Porsches New GT3: The Jewel in the 911 Crown

911 Photos

Is the GT3 Porsches finest 911 to date? (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

Defies physics, and now, the GT3 defies aerodynamics with an ultra-low drag rating. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

You cant see it, but the 3.6-liter H-6 engine is one of the finest powerplants on earth. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

Focus remains on driver with proper race seats, optional harnesses, roll-cage and fire extinguisher. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

GT3 accelerates fast, but it also stops fast, particularly if its equipped with the optional PCCB carbon-ceramic brakes. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

Well, what do you know - the best 911 is also cheaper than the Turbo. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

Phenominal New GT3 Breaks Cover in Geneva

On February 13th, 2006, Porsche announced one of its most long-awaited models, the sixth generation 911 Turbo. Indeed, this is an important car for Porsche, as its the model that has to live up to the legend of the worlds first turbocharged production car, and one of the best all-round sports cars made to date, the previous-generation 911 Turbo.

The new (997) Turbo builds on previous models by advancing the all-wheel drive system and tipping the world of turbocharging on its side once again by implementing the worlds first variable geometry turbo on a gasoline-powered car. The 911 Turbo is so vital to the Porsche brand, that its been titled the masterwerk. But lets not forget that theres still another vehicle that stands above it in the 911 range, the 911 GT3.

Though there arent any doubts that the Turbo is a very important car from technological, sales and historical standpoints, the GT3 is the car that was Porsches outright star at Geneva. The GT3 represents Porsches racing heritage filtered down for road-legal use, and theyve taken every aspect of this conversion as seriously and as passionately as possible.

Proof? Your eyes should easily catch the difference between this and standard 911s. It features new front bumpers for better airflow in, and new rear bumpers for better airflow out the back (where the engine is), and in between nose and tail, plates cover the mechanical bits under the car to improve airflow there too. The GT3s tail spoiler has also grown larger in size, and theres an additional vent that has snuck its way in front of the nose-mounted trunk. All of that and the car manages to slip through the air with a drag coefficient rating of 0.29 cd, better than most modern cars with skinny tires, narrow bodies and no gigantic drag-increasing spoiler.

If it werent for its race car looks, how would a person find out just what a thoroughbred this car is? A glimpse of the engine ought to help. The 3.6-liter, naturally-aspirated horizontally-opposed six-cylinder is an evolution of the very engine that powered Porsches Le Mans-winning GT1 back in 1998. Yes, that car! Power is up to 415-horsepower (an amazing 115 hp/L), a big step forwards from the old cars 380-hp, while torque has been boosted to 298 lb-ft. Also increased is the cars stratospheric redline, which is 200 rpm higher at 8,400. Enabling these improvements are a host of finely-tuned changes to the engines airflow system that include a better-optimized air intake, 6 mm larger throttle valve, and new cylinder heads that have low drag. This is aside from titanium connecting rods and aluminum heads, which make the whole unit lighter. Oh, and we cant forget the GT3s forged exhaust system, which aids in reducing the engines overall backpressure.

The old GT3 was about being able to drive your track-day Porsche to and from the circuit, but it was about as luxurious cell-block C. In some respects, the new GT3 continues in this tradition, without rear seats, and with less sound deadening material than the standard car, and the car can be fitted with a roll cage, racing harnesses and fire extinguisher for no extra cost. What you do get are some LED lights that tell you when to shift up, and a few electronic measures to help you shave a few seconds off the lap times recorded by the dash-mounted stopwatch. The new GT3 comes with the PASM active suspension system that allows the driver to stiffen the suspension from hard (comparable to the previous GT3) to even harder, for improved performance on the track. It also features a mechanical limited-slip differential and the same traction control system that the Carrera GT supercar used. Of course, this being a proper enthusiasts tool, all electronics can be switched off.

