Porsche 911 GT3 2021: flat-six road racer unveiled with manual transmission

John Law

Contributor

After months of spy images, teaser pictures and conjecture Porsche has finally revealed the all-new 992 GT3.

The 2021 Porsche 911 GT3 looks every bit a GT car, with the mad rear wing debuting virtually unchanged from the prototypes, this truly is a race car for the road.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Porsche has managed to retain a naturally aspirated flat-six engine despite the rest of the 992 range moving to turbocharged engines.

Porsche 911 GT3 2021 Front — Porsche has revealed the new 992 GT3 and it looks mental.

Porsche has refined the GT3 recipe further, with the track-hardened four-litre engine now kicking out an extra 7kW of power at 375kW compared to the 368kW figure of the old car – impressive considering the addition of a petrol particulate filter. Porsche has not quoted a torque figure yet.

A seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox is the standard transmission, however, a six-speed manual is still available as an option, something Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger was adamant about.

Unlike the rest of the 992 range, the PDK GT3 features a real gear stick instead of the ‘stubby nub’ design found in the cooking vehicles; this was apparently another must for GT boss Mr Preuninger who understands the emotional connection between car and driver.

Porsche 911 GT3 2021 Watch — Andreas Preuninger swapped the stubby nub for a real shifter in the PDK GT3.

With the seven-speed gearbox, the GT3 is capable of hitting 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, identical to the outgoing 991. That’s not surprising, as the high-performance Porsche has kept weight gain to a minimum – tipping the scales at 1,418kg for the manual the 992 is just 48 kilograms heavier.

The weight culling is down to lightweight glass, a lighter exhaust system and other sacrifices in the name of speed.

Porsche’s GT3 philosophy is about emotion, not brute force, so if you want the fastest 992 911 on sale, look to the bananas Turbo S which gets to 100km/h in 2.8 seconds.

Porsche 911 GT3 2021 Rear — The 992 GT3 has put on weight, but only 48kg of it.

Expect the new 992 GT3 to start north of $330,000 in Australia, expensive but it seems like good value next to a Lamborghini Huracan or Ferrari F8.

Porsche has overhauled the front end of the 992 GT3, transitioning to a double-wishbone set up in place of the simpler Macpherson strut design. The new suspension kinematics were influenced by the RSR racer and offer a broader tuning range on top of increased stability.

Another big jump comes from the rear wing – there was plenty of speculation about its design and whether the swan-neck aero would be saved for the more intense GT3 RS, but that isn’t the case.

Porsche 911 GT3 2021 Front 2 — The new wing design is all about function, increasing downforce while making the GT3 more slippery.

Moving to the swan-neck design was a purely functional one. The now-uncluttered “suction side” in conjunction with the ducktail on the boot lid is said to increase downforce while reducing drag which is the golden ticket for track-focused cars.

There are several trim settings for the wing, too, Porsche suggests ‘trimming it out’ for road use, with the angle of attack able to be increased when owners need it to be.

Further upgrades include an even sharper steering rack with revised rear suspension to suit the new set-up, bigger front brake rotors (28mm larger, now 408mm) with carbon-ceramic stoppers optional.

The latest GT3 has evolved just enough outside, but under the skin there are plenty of big changes.

A wider track is achieved with a set of staggered 20-inch front, 21-inch rear forged alloy wheels shod in 255mm and 315mm wide Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R track-focused tyres respectively.

These changes have resulted in a slightly slower Nürburgring Nordschleife time, but the track has changed since the 991 GT3 achieved a 6:55 minute lap.

Porsche brought a 991 GT3 along when benchmarking the new car, Porsche claims the new 992 was 17 seconds faster than the 991 GT3 over the new 20.8km lap, recording a 6-minute 59-second lap.

Porsche 911 GT3 2021 Cabin — Porsche now offers their Exclusiv Manufaktur program on the GT3 models, too.

Inside, pilots can select track mode for the digital driver’s display that will show only crucial information, including the tacho, which now display 10,000rpm. A new shift light has been engineered to be brighter and easier to see in the driver’s peripheral vision.

Porsche also offers their Exclusiv Manufaktur customisation options for the 992 GT3 to meet any customer’s unique demands. The model pictured boasts a club-spec half roll cage and carbon fibre bucket seats.

The new 992 GT3 RS will arrive in Australia in the second half of this year, with pricing and detailed specification to be confirmed closer to launch.