Motor Trend - 2010 GT3
#1
05-13-2009, 02:20 PM
Motor Trend - 2010 GT3 Some great shots. Uploaded some to the GT3/RS Gallery.
2010 Porsche 911 GT3 - First Test - Motor Trend
It's the sound that hits you first. Roll into the throttle at 2000 rpm and rising above the raspy whir behind is a single sonorous wail -- like the bass notes belted out by the Wagner tubas of Der Ring des Nibelungen. This Wagnerian tone lasts for only a second as the rapidly soaring engine speed leans out the brassy resonance and elevates the pitch to that familiar flat-six howl. But this is no normal Porsche 911, this is the 2010 GT3 -- the purest evolution of the breed.
As in versions past, the GT3 badge means normally aspirated power and a heavy focus on racing -- a tradition Porsche does not take lightly.
Just look at the intensive give and take that went into the 2010 GT3's engine development. Displacement jumps from 3.6 to 3.8 liters via enlarged cylinder bores (100 mm to 102.7 mm) that require steel liners weighing 7.7 pounds more than the previous version. Stricter European emission standards demanded a more sophisticated version of VarioCam, Porsche's adjustable intake and exhaust camshaft system. This added another 4.4 pounds, yet Porsche claims the 2010 GT3's entire engine weighs 2.2 pounds less the previous version.
To achieve such a feat, no part of the powertrain was left untouched, save the crankcase. The seven oil pumps of the dry sump lubrication system were put on a strict diet as were the a/c compressor and dual mass flywheel. Forged pistons, titanium connecting rods, hollow camshafts, and special lightweight valves and cup tappets not only reduce mass, they allow for a maximum engine speed of 8250 rpm -- 100 rpm higher than the previous GT3.
Then there is the complex exhaust system; though composed of a complicated arrangement of fan-type manifolds, boxy catalytic convertors, and presilencers connected via ECU controlled butterfly valves to a single transverse mounted muffler, the system weighs 2.2 pounds less than the older system on the previous GT3. What's more, the new system significantly reduces back pressure and adds 14.7 foot pounds of performance (and that deep bass roar) at the push of a dash mounted sport button.
Net result of all of these improvements? A claim few manufacturers can make; despite jumping 200cc, the GT3 still puts out roughly 115 naturally aspirated horsepower per liter -- 435 horsepower at 7600 rpm and 317 lb-ft of torque at 6250 rpm.
2010 Porsche 911 GT3 - First Test - Motor Trend
It's the sound that hits you first. Roll into the throttle at 2000 rpm and rising above the raspy whir behind is a single sonorous wail -- like the bass notes belted out by the Wagner tubas of Der Ring des Nibelungen. This Wagnerian tone lasts for only a second as the rapidly soaring engine speed leans out the brassy resonance and elevates the pitch to that familiar flat-six howl. But this is no normal Porsche 911, this is the 2010 GT3 -- the purest evolution of the breed.
As in versions past, the GT3 badge means normally aspirated power and a heavy focus on racing -- a tradition Porsche does not take lightly.
Just look at the intensive give and take that went into the 2010 GT3's engine development. Displacement jumps from 3.6 to 3.8 liters via enlarged cylinder bores (100 mm to 102.7 mm) that require steel liners weighing 7.7 pounds more than the previous version. Stricter European emission standards demanded a more sophisticated version of VarioCam, Porsche's adjustable intake and exhaust camshaft system. This added another 4.4 pounds, yet Porsche claims the 2010 GT3's entire engine weighs 2.2 pounds less the previous version.
To achieve such a feat, no part of the powertrain was left untouched, save the crankcase. The seven oil pumps of the dry sump lubrication system were put on a strict diet as were the a/c compressor and dual mass flywheel. Forged pistons, titanium connecting rods, hollow camshafts, and special lightweight valves and cup tappets not only reduce mass, they allow for a maximum engine speed of 8250 rpm -- 100 rpm higher than the previous GT3.
Then there is the complex exhaust system; though composed of a complicated arrangement of fan-type manifolds, boxy catalytic convertors, and presilencers connected via ECU controlled butterfly valves to a single transverse mounted muffler, the system weighs 2.2 pounds less than the older system on the previous GT3. What's more, the new system significantly reduces back pressure and adds 14.7 foot pounds of performance (and that deep bass roar) at the push of a dash mounted sport button.
Net result of all of these improvements? A claim few manufacturers can make; despite jumping 200cc, the GT3 still puts out roughly 115 naturally aspirated horsepower per liter -- 435 horsepower at 7600 rpm and 317 lb-ft of torque at 6250 rpm.
