2018 Porsche 911 GT3 in Riverside

The engine of the new 911 GT3 is not meant as a friendly Swabian gesture, but as a throwing down of the gauntlet. To everyday life. To physics. But, above all, to all the other drivers on the racetracks of this world.

Brief for the new engine: naturally aspirated engine from motorsport, low down in the rear, six cylinders, horizontally opposed pistons. A full four liters of displacement. And high performance potential with unadulterated sound.

The new drive unit was developed – where else? – in Flacht. Particularly robust and powerful, it is based on the engine fitted in the 911 GT3 Cup.

The oil supply principle, which uses a separate engine oil tank, and the concept of four valves per cylinder with cam followers and rigid valve train have also been derived directly from motorsport.

From its impressive capacity of 3,996 cm³, the engine draws a maximum power output of 368 kW (500 hp). With Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK), fitted as standard, the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 3.4 seconds and top track speed is 318 km/h. With the optional 6-speed GT sports manual transmission*, the time is 3.9 seconds. Top speed? Not reached until 320 km/h.

At Porsche, natural aspiration also means a high-revving concept. The needle in the 911 GT3 doesn’t hit red until 9,000 rpm. Maximum torque is 460 Nm – some 20 Nm more than is offered by the predecessor model. It is available at 6,000 rpm, while maximum power output is achieved at 8,250 rpm.

As far as the efficiency of the engine – and its power output – is concerned, direct fuel injection (DFI) makes a decisive contribution. It does so with millisecond precision and a pressure of up to 200 bar. For optimum mixture formation and combustion in the combustion chamber. And, relative to the engine’s high power output, it helps to achieve favourable fuel consumption and comparatively low CO2 emissions.

VarioCam

VarioCam is an engine timing concept that distinguishes between various engine speeds and load states so that timing can be adapted to suit the current power demand. It regulates not only the adjustment of the intake camshafts but also the exhaust camshafts in order to deliver increased power and torque.

Adjustment takes place imperceptibly under the control of the electronic engine management. The result is very smooth running and, above all, high power and torque across the entire engine speed range.

High-revving concept

The valves are operated by cam followers – a principle derived from motorsport. Clearance compensation between the camshafts and valves of the new 911 GT3 is realized not by hydraulic means, but by shim plates as part of a solid arrangement. This kind of valve timing design provides greater robustness and enables remarkably high engine speeds even under hard use.

Motorsport principles are also applied to the engine’s oil supply. Continued lubrication is vital, especially at very high engine speeds of up to 9,000 rpm and under the effects of the particularly high lateral and longitudinal acceleration that can be experienced on the racetrack.

Seven scavenge pumps in total return the engine oil quickly and efficiently to the external oil tank. Together with a new oil pressure pump offering fully variable displacement, optimum oil pressure is assured in all operating conditions. This system provides reliable lubrication of hard-working components and increases the robustness of the engine under heavy use on the racetrack.

Also new is the particularly efficient supply of oil to the heavily loaded connecting rod bearings. This is realized by a central oil feed into the crankshaft. Another innovation sees the oil efficiently defoamed by a centrifuge before it is delivered to the separate oil tank. This engineering solution originates from high-performance motorsport and is also used in the Porsche 919 Hybrid, an LMP1 class competitor.

The new 911 GT3 is factory-filled with Mobil 1 fully synthetic high-performance engine oil. The excellent lubrication properties of this oil ensure a reliable cold start, even at very low temperatures, and contribute not least to the durability of the engine.

Intake manifold & Sports exhaust system

Intake manifold

In interaction with the sports exhaust system, the variable intake manifold in synthetic material and featuring two switchable resonance flaps helps to ensure efficient gas cycles.

This results in an impressive torque curve, a high maximum torque and high power output across a broad engine speed range.

Sports exhaust system

The sports exhaust system of the new 911 GT3 has two front silencers, two catalytic converters and one rear silencer, which discharges into the central twin-tract tailpipes. The large volume of the exhaust system reduces exhaust back pressure and thus increases power output.

In response to data provided by two Lambda sensors, the stereo Lambda control circuits regulate the composition of the exhaust gas separately in each exhaust tract. Another pair of sensors monitor pollutant conversion in the respective catalytic converters.

Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK)

Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) is part of Porsche motorsport history. In 1986 and 1987, the Porsche 962 secured overall victories in Le Mans – with the Doppelkupplung dual-clutch transmission that had undergone continuous development since the 1960s. The rapid gear changes added up to seconds and, over the course of 24-hour races, to minutes that would ultimately lead to era-defining victories.

Today, PDK is continuing to set standards – this time in series production. With gear changes that take place in milliseconds and with no interruption in the flow of power – for faster acceleration and moderate fuel consumption.

But it gets even better. In the 911 GT3, PDK boasts an even sportier setup – with the short gear ratios specific to the 911 GT3 and the crisp, short movements of the gearshift paddles.

The racing feel is down to seven performance-oriented gears, where even 7th gear has a sports ratio engineered for maximum speed. Manual operation of the gear selector is based on the established motorsport principle: back to shift up, forward to shift down.

This is how it works. PDK is essentially two gearboxes in one and thus requires two clutches. This double-clutch arrangement provides an alternating, non-positive connection between the two half gearboxes and the engine by means of two separate input shafts. During a gear change, therefore, one clutch simply opens and the other closes at the same time, enabling gear changes to take place within milliseconds.

All that has consequences, not least for acceleration, for overall performance and for fuel economy. Driving feels even more dynamic and agility is increased.

What about the gear changes themselves? You’ll feel them and you’ll hear them. The electronic transmission control logic of the Intelligent Shift Program (ISP) offers more immediate and faster traction-induced upshifts and downshifts on overrun. In PDK SPORT mode, downshifts under braking are more aggressive while, under acceleration, the shift points are raised even further. So changing up a gear becomes a physical experience – and an emotive one.

6-speed GT sports manual transmission*

In all honesty, we can’t promise you a particularly great deal at this point. Apart from a whole lot of effort, sweat, aching muscles and tears. Tears of joy, that is, because the optional 6-speed GT sports manual transmission brings pure, hands on pleasure back to the cockpit.

Six performance-oriented gears are available for you to select, with every single bite of the clutch also accompanied by a surge of adrenaline.

Your job: hand and leg work. Lots of it. The shift throw? Extremely short. Every gear change? Exceedingly precise.

With the 6-speed GT sports manual transmission, the focus is not on every tenth of a second, but on unconditional driving pleasure and unfiltered emotion.

By the by, the 911 GT3 with manual transmission including dual-mass flywheel and mechanically locking rear differential saves approximately 17 kg.

What does this mean for you? Unfiltered driving pleasure. On twisting roads as well as on the racetrack. In a thoroughbred sports car that will move you to tears of joy, time and time again.

The dynamic throttle-blip function gives your emotions no respite. And the sound will be music to your ears. No matter which gear you’re in.

It’s nine in the morning. A typical Tuesday like any other. Or a Wednesday. Rolling green hills all around. The sun comes out. An idyllic Swabian scene.

The peace is shattered by a test car. It streaks across the Weissach test track. It drives through the northern corner, then the Can-Am-Nord section and then the Bott chicane. The Alter Hof ascent? Leaves it be on the left. In second gear, it negotiates the crest of Flacht. At high speed down onto the long straight – the hallowed halls of the Motorsport department sweep by in the side window. And back it goes once again to the northern corner. And again. And again. And so it continues month after month. That’s fine-tuning.

What might sound like racing dedication is actually, and above all, a question of philosophy. Not so much that of Plato, Hegel and Kant, but rather the philosophy of fine-tuning and, more specifically, the chassis of the new 911 GT3. And that, too, is a complex business.

For a further improvement to driving dynamics, the new 911 GT3 benefits from a new chassis setup.

The results: excellent pitch, roll and directional stability and extraordinary steering precision. Long-distance comfort wasn’t ignored either. To achieve all that, we think putting in a few thousand extra laps is worth the while.

Toe angle, camber and anti-roll bars can also be adjusted individually for racetrack use.

Fitted as standard, rear-axle steering combines performance and everyday driveability. An electromechanical adjustment system at each rear wheel enables the steering angle to be adapted based on the current driving situation, steering input and vehicle speed.

Advantage at low speeds: the system steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction to that of the front wheels. This has the virtual effect of shortening the wheelbase. Negotiating tight corners becomes a more dynamic experience, while parking becomes easier to manage and the turning circle is reduced.

