is a new 3.8-liter flat-six with all of the naturally aspirated goodness of a high-revving motorsports engine. The motor used in the new 991 911 GT3 model is based on the unit used in the 991 911 Carrera S, but has been given quite a few bespoke components to ensure maximum performance. Engineers outfitted the 3.8-liter with a newly designed crankshaft and valve gear along with high-strength and lightweight titanium connecting rods and forged pistons. These new components along with some other good ol’ fashioned German engineering allows for a maximum engine speed up to 9,000 RPM and an output of 475 horsepower at 8,205 RPM and 324 lb.-ft of torque at 6,250 RPM for an output per liter of displacement of 125 hp/liter.
The high-output engine is connected to a standard seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. The use of PDK will undoubtedly ruffle the feathers of the die-hard Porsche enthusiasts, especially since there was no announcement of a manual transmission offering. Porsche however, took steps to ensure the PDK transmission offered a true motorsports feel by specially-developing the gearbox and modeling it after the sequential transmissions used in race cars. As power is sent through the PDK transmission and the electronically-controlled, fully-variable rear differential, the new Porsche 991 911 GT3 speeds to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds – an impressive 0.6 seconds quicker than the 997.2 911 GT3 model. The 991 911 GT3 hits 124 mph in less than 12 seconds, and reaches a top speed of 195 mph (315 km/h). The new GT3 model is even quicker than the 997 911 GT2 model around the Nürburgring as it is capable of running a lap in under 7:30 minutes.
The new Porsche 991 911 GT3 is unmistakably a performance variant of the 991-genration 911. Compared to the previous generation model, the 991 911 GT3 is 13-percent lighter than and has 25-percent better torsional rigidity that form the perfect basis for a dynamic sports car. The front of the 991 911 GT3 wears a more aggressive bumper with larger air intakes, new LED lighting, and an integrated spoiler lip with laterally raised contour and three different parts that work to redirect air more efficiently and generate downforce. The rear track is 44 mm wider than that of a standard 911 Carrera S and flows into the aerodynamic rear end with fixed spoiler mounted to a glass and carbon fiber engine cover with integrated ram air intake system. Each side of the rear bumper sports an exhaust vent and the dual exhaust is featured in the center. An underbody panel that has a raising contour area helps reduce drag and redirect air up into the engine bay for better cooling.
The chassis of the Porsche 991 911 GT3 is based largely on that of the 911 Carrera S but features numerous new technologies and a few different tweaks to make it more competent on the race track. The entire chassis is 30 mm lower than a Carrera S and comes standard with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) variable damping. For the first time ever, rear-wheel steering is being used in a Porsche. The new system used two electro-mechanical actuators to adjust the angle by up to 1.5-degrees. At speeds below 30 mph, the system steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction, while speeds of 50 mph and above steers the rear wheels in the same direction as the front, virtually increasing the wheelbase by 20 inches for better handling dynamics and stability. Other technologies such as dynamic engine mounts and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) help to sharpen up handling and make the GT3 an all-star on the race track.
Just like the generation before it, the new 991 911 GT3 sports a set of lightweight and high-strength center-locking forged wheels and a set of hardcore brakes. This time around, the wheels are one-inch bigger and measure 9.0 J x 20 up front and 12.0 J x 20 at the rear and are paired up with 245/35 ZR 20 and 305/30 ZR sport tires. Behind the lightweight forged aluminum alloy wheels sit six-piston front, four-piston rear aluminum monoblock calipers clenching down on 380 mm perforated and internally-ventilated discs fed by new cooling ducts.
The new 2014 Porsche 991 911 GT3 will go on sale in August in Germany for 137,303 Euros while the new model will be available in the United States late this year for $130,400, with a $950 destination charge.
2014 Porsche 991 911 GT3 Video
2014 Porsche 911 GT3 (991) Specifications
Engine:
Engine Concept: Water-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine
Construction: Aluminum engine block and cylinder heads
Valvetrain: Four overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing (VarioCam), hydraulic valve clearance compensation, direct fuel injection, a three-way catalytic converter per cylinder bank, each with two oxygen sensors, electronic ignition with solid ignition distribution (six active ignition modules).
Intake System: Direct fuel injection
Lubrication: Dry Sump
Electrical System: 12 volt, three-phase generator; 2,100 W; battery 95 Ah, 520 A
Fuel: Premium
Bore: 102.0 mm
Stroke: 77.5 mm
Displacement: 3.8 liters
Maximum Horsepower: 475 hp at 8.250/min
Maximum Torque: 324 lb. ft. at 6.250/min
Compression ratio: 12.9:1
Engine redline: 9000 rpm
Output per liter: 125 hp
Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
Power unit: Transmission: Engine and transmission bolted together to form one drive unit, seven-speed dual clutch transmission (PDK) with controlled rear axle differential lock and PTV Plus.
Transmission:
Automatic transmission: 7-speed double-clutch (PDK)
Clutch diameter: 7.95/6.0 in.
Chassis:
Drag Coefficient: 0.33
Front Suspension: Front: strut suspension (McPherson type, Porsche optimized) with individually mounted on control arms, trailing arms and spring struts wheels, cylindrical coil springs with internal dampers, electromechanical power steering.
Rear Suspension: Multi-arm axle with single wheels run on five arms; cylindrical coil springs with co-axial inner vibration, active rear. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with electronically controlled dampers and two manually selectable maps.
Steering Ratio: Variable
Turning Circle: 36.4 ft.
Brakes: Dual circuit system with achsweiser division; Porsche Stability Management (PSM), vacuum brake booster; electrically operated duo-servo parking brake, auto-hold function. Front: six-piston aluminum monobloc brake calipers, perforated and internally ventilated brake discs with 380 mm diameter and 34 mm thickness. Rear: four-piston aluminum monobloc brake calipers, perforated and internally ventilated brake discs with 380 mm diameter and 30 mm thickness.
Wheels: 9Jx20 front, 12Jx20 rear
Tires: 245/35 ZR 20 front, 305/30 ZR 20 rear
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 96.7 in.
Overall length: 178.9 in.
Width: 72.9 in. (without mirrors)
Front track: 61 in.
Rear track: 61.2 in.
Height: 49.96 in.
Curb weight: 3,152.6 lbs.
Perm. Total weight: 3,792 lbs.
Luggage capacity: Front 4.41 cubic ft.; Rear 9.2 cubic ft.
Fuel tank capacity: 16.9 gallons (optional 23.8 gallons)
Performance:
0-60 mph: 3.3 s
Top track speed: 195 mph
2014 Porsche 991 911 GT3 Gallery
Source: Porsche
What do you think of the new 991 Porsche 911 GT3 and the lack of a manual transmission? Leave a comment and let us know!
