Unveiled in Geneva four days ago, the Porsche 911 GT3 is back in the spotlight: more powerful, lighter and faster. But at what price?
I hadn't yet boarded the EasyJet flight to Geneva and my head was already in the clouds. The culprit? The new Porsche 911 GT3, generation 991. All because I knew that I was going to meet him in a few hours. Another…
It wasn't quite a "blind date", as it was with the Ferrari LaFerrari. It was more like revisiting an old friend. We know what he looks like, what he looks like and we can even recognize him in the middle of that huge crowd. But after a few years «not talking», underneath that characteristic aspect already 50 years old, how would he be? Did he get married and have children? Ah… wait! We are talking about a car. But have you already figured out where I want to go, right?
I was rather anxious. I wanted to know what Porsche had come up with for the new version of one of the most brilliant, fun and exciting “drivers” cars in recent years. Would the old “nine hundred and eleven” recipe, with an extra dose of dedication to the slopes and a little less of estradista dedication, fulfill the tradition? For many «the» 911!
As soon as the cloth fell off, my first impression was the one I was expecting – You look just like yourself, nobody gives you 50 years old boy! Okay… note that you did some gym, and your lines are sharper. But apparently you're the same as always – I thought as I discovered the new details of this old acquaintance. While my imagination kept my eyes company on a journey around the new Porsche 911 GT3, Jürgen Piech, one of the hosts of the Porsche exhibit in Geneva, came to me. He finally spoke to someone "flesh and blood".
For a German, he was a very affable guy, he knew Portugal and had already gone around the Autodromo de Portimão. He insisted on boasting that he knew how to say a few words in Portuguese. I let him show his skills in the Camões language and it was… a disaster. But with a frown I managed to utter a shy and unconvincing “very well Jürgen!”.
In my hand I had a brochure with the specifications of the Porsche 911 GT3 and with the excitement that is possible for the Bavarians, Jürgen introduced me to the GT3. That it was lighter, more powerful, faster, etc. But as we take a guided tour around the GT3 – always with the camera at the ready – my eyes catch what I wasn't expecting: – Jürgen, is that the PDK gearbox? – To which he replied, just as I boasted in his Portuguese: – Yes Guilherme, it is… but is faster than a manual!
The embarrassment of introducing me to one of the purest sports cars that money can buy with a dual-clutch gearbox was obvious on his face. But it's not that serious… – Jürgen, a manual gearbox is available as an option, right? They don't want to know the answer...
We got to the engine and another bucket of cold water. The virile, rotating, victorious and indestructible Metzger engine that exclusively equipped the GT3 and GT2 versions of the Porsche 911 (since 1998) is no longer present in this generation. For those who don't know it, this Metzger engine was the engine that gave Porsche its last victory in the 24 hours of Le Mans. In addition to being recognized for its eagerness for rotation, it was also recognized for its reliability. In tests, this engine was able to cover the equivalent of 10 Lisbon-Porto trips always at full speed, at more than 9000 revolutions per minute, without loss of power or premature wear.
In this generation, the Porsche 911 GT3 started to mount an engine similar to the one used by the rest of the range. More conventional therefore. That's for sure, if a 3800cc atmospheric engine can be called conventional, capable of developing 475hp of power, a maximum torque of 435Nm and reaching 9000rpm! Acceleration from 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds before reaching a top speed of 315km/h. Despite everything, I think we'll be able to live with this engine, don't you?
In the rest of the set, there were no more surprises. Larger carbon-alloy brakes, suspensions that are more apt for brisk walking, chassis with specific tuning and a multitude of aerodynamic appendages capable of generating more downforce. Nothing we weren't expecting from a GT3 version.
But let's put things in perspective. If apparently this GT3 presents itself as the least GT3 of all time, the truth is that it is more GT3 than any of its predecessors. I happen to be a Porsche buff and as such I have some aversion to change. If on paper things don't look famous let's put the dice on track. Porsche claims that this 911 GT3 is capable of completing a lap around the Nürburgring in less than 7 minutes 30 seconds.
Moral of the story? Calm down, calm down… Porsche knows what it does. Let's wait, take the 911 GT3 out of the spotlight at the Geneva Motor Show and let's make another appointment, this time at the Estoril circuit. And once again, we won't miss it. It's always nice to see old friends, because time goes by but there are things that never change,
Text: Guilherme Ferreira da Costa