Advantage at higher speeds: the system steers the rear wheels in the same direction as that of the front wheels. Thanks to this virtual extension of the wheelbase, driving stability and agility are increased – especially in the event of fast lane changes or during overtaking maneuvering on the racetrack.

Dynamic engine mounts

On the racetrack in particular, the unforgiving forces of physics should certainly not be underestimated. But they can be exploited. Not least in the interests of dynamic performance. This is what we do with dynamic engine mounts.

This electronically controlled system minimises the perceptible oscillations and vibrations of the entire drivetrain, especially the engine, and combines the benefits of a hard or soft engine mounting arrangement.

A hard engine mounting delivers optimum dynamic performance because it offers the highest degree of handling precision possible. Soft engine mounts, on the other hand, minimize oscillations and vibrations. While comfort is improved on uneven road surfaces, this comes at the expense of dynamic performance.

Our engineers have solved this problem by enabling the stiffness and damping performance of the engine mounts to adapt to changes in driving style and road surface conditions. This has been achieved by the use of a fluid with magnetic properties in interaction with an electromagnetic field.

With a harder engine mounting, handling is perceptibly more stable under load change conditions and in fast corners. The dynamic engine mount system also reduces the vertical oscillations of the engine when accelerating under full load. The results are greater and more uniform drive force at the rear axle, increased traction and better acceleration. Whenever a less assertive driving style is adopted, the dynamic engine mounts automatically soften to provide a heightened level of comfort.

The 20-inch 911 GT3 wheels are silver colored as standard and made from a forged alloy. The central locking device bearing the ‘GT3’ logo is the essence of motorsport. Compared with the conventional five wheel bolts, it offers enhanced performance thanks to the reduction in rotating masses. And, of course, it ensures a faster wheel change.

Tire sizes:
245/35 ZR 20 on 9 J x 20 at the front
305/30 ZR 20 on 12 J x 20 at the rear

Road-approved sports tires on the new 911S help to provide the necessary grip. Bear in mind, however, that the reduced tread depth increases the risk of aquaplaning on wet surfaces.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is fitted as standard. Not only does it issue warnings in the event of a gradual or sudden loss of pressure, it also features a racetrack mode. This factors in the lower inflation pressure of cold tires before an outing on the circuit.

Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)

This electronic active damping system offers continuous adjustment of the damping force on each wheel based on the current driving situation and your driving style.

At the press of a button, you can select between two different modes. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for sporty driving on public roads and on wet racetracks. ‘Sport’ mode is specially tuned for maximum lateral acceleration and offers the best possible traction on the track.

Porsche Stability Management (PSM)

PSM automatically helps to maintain stability even at the limits of dynamic driving performance. In addition to the anti-lock braking system, it includes Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control (TC).

Sensors continuously monitor the direction, speed, yaw velocity and lateral acceleration of the car. Using this information, PSM is able to calculate the actual direction of travel at any given moment. If the car begins to oversteer or understeer, PSM applies selective braking on individual wheels to restore stability.

What’s special about PSM in the new 911 GT3? The systems intervene with exceptional sensitivity and precision and can be completely deactivated in two stages for deliberately sporty handling.

Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV)

PTV Plus has been specially adapted to the new 911 GT3. In conjunction with PDK, fitted as standard, the system operates with an electronically regulated and fully variable rear differential lock.

Numerous driving parameter inputs are the basis for the system’s active control of the differential lock. The results are greater traction, particularly at the limits of dynamic performance, increased lateral dynamics and a significant improvement in driving stability under the effects of load changes in corners and when the car changes lane.

PTV – in conjunction with the optional GT sports manual transmission – operates with a mechanically regulated rear differential lock.

On surfaces with less grip, such as in the wet, each system strategically brakes the right or left rear wheel. This means that, whenever the car enters a corner, brake pressure is applied to the inside rear wheel. Consequently, a greater amount of drive force is distributed to the outside rear wheel, improving steering response and increasing agility.

The result: unrivalled pleasure at every twist and turn. It’s just as well there happens to be so many waiting on the racetrack.

The new 911 GT3 also demonstrates top performance when it comes to negative acceleration. Here, we rely on our expertise of many years as well as technologies that have passed the acid test of motorsport.

The new 911 GT3 is equipped as standard with a particularly powerful brake system with a specifically matched brake booster. The red six-piston aluminium brake calipers on the front axle and the four-piston equivalents at the rear are designed as monobloc units. This makes them highly resistant to deformation and enables a more rapid response and release of the brake, even under heavy loads.