All of this means that the 911 GT3 is one very fast car. Though it doesnt have the outright brutal force of the Turbo, it nearly matches it with a power to weight ratio of 298 hp/ton, as compared to the Turbos 303 hp/ton; and thats without the optional 15.0-inch carbon-ceramic disc brakes, which save further weight. All in all, this gives the GT3 a very comfortable margin compared to the 3.8-liter Carrera S 250 hp/ton. But all of this horsepower per ton stuff only matters when it comes to accelerating, cornering, braking and maneuverability, where the clear winner is the GT3, as its only 33 lbs heavier than the old GT3 despite being an entire generation ahead, and 55 lbs lighter than the Carrera S, from which its frame was derived.

But, if all you wanted to do is go fast in a straight line, the GT3 is more than happy to comply. It hits 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, 100 mph in 8.5 seconds and, if you have a little bit more time to spare, it eventually tops out at 193 mph).

The wonderful thing about the 911 GT3, a real-world race car for the road, is that it goes on sale very shortly. Of course, Europeans will have first crack at the car, when it arrives in May. North Americans will also get the car, but theyll have to wait until summer. While pricing hasnt been announced for the GT3 above the 49th, it has in other areas of the world. Buying one will lighten your bank account by 93,000 euro, or, in the states, $106,000, which, all things considered, is a bargain. By comparison, the rotund Turbo costs $122,900, and the GT3s main competitor, the Ferrari F430 is more than a third more expensive. That ought to give the worlds automotive purists something to salivate over.

