Take a look at the 2010 model year GT3 and it all looks so subtle, doesn't it? Now you know I'm going to tell you the long list of changes if only to silence your skepticism.
Of all the things making this GT3 really and honestly the best civilian Porsche of all time, item number one is the masses of added downforce fore and aft. All 911 experiences up until the new GT2 included a dose of nervousness. That busy rear end with the axle spitting out all the power and torque available coupled to just a modicum of downforce has consistently made for a dancing front end and a firmer grip on the steering wheel than I'd like.
Thanks to the new design of the 47.3-inch wide fixed rear wing and the extended front chin splitter under larger intakes, at 300 km/h (186 mph) rear downforce is now 132 pounds with 88 pounds in front. These amounts are roughly five times greater than the previous 997 GT3 and they are crucial reasons for the ability to cruise easily at the v-max of 193 mph, frequently with just one hand gripping the steering wheel while I talk with my co-pilot Jesus (he of the Mexican press corps). The difference in the car's confidence and comportment is tremendous.
Former rally champion, chief Porsche tester and Nrburgring know-it-all Walter Rhrl, wisely confirms this. "The secret to the car's big improvements," he says, "is the added downforce." In fact, during a countryside wild ride the champ tells me: "Even if it's wet and raining, I prefer this GT3 racing at the Nrburgring-of course with the optional Pirelli all-season tires and 4mm treads." Just for your knowledge, on perfect dry days he prefers the GT2 for the sheer power and ability to give him 7:31 lap times. This new GT3 with semi-slick Michelin Cup tires laps the Rhrlring in 7:40-a full five seconds quicker than the previous GT3.
Aside from aerodynamic revelations, the other biggest deal here is the new 3.8-liter version of the Porsche flat six. Bore and stroke before on the 3.6-liter engine were 3.94 x 3.00 inches; on the 3.8 they change to 4.04 x 3.01. According to Andreas Preuninger, Porsche motorsport manager for high-performance cars: "We have finally really reached the bore limit with this engine. This is the maximum before we need to create a new engine blueprint." Wall thickness between bores is in fact so thin now that steel cylinder liners have been added for durability as with the GT3 RSR racecars.
This engine is actually based on the flat-six motorsport engine first used for the GT1 Le Mans racer back in 1996. With its heart still in racing, the 3.8-liter mill has not been fitted with Porsche's direct-injection fuel system. Had they done so, practically speaking, private racers would no longer have been able to use the GT3, and that would be bad. And the dual-clutch PDK transmission will never be available for this car. "First, PDK weighs 66 pounds more than the Getrag six-speed manual," says Preuninger. "Then also when I am racing, and want to really finesse the car into a slide, I need a clutch pedal and manual shifter."
