Updated Porsche 911 GT3 set to ignite track car scene with GT3 RS-inspired upgrades
Shorter gearing, fresh styling and optional back seats add even more appeal to Porsche’s new 911 GT3
The hardcore Porsche 911 GT3 has been updated, bringing buyers powertrain upgrades and even more customisation. Available to order from the end of the year, the new GT3 992.2 will cost from £157,300, and will reach customers a few months later.
The new model is available in both standard and Touring Package forms and comes with either a seven-speed PDK or six-speed manual gearbox, plus features a number of technical enhancements driven by development made on the hardcore GT3 RS.
These include modified cylinder heads and sharper camshafts derived from the RS that further improve performance and response at the high end of the rev range. New flow-optimised individual throttle valves and oil coolers have also been added, while the gearing is eight per cent shorter on both PDK and manual transmissions.
The peak power output is the same as before, at 503bhp, and the key performance figures of 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds for the PDK and 3.9 seconds for the manual are unchanged, too.
In keeping with the new 992.2 Carrera, there’s a range of subtle visual updates, including new headlights that come with the option of a white accent ring on the top-spec Matrix LED units. Under these sits a redesigned bumper with the option of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) accent panels and a subtly reprofiled splitter.
At the rear there’s a new LED light strip, more aggressive lower bumper and reformed side plates on the wing. As before, the Touring does without a wing, instead retaining the active spoiler from lesser Carreras fitted with a subtle gurney flap. Both standard and Touring cars also pick up a set of subtly redesigned forged wheels in a staggered 20-inch and 21-inch size that help cut weight by an additional 1.5kg in total.
Porsche has developed a new CFRP bucket seat with a folding backrest for the first time; previous carbon fibre buckets had a fixed back and limited adjustment. This also aids access into the back of the cabin, which can be fitted with optional rear seats for the first time in a GT3, albeit with the Touring Package only.
The rest of the interior has also been updated to the latest 992.2 spec, including the adoption of a fully digital instrument cluster. One key element is that the standard 911’s new start button has replaced the previous rotating knob to wake the flat-six up.
Another first is the availability of the Weissach package on a standard GT3, bringing with it many of the design and performance elements from the GT3 RS. These include an anti-roll bar, coupling rods and a shear panel all built in CFRP. Plus there’s enhanced use of Porsche’s soft-touch Race-Tex fabric around the cabin, plus further CFRP elements including the mirror covers, roof and rear wing endplates. The RS’s magnesium wheels and CFRP roll cage can also be specified.
Touring customers also have the option of their own lightweight ‘Leichtbau’ package incorporating the same CFRP technical elements, magnesium wheels, lightweight door panels and the shortened gear lever from Porsche’s limited-run 911 ST.
A new GT3 RS is still a little while away, but is likely to show up towards the end of next year or early 2026.
Click here for our list of the best performance cars on sale...
