New Porsche 911 GT3 pictures emerge

Pictures published on the internet of what is believed to be the new ‘991’ generation Porsche 911 GT3 have hinted that the latest iteration of the hardcore German sports car could rev to 9,000rpm.

The shots of the car – taken at a private vehicle testing event, understood to be at the Nürburgring – show a centrally mounted rev counter reading to 10,000rpm, with the redline marked at 9,000rpm.

On Bing: see pictures of the new ‘991’ generation Porsche 911 GT3

New Porsche 911 GT3: PDK only?

The pictures, published on the Rennlist Porsche enthusiast discussion forum, suggest the new 911 GT3 road car will rev higher than the new 911 GT3 Cup racing car – which is limited to an engine speed of 8,500rpm.

It’s thought the new road-going GT3 will use a 3.8-litre flat-six engine, as per the previous generation ‘997’ GT3, producing somewhere in the region of 470hp.

It’s not known if this will be based on Porsche’s new direct injection engine architecture or the firm’s older ‘Mezger’ engine block – despite roots in Porsche’s air-cooled era, the latter is still the basis of all 911 race engines – or, indeed, even something altogether new.

However, of even more interest to most than the five-figure rev counter is the clear indication that an automatic gearbox is fitted, with the usual Porsche drive selection display represented in the same GT3-labelled dial.

This reinforces speculation that Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox will be the only transmission offered in the new 991 GT3. Steering wheel mounted paddles can be seen in a separate image also published in the forum post.

But although many enthusiasts will rue the loss of a manual gearbox option, Porsche’s head of R&D, Wolfgang Hatz, told this month’s CAR magazine:

“We will have [our twin-clutch transmission] PDK on the new GT3. But don’t worry, because it’s incredible what the new car does. The new GT3 is big fun, and a big step forward for us.”

As for other new GT3 details, there has been some talk that the 991 variant is set to shun adjustable chassis aids such as Porsche’s Dynamic Chassis Control and Torque Vectoring systems. But this seems unlikely to us.

It could be that Porsche is looking to deliver a purer driving experience with the GT3, especially amidst accusations that the regular 911 is now far more of a GT car than an out and out sports car. We’ll have to wait and see.

Still, the car will likely get switchable traction control, a system to modify the sound of the sports exhaust and an increasingly aggressive selection of gearshift modes.

Porsche’s Ceramic Composite brakes will certainly be an option – although it is probably steel discs will be the standard fitment – covered by lightweight centre-lock alloy wheels, similar to the GT3 Cup car.

Finally, there are also rumours that two versions of the car will be offered, comprising standard and Clubsport trim levels. The latter will be more focused, featuring a half roll cage and pared back interior, ahead of the inevitable arrival of the further track-biased GT3 RS variant.

The new 991 model Porsche 911 GT3 will debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2013; expect the first official details late on 4 March.

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