Teamspeed First Drive: 2014 Porsche 911 GT3
Andreas Preuninger, General Manager of Porsche GT cars, begins his presentation on the new 911 GT3 by relating a quote from Thomas Jefferson – yes, the third President of the United States – to the onset of puberty.
Jefferson informs us that “Every generation needs a revolution”, while the puberty part relates to the GT3 turning 14 this year: “Its new tubular manifold has made its voice deeper, the wider body has put on muscle, and it has even grown a little bit.” This probably tells you everything you need to know about the German’s sense of humor, but he is about to make a serious point here.
“It is, however, the attitude that may cause some incomprehension,” Preuningner continues, “because it seems to throw off common place assumptions surrounding the GT3 concept. It does not want to be shifted manually any more, seems to have a penchant for electronics and rids itself of the Mezger engine, which was so highly rated amongst its friends.”
And thus, the man in charge acknowledges every single one of the fears enthusiasts around the globe have not-so-secretly been harboring since the first details about the 991 GT3 began to appear.
“So do the parents need to worry?” he finally asks, somewhat rhetorically. “Of course not!”
He’s right.
To the very (forged, titanium) heart…
If this seems a strange way to start a review of the new 991-series GT3, imagine what it was like sitting in the press conference, listening to it. But as Preuninger went on to outline the stupendous technical specification of Porsche’s most focused new road car, so it is when we finally get behind the wheel and pull away into the German countryside; the flannel and the furor melt away into sheer insignificance when faced with the reality of the engineering brilliance and what it has actually achieved here.
We may as well start with the heart of the matter: the engine. The Mezger is gone, but it has not been forgotten. In a rare moment of sentimental indulgence, Porsche has deliberately manipulated the idle of the GT3’s all-new 3.8-litre flat-six to give it a reminiscent kind of lumpiness. This belies the fact that amongst all the other modifications, it’s now blessed with a 200-bar multi-hole direct injection system that boosts response (and efficiency) as well as top end power.
As the capacity suggests, the new unit is vaguely based on that fitted in the 991 Carrera S. Really, only the crankcase, the timing chains, the head bolts and a few of the ancillaries are carried over. In addition to the unique direct injection setup, the GT3 gets forged pistons, titanium connecting rods, revised oil handling compete with baffled dry sump and separate catch tank, enlarged intake and exhaust ports, and new rocker arm valve control. Obviously there’s also bespoke lightweight induction and a specially tuned Sports exhaust.
All of these upgrades are in the name of saving weight, adding strength and allowing the new engine to redline at a ridiculous 9,000rpm. For the record, that’s 500rpm higher than the last one; with 475hp at 8,250rpm, it’s also 40hp more powerful with a 10hp increase in the specific output per liter. Porsche is not messing around.