The brake discs are 380 mm in diameter, front and rear. Thanks to their two-piece construction with cast iron brake discs and aluminium brake chambers, they save weight and thereby reduce unsprung and rotating masses. The brake discs are cross-drilled and internally vented for powerful braking even in adverse weather conditions. Or when pitted against the challenges of motorsport.

Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB)

Flacht is something like the gateway between the race car and the series production sports car. The optional Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) is the best example. In numerous racing series, including the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, it has been proven to withstand the harshest demands of the track.

PCCB dimensions are sized to match the performance potential of the new 911 GT3. That’s why the cross-drilled ceramic brake discs have a diameter of 410 mm at the front and 390 mm at the rear – for even more formidable braking performance.

The use of six-piston aluminium monobloc fixed brake calipers on the front axle and four-piston units at the rear – all finished in yellow – ensures extremely high brake forces which, crucially, are exceptionally consistent.

PCCB enables shorter braking distances in even the toughest road and race conditions. Safety under high-speed braking is also improved thanks to its excellent fade resistance.

The key advantage of PCCB is the extremely low weight of the ceramic brake discs, which are approximately 50 % lighter than standard discs of a similar design and size. As well as enhancing performance and fuel economy, this represents a major reduction in unsprung and rotating masses.

This results in better roadholding and increased comfort, particularly on uneven roads. Plus greater agility and further improved handling.

Airbags and Porsche Side Impact Protection System (POSIP)

Advanced airbag technology is integrated in the form of full-size driver and passenger airbags, which are inflated in two stages depending on the severity and type of accident.

The Porsche Side Impact Protection System (POSIP) also comes as standard. It comprises side impact protection elements in the doors and two side airbags on each side: an integral thorax airbag in each seat side bolster, and an upwards-inflating head airbag incorporated within each door.

Airbags and Porsche Side Impact Protection System (POSIP)

In an era of intensifying debate about global climate change and CO2 emissions, every automotive manufacturer is asking what it has to offer right now. Our answer? Excellent performance together with excellent efficiency.

Emission control

Vehicles manufactured by Porsche demonstrate that even high-performance sports cars can achieve relatively moderate fuel consumption and exhaust emission values in their respective category.

This is accomplished, on the one hand, through the efficient use of fuel by means of efficiency-enhancing technologies such as direct fuel injection (DFI).

On the other hand, catalytic converters with stereo Lambda control circuits provide efficient emission control.

Recycling

Intelligent lightweight construction has been integral to the Porsche identity since the very beginning. Today, it is achieved by the purposeful use of lightweight polyurethane, aluminum and magnesium. All materials selected are easily recyclable. Recycled plastics are used where they meet our exacting technical requirements.

Fuel

All Porsche models – including the 911 GT3 – are designed to operate on fuels with an ethanol content of up to 10 %, e.g. ‘E10’. Ethanol has a positive impact on the CO2 balance because it is derived from plants that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.

Our wealth of experience goes back a long way. Since the very beginning, we at Porsche have been dedicated to realizing customer wishes as part of our special request service. Known until 1986 as the Porsche ‘Sonderwunschprogramm’, today we call it Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. The philosophy has remained the same. Hand on heart.

We love what we do. We love our work. Every seam, every square inch of leather, and every single other fine detail receives the same devotion. It’s how we bring dreams to life. And how we create something unique. Directly from the Manufaktur.

None of this would be possible without fulfilll & personalization, inspiration and enthusiasm, beginning as early as the consultation stage. That’s because we keep in mind one thing above all else: your particular wishes and requirements. We fulfil them with composure and meticulous care, by means of precision handcrafting and the use of exquisite materials such as leather, Alcantara®, carbon or aluminium.

Added value is achieved through dedication and finesse. In other words, we handcraft a product that blends sporty performance, comfort and style and reflects your own personal taste. A Porsche with your signature touch.

We offer a wide range of fulfill & personalization options, with visual and technical enhancements for the interior and exterior, from a single alteration to extensive modifications.

With the Porsche Tequipment range of accessories developed specifically for your 911, you can style it entirely to your own preference. From the start, the same rules that apply to our vehicles also apply to the products of Porsche Tequipment: developed, tested and proven at the Development Centre in Weissach. By the same Porsche engineers and designers who made your car. Designed with the complete vehicle in mind and precisely tailored to your Porsche.

