Don't see it, but listen to the first few seconds of the featured video and the video below with the new (and still camouflaged) Porsche 911 GT3 (992) and learn everything they need: that kind of music noise can only be an atmospheric engine.
We have nothing against turbos, and definitely nothing against the 911 Turbo — for the first time at Razão Automobile we gave top marks to a tested model and it went to the new 911 Turbo S — but it's good to know there's still room for machines like the new 911 GT3: purer, sharper… and exciting.
This is not yet an official final revelation and so there are no specs, but Porsche, through Andreas Preuninger, GT model development director, has given early access to some means, letting loose precious bits of information about the new 911 GT3.
What did we find out?
The six-cylinder boxer will continue to be atmospheric, as we've already seen, and even though it comes with a particle filter, it sounds divine, as we've heard. We don't know anything else about it, but we doubt it has less than the 500 hp its predecessor had. Attached to it is either a manual gearbox or a dual-clutch gearbox (PDK) and the drive remains rear-only.
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Note that, in the case of the PDK version, we have a handle with dimensions identical to the one of the manual gearbox and not the mini-handle that we find in the “normal” 911. In this way, the stick can be used to change the ratio sequentially (we can't do this on the mini stick), without resorting to the tabs behind the steering wheel. Some prefer it, like Preuninger himself, when he drives the 911 GT3 on the road, reserving the paddles only for the circuits — all to raise the bar for interaction with the machine.
It is the first GT to come out of the 992 generation and that's why the new 911 GT3 is longer and wider than its predecessor. However, the increase in dimensions did not mean an increase in mass, having been advanced that this is 1430 kg (with all fluids included, ready to drive), at the level of the predecessor. To achieve this, the new 911 GT3 has a carbon fiber front hood, a streamlined exhaust system, thinner glass for the rear window and less sound-absorbing material — among other measures that we'll get to know soon…
The increase in dimensions also increased the area of rubber in contact with the ground: at the front we have 255 tires and 20″ wheels, while at the back these are now 315 with the wheel growing from 20″ to 21″ (the same size of the 911 GT3 RS generation 991).
An absolute debut in the new Porsche 911 GT3 is the suspension scheme with superimposed triangles at the front (instead of the usual MacPherson scheme), a solution so far only seen in some competition 911s such as the “monster” 911 RSR. The braking system has also been increased, with the steel front discs increasing in diameter from 380 mm to 408 mm.
"Swan-Neck"
And being the 911 GT3 the 911 GT3, aerodynamics has to be part of the discussion. The highlight goes all to the new rear wing, whose appearance has generated quite a bit of controversy in countless comments on the internet.
It distinguishes itself from all others that have graced the rear of the 911 over the decades, by “grabbing” the wing from above, giving rise to supports called “swan-neck”. Like it or not, Porsche wouldn't opt for this solution if it didn't bring benefits, and these have already been proven where it matters most, on circuits — it's the same solution as the 911 RSR.
As you can see, the underside of the wing is “clean” without interruptions of any kind. The advantage? It manages to generate more downforce (positive lift) with less wing angle, so it also generates less drag — the best of both worlds, so...
When will we see him without camouflage?
Despite Chris Harris' best attempts (in the Top Gear video) to uncover the new Porsche whooping cough, it could still take a little longer until the final revelation. But taking into account the publication of these two videos — at the top, highlighted, that of Carfection — should be soon.