Porsche 911 GT3 Unleashed In India

Porsche has launched the new 911 GT3 in India, seven months after it was officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Enthusiasts have had to wait much longer though, three years to be precise, for the GT3 to be offered with a manual transmission.

In terms of design, the changes on the 991.2 GT3 are not so obvious. At the front, the bumper is all-new, with larger air intakes and a subtler placement of the LED DRLs/indicators. The 20-inch wheels remain unchanged but are shod with improved tyres from Michelin and Dunlop. 

The rear bumper is new too, but the most noticeable change on the whole car is the new rear wing. The signature element of the Porsche 911 GT3 is now placed 20mm higher than before to exploit the flow of air better. Combined with newer underbody elements the whole car now generates 20 per cent more downforce at top speed (318/320kmph depending on the transmission) than the 991.1 GT3. Additional air intakes placed ahead of the rear wing and an air exhaust placed just below the wing help the engine breathe better.

The engine needs a special mention. It is the largest flat 6-cylinder engine ever fitted to a road going Porsche. The 4.0-litre (3,996cc) naturally-aspirated (no turbos here), 6-cylinder motor develops 500PS of maximum power at a heady 8250rpm and 460Nm of peak torque at 6000rpm. 

While the power figures may not be astronomical even by Porsche 911 standards (the GT2 RS' 3.8-litre, twin-turbo flat-six develops 700PS/750Nm), the whole focus of the GT3 is driving dynamics than outright performance. The GT3 is no slow poke though. Paired to the lightning-quick Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission, the GT3 can hit 100kmph from standstill in 3.4 seconds.

Porsche is bringing back the 'fun' manual transmission back to the 911 range. While the utter dominance of the PDK cannot be denied, Porsche received heavy criticism for not giving the track-focussed 991.1 GT3 a manual transmission. This time around, the GT3 gets the same 6-speed unit from the highly acclaimed 911 R. Though slightly slower to 100kmph, at 3.9 seconds, this version of the GT3 promises more smiles.

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Handling has supposedly been improved with the new GT3 featuring improved front and rear suspension. Rear wheel steering, electronically actuated rear differential and active suspension management have been carried over from the previous GT3.

While Porsche has removed unnecessary items from the cabin, including the rear seats and sound deadening material, and added carbon fibre around the car (including the hinges for the engine cover) to keep the weight of the 911 GT3 low, it has not skimped on luxury and technology. The bucket seats can be electronically moved, there is a proper AC unit, and the large central touchscreen infotainment system is connected to a proper surround sound system (for those times when you cannot listen to the opera of the flat six hitting the 9000rpm limiter). A 'Track Precision App' is also available for lap time enthusiasts to check track telemetry after a hard, but fun, day at a racetrack.

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