Porsche 911 GT3 Marks Two Decades of Performance Progress

By Brett Foote - August 20, 2019

The Porsche 911 GT3 has evolved and improved significantly over the last 20 years, but the best is yet to come.

It’s hard to fathom, but the Porsche 911 GT3 has now existed for 20 years. Of course, we here in North American weren’t able to get our hands on Porsche’s track monster for the street until four years later, but we digress. Even though it isn’t the fastest or most powerful car in Porsche’s lineup, the GT3 has remained our very favorite model, as well as purists around the world. Mostly because Porsche has worked relentlessly to improve the car’s unparalleled driving experience over the last two decades.

That much is clear as we reflect back on how the GT3 has progressed in that time period. When the original GT3 debuted in 1999, it came with a 3.6-liter flat-six producing 360 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque at a peak rpm of 7,800. Various aerodynamic tweaks, a fortified suspension, bigger brakes, and weight savings measures helped make it quite the formidable track weapon.

With legendary driver Walter Rӧhrl behind the wheel, the original GT3 lapped the Nürburgring in just 7:56.33. In the process, it became one of the very first production cars to break the 8-minute barrier. At the time, that was an incredible feat. But of course, Porsche worked hard to improve the GT3 in every way. And by its second iteration, that much was clearly evident.

The 2nd-gen GT3 packed 381 hp, 285 lb-ft of torque, and an 8,200 rpm redline, along with various aero tweaks and additional weight-savings measures. When the 997-gen GT3 debuted, it upped the ante even more with 415 hp and an 8,400 rpm redline. The car’s 0-60 time dropped from 4.3-seconds to 4.1, and top speed improved from 190 mph to 193. Meanwhile, the GT3 had only gained less than 100 pounds over the original, weighing in at a svelte 3,075 pounds despite the addition of countless features.

Porsche switched to a 3.8-liter flat-six in 2010, which pumped out 435 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. That meant a 4.0-second flat 0-60 time, 8,500 rpm redline, and 194 mph top speed. It also lapped the Nürburgring in just 7 minutes and 40 seconds, a significant improvement on the original. But it was also nearly the end of an era. When the 991-gen GT3 debuted, it did so with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in place of the traditional manual.

That lightning-quick shifting PDK significantly improved the car’s acceleration, however, along with the higher engine output of 475 hp. Now, 0-60 took a mere 3.3-seconds, and it could lap the Nürburgring in 7:25. Which seems impressive, until you consider the latest GT3. Today, Porsche’s track-focused machine does the deed in an incredible 7:12.7. A whopping 45 seconds better than the original car, despite its relatively modest (by today’s standards) 500 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque. And thankfully, Porsche also brought back the manual transmission as a no-cost option.

With the next iteration of the GT3 right around the corner, you have to believe that those numbers are only going to improve. After all, Porsche has worked tirelessly to evolve the GT3 over the last 20 years. So if there’s one thing we know, it’s that this exciting model is only going to get better!