Recently Added To Our Network

1984 Porsche 911 Carrera		Inverness, FL	Price: $19,995
1984 Porsche 911 Carrera		Buffalo Grove, IL	Price: $15,995
1986 Porsche 911 Carrera		Princeton, NJ	Price: $21,500
1987 Porsche 911 Carrera		Wallingford, CT	Price: $22,995
1987 Porsche 911 Carrera		Phoenix, AZ	Price: $25,800
1991 Porsche 911 Carrera		Huntington Beach, CA	Price: $25,820
1996 Porsche 911 Turbo		Dallas, TX	Price: $64,900
1998 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Newport Beach, CA	Price: $89,995
1999 Porsche 911 Carrera		Auburn, WA	Price: $25,800
1999 Porsche 911 Carrera		Memphis, TN	Price: $26,991
1999 Porsche 911 Carrera		San Antonio, TX	Price: $27,995
1999 Porsche 911 Carrera		Encino, CA	Price: $24,688
1999 Porsche 911 Carrera		Pueblo, CO	Price: $39,995
2000 Porsche 911 Carrera		Manasquan, NJ	Price: $35,900
2000 Porsche 911 Carrera		Lutz, FL	Price: $34,986
2000 Porsche 911 Carrera		Fort Lauderdale, FL	Price: $33,000
2000 Porsche 911 Carrera		Bristol, CT	Price: $22,994
2001 Porsche 911 Carrera		Clearwater, FL	Price: $29,981
2001 Porsche 911 Carrera		Edison, NJ	Price: $27,996
2001 Porsche 911 Turbo		Riverside, CA	Price: $52,989
2002 Porsche 911 Carrera		Saint Paul, MN	Price: $39,990
2002 Porsche 911 GT2		Riverside, CA	Price: $52,989
2002 Porsche 911 Carrera		Roseville, CA	Price: $38,991
2002 Porsche 911 Carrera		Maitland, FL	Price: $30,690
2002 Porsche 911 Carrera		Torrance, CA	Price: $36,990
2002 Porsche 911 Targa		Houston, TX	Price: $26,211
2002 Porsche 911 GT2		Flemington, NJ	Price: $49,999
2002 Porsche 911 Carrera		Oxnard, CA	Price: $27,994
2002 Porsche 911 Carrera		Dallas, TX	Price: $35,900
2003 Porsche 911 Targa		Redondo Beach, CA	Price: $30,999
2003 Porsche 911 Carrera		Bethesda, MD	Price: $41,443
2003 Porsche 911 Targa		Ballwin, MO	Price: $32,500
2003 Porsche 911 Carrera		Riverside, CA	Price: $34,989
2003 Porsche 911 Carrera		Nashville, TN	Price: $34,991
2003 Porsche 911 GT2		Woodland Hills, CA	Price: $79,995
2003 Porsche 911 GT2		Las Vegas, NV	Price: $49,997
2003 Porsche 911 Carrera		Redondo Beach, CA	Price: $28,999
2003 Porsche 911 Carrera		Phoenix, AZ	Price: $36,900
2003 Porsche 911 Carrera		Phoenix, AZ	Price: $49,900
2003 Porsche 911 GT2		Honolulu, HI	Price: Contact Seller
2003 Porsche 911 Targa		Honolulu, HI	Price: Contact Seller
2004 Porsche 911 Carrera		Riverside, CA	Price: $48,989
2004 Porsche 911 Carrera		Naples, FL	Price: $49,888
2004 Porsche 911 Turbo		Long Beach, CA	Price: $48,695
2004 Porsche 911 Carrera		Nashville, TN	Price: $37,991
2004 Porsche 911 Carrera		Bayside, NY	Price: $45,978
2004 Porsche 911 GT2		Sunnyvale, CA	Price: $97,995
2004 Porsche 911 Carrera		San Jose, CA	Price: $39,974
2004 Porsche 911 Carrera		Dallas, TX	Price: $43,900
2004 Porsche 911 Carrera		Melbourne, FL	Price: $51,988
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera		Tucson, AZ	Price: $54,995
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S		Norwalk, CA	Price: $54,995
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera		Lighthouse Point, FL	Price: $39,901
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S		Novato, CA	Price: $61,974
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S		Hollywood, FL	Price: $47,990
2005 Porsche 911 GT3		Dublin, CA	Price: $69,869
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S		Newport Beach, CA	Price: $89,995
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera		Newport Beach, CA	Price: $52,995
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S		Orlando, FL	Price: $49,995
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera		Owings Mills, MD	Price: $47,173
2005 Porsche 911 Targa		Denver, CO	Price: $44,992
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera		Vienna, VA	Price: $56,552
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera		Chandler, AZ	Price: $36,788
2005 Porsche 911 Carrera		Mckinney, TX	Price: $49,883
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Honolulu, HI	Price: Contact Seller
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Houston, TX	Price: $49,991
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Newport Beach, CA	Price: $64,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Tucson, AZ	Price: $52,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Norwalk, CA	Price: $55,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Norwalk, CA	Price: $51,760
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Norwalk, CA	Price: $64,760
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Woodland Hills, CA	Price: $61,498
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Delray Beach, FL	Price: $59,991
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Riverside, CA	Price: $59,989
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Riverside, CA	Price: $64,989
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Sarasota, FL	Price: $52,990
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Framingham, MA	Price: $62,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Framingham, MA	Price: $39,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Las Vegas, NV	Price: $62,981
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Las Vegas, NV	Price: $63,977
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Las Vegas, NV	Price: $56,537
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Wallingford, CT	Price: $57,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Wallingford, CT	Price: $59,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Newport Beach, CA	Price: $64,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Newport Beach, CA	Price: $69,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Newport Beach, CA	Price: $64,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Norwalk, CA	Price: $44,760
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Norwalk, CA	Price: $51,760
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Montgomery, AL	Price: $59,894
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Beverly Hills, CA	Price: $64,988
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Beverly Hills, CA	Price: $59,988
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Beverly Hills, CA	Price: $59,988
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Vienna, VA	Price: $67,999
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Vienna, VA	Price: $63,995
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Phoenix, AZ	Price: $59,900
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Phoenix, AZ	Price: $64,900
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Phoenix, AZ	Price: $65,900
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Phoenix, AZ	Price: $79,900
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera		Phoenix, AZ	Price: $59,900
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S		Jacksonville, FL	Price: $59,959