The New Porsche 911 GT3 — All You Need to Know

This year marks 25 years since the 911 GT3 was launched. At the very least it has set the benchmark ever since, but you could go as far as saying it created a whole new segment of the market for track-focused road cars, a segment that is now unbelievably popular.

Whilst there’s no official celebration of that milestone, Porsche has treated us to a new GT3 in the form of the 992.2. Porsche is known for evolution not revolution, and being a mid-life refresh rather than a full new model, that is very much the case here, but there are some key improvements to the already incredible 992.

One of those improvements is not the engine, which is still the same 4.0 naturally-aspirated flat-six with the same 510hp, but given that it’s one of the best engines to bestow a production car right now, that’s no bad thing, and it’s refreshing that Porsche isn’t just chasing straight-line numbers.

So, what has changed? Well, the engine actually has a little. The cylinder heads have been revised and the sharper camshafts of the RS have been used for even more dynamic performance at higher revs, and for better or worse, it has been designed for significantly stricter exhaust standards, equipped with two particulate filters and four (yes, four) catalytic converters. Sounds like a recipe for silence, but Porsche claims it delivers a ‘gripping soundscape’ — I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

If you squint, you’ll notice the slightly different headlights and tail lights we first saw on the 992.2 Carrera models and a redesigned front bumper, rear lid and rear diffuser for increased downforce and optimised airflow.

Underneath, the double-wishbone front suspension remains with slight setup tweaks to balance the downforce balance between front and rear, and uses the 992 GT3 RS front ball joint of the lower trailing arm. According to Walter Röhrl, the steering feels even better tuned than its predecessor. He says, “It instils even greater confidence in the car because it responds more calmly from the centre position without losing any of its directness. The shorter gear ratio also significantly enhances driving pleasure on country roads”.

We’re keen to try it on both counts, as the 992’s steering was very keen off-centre in an almost Ferrari manner, and shorter ratios are always welcome in a Porsche. The ratios are said to be eight per cent shorter in both the six-speed manual and seven-speed PDK.

The Touring Package is available alongside the GT3 from launch, doing away with the fixed rear wing in favour of an extendable rear spoiler with a Gurney flap for a more subtle aesthetic, with an adapted fin on the underbody to provide aerodynamic balance in the absence of said wing. The biggie for the Touring is that rear seats will be offered for the first time in a GT3, something some people have been adding aftermarket for a while now to make the GT3 all the more usable.

Also a first for the GT3 is the offering of a Weissach package (for the GT3), previously reserved for the RS, and Leichtbau (lightweight) package (for the Touring). This allows the option of magnesium wheels which save 9kg and a lithium-ion battery to save another 4kg. Also available is a carbon fibre roll cage, just like in the GT3 RS. In its lightest configuration, the 992.2 GT3 tips the scales at 1,420kg (kerb weight).

The gorgeous carbon bucket seats which have remained largely the same since the 918 Spyder have made way for a new seat which folds, allowing access to the rear. It also has a neat feature where the headrest cushion can be removed allowing room for a helmet. As previous, you can also option the 18-way electrically adjustable Adaptive Sports Seats Plus if you don’t fancy climbing in and out of buckets every day.

The main change inside, though, is the divisive change to a digital gauge cluster as per 992.2 Carrera, doing away with the GT3’s analogue rev counter. Unlike the Carrera which has moved to a start/stop button, the GT3 retains the old ‘fake key’ which you twist to start the engine.

Time will tell how these changes affect the drive of the GT3, and some points certainly raise an eyebrow, but a GT3 has never yet disappointed, so I’ll keep the faith.