And your original car warranty? It will remain completely intact, whichever Tequipment products you ask your Porsche Centre to fit.

The interior of a sports car is like an athlete’s clothing: it must fit perfectly and feel like a second skin. Only then can human and machine function as a single, sporty entity. To deliver superlative performance, the driver needs information that can be accessed quickly and an interior ergonomics concept that enables even faster use of it.

The requirement is fulfilled by an ascending center console that places the gear selector within direct reach of the steering wheel, by ergonomic gearshift paddles on the steering wheel itself and by conveniently positioned controls that dispense with unnecessary gadgetry but do open up new possibilities on the racetrack. Over 30,000 racing victories were not achieved by engine power alone.

Instruments

Precise not fanciful, minimalist not trendy. True to Porsche style, the five round instruments integrated into the cockpit lead the way. The rev counter resides in the middle. Its dial is titanium colored and bears the ‘GT3’ logo.

The instrument cluster with 4.6-inch color screen provides you with a continuous stream of data from the on-board computer, including average speed and fuel consumption, fuel range and outside temperature, and allows you to view Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) information as well as the stopwatch of the optional Chrono Package. It also reminds you of your selected communication and audio settings or displays the map of the navigation system – but only for the rare occasion you aren’t on the racetrack.

Interior materials

Durability, stability and resilience. These are the essential ingredients for materials in a sporty environment. It is an environment dominated by Alcantara®, leather and silver-colored interior parts and brushed aluminum. Here, first and foremost, materials must be practical – and top quality. The fact that they also have the motorsport feel is a welcome bonus.

Alcantara® is easy to grip, wash and maintain. For this reason, it is mainly found in places where there is direct contact: on the steering wheel rim and gear selector as well as on the door handles, door armrests and lid of the center console storage compartment. The roof lining and C-pillar trims are also finished in Alcantara®.

Change gear like a motorsport professional – using the Sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles. The sporty shift throw of the paddles is authentically short, making gearshifts even more direct and precise.

The Sports steering wheel offers up to 40 mm of height and reach adjustment. The steering wheel rim in black Alcantara® is easy to grip and remains in firm hands, even on sporty drives.

Useful before yet another left-right chicane on the racetrack: the top center marking in red, available as an option.

The ‘Porsche Track Precision App’ enables your driving stats to be displayed in detail, logged and analyzed on your device. The lap timer can be stopped automatically by means of the precise 10-Hz GPS signal of PCM, manually using the control stalk of the optional Chrono Package or, for even greater precision, by the optional lap trigger available from Porsche Tequipment. Recorded times can be compared directly from the smartphone.

On the racetrack, dynamic performance is visualized on your smartphone and, in addition to sector and lap times, the app is also able to show how the current lap compares with a previously defined reference lap. Graphical analyses of driving data plus a video analysis help the driver to keep improving driving performance. Recorded stats and circuit and driver profiles can be managed and shared from the smartphone itself.

For even greater precision in your lap time measurements, a lap trigger is available from Porsche Tequipment. This can be placed next to the start/finish line on the circuit where it will clock and share your lap times automatically. For more detailed information, visit www.porsche.com/tequipment to discover everything that the lap trigger has to offer.

Chrono Package

In addition to the analogue and digital stopwatch on the dashboard, the optional Chrono Package boasts even greater functionality. PCM is upgraded to include a special performance display, enabling you to view, store and evaluate recorded lap times. In this way, you can see the current lap time and distance, number of laps completed and other times achieved so far. It is also possible to display the current fastest lap and range until empty. Any travelled distances can be recorded and benchmark times defined.

Sound Package Plus

Sound Package Plus, with eight loudspeakers and a total output of 150 watts, delivers excellent sound. The amplifier integrated into Porsche Communication Management (PCM) optimally adapts the acoustic pattern in the vehicle interior to the driver and passenger.

BOSE® Surround Sound System

The optional BOSE® Surround Sound System has been specially developed for the 911 models and is optimally tuned to the specific interior acoustics of these particular vehicles. The audio system features 12 fully active loudspeakers and amplifier channels including a patented 100-watt subwoofer integral to the vehicle bodyshell. This fully active system setup enables each individual loudspeaker to be optimally adapted to the vehicle interior and transforms the 911 GT3 into a fast-moving concert hall. Total output 555 watts.