Porsche prices track-honed 911 GT3 from $369,700

PORSCHE Cars Australia (PCA) has at last confirmed the pricing and local specification details of its inbound 911 GT3, with the track-honed lightweight due to arrive Down Under in the second half of the year priced from $369,700 plus on-road costs.

That new sticker price marks a $42,600 increase over the old model which arrived in Australia in 2017 priced from $327,100, however PCA justified the price hike through the increased performance and new technology included in the package.

The star of the GT3 show has long been its free-revving naturally aspirated engine and it is the same story here with the atmospheric flat-six displacing 4.0 litres and developing 375kW at 8400rpm and 470Nm of torque at particularly peaky 6100rpm.

Those outputs are up 7kW/10Nm over the previous version and the engine will keep on revving to a 9000rpm redline.

According to Porsche GT road car engines project manager Thomas Mader, the GT3’s mill went through more than 22,000 hours of high-impact testing and is derived heavily from the brand’s racing engines.

“The engine in our 911 GT3 Cup racecar essentially differs in respect of just two components: the exhaust system and the engine control unit,” he said.

“Everything else is identical.”

When all is said and done, the bespoke 4.0-litre engine is paired with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission with drive in both cases being sent to the rear wheels.

Zero to 100km/h is dealt with in 3.4 seconds (PDK), 0-200km/h is done in 10.8 and top speed is pegged at 320km/h (manual).

The other key elements of the GT3 recipe is a light kerb weight (1418kg/1435kg), track-honed underpinnings and some of the most aggressive aero features to be seen on a road car.

Porsche aerodynamics engineer Mathias Roll said more than 160 hours of the GT3’s aerodynamic development were passed in a wind tunnel with the new model generating up to 150 per cent more downforce at 200km/h than its predecessor.

“Not only are the components very similar to those used in our racecars, the development methods are also similar,” he said.

“In our ultra-modern wind tunnel in Weissach, we do not just drive straight ahead, we simulate every conceivable driving situation.

“We make the car roll, pitch and yaw in order to simulate the physical influences on the track.”

Besides the racecar aero, the GT3 boasts a multitude of hardware designed to make it as capable as possible on a track including a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic bonnet, lightweight glass windows, optimised brake discs (408x34mm up front, 380x30mm rears) grabbed by six- and four-piston callipers respectively, forged light-alloy wheels, double-wishbone front suspension with a multi-link rear axle, roll cage, adjustable Porsche Active Suspension Management system, rear-wheel steering and variable ratio electromechanical power steering.

While being the track-star of the range – until the inevitable GT3 RS comes along – the GT3 is not scant on standard features with most of the kit list matching that of the regular 911 range.

Global highlights include the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) 10.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a pair of 7.0-inch instrument cluster displays, the latter of which features a track screen function that displays vital vehicle data including tyre pressure, oil pressure and temperature, water temperature and fuel level.

Australian delivered cars meanwhile will also come with metallic paint, tinted LED headlights, auto-dimming mirrors with rain sensor, rear ParkAssist reversing camera, front axle lifting system, tyre sealant, electric air compressor and digital radio.

PCA has sold 84 911s so far this year ending March, making it the dominant force within the $200,000-plus sportscar segment with a 33.1 per cent sale share, double the amount of any other offering.

2021 Porsche 911 pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs