What's the news?
Porsche has unveiled the latest icon for keen driving enthusiasts at the Geneva Motor Show, in the form of the 911 GT3. While the rest of the 991-shape 911 range has gone turbocharged, this thing remains normally aspirated - and the even better news for the petrolhead fraternity is that, unlike its immediate predecessor, a manual gearbox is once again offered on the GT3.
Exterior
Little has changed here, with the GT3 still evidently all about serious driving. There's a fixed carbon fibre rear wing providing some proper downforce on the rear axle, while the lightweight nose construction and front splitter have been aerodynamically optimised; as has the rear bumper, which now features new air vents and an underbody diffuser.
Interior
Choose from the standard Sports Plus seats with enhanced side bolsters and mechanical adjustment, adaptive Sports Plus seats with 18-way electrical adjustment, Sports bucket seats with a manual adjustment, or the top option - carbon-fibre reinforced plastic full buckets seats with a carbon-weave finish. We reckon these last chairs, expensive though they'll be, will the most popular choice for the affluent buyers of this particular 911. In front of the driver sits a 360mm steering wheel originating from the 918 Spyder, while the empty rear wells normally occupied by back seats are now carpeted in the GT3. Porsche will also offer as standard a Connect Plus module for the Porsche Communication Management infotainment and the Track Precision app - allowing GT3 drivers to display, record and analyse detailed driving data on their smartphone.
Mechanicals
The 3.8-litre flat-six of what enthusiasts call the 991.1 GT3 has been replaced with the 4.0-litre boxer unit of the previous GT3 RS. This means 500hp powering something that weighs 1,430kg. That makes it the most powerful road-going 'plain' GT3 yet made, which rather bodes well for the inevitable 991.2 GT3 RS. It has various tweaks and upgrades to the previous GT3's chassis, which was hardly a duffer to start with, so highlights of the new car are that it is 25mm lower than a Carrera S and fitted with rear-axle steering - but the really big news here is the reintroduction of a six-speed manual gearbox.
When the 991.1 GT3 came out in 2013, it drew the ire of Porsche aficionados for only being fitted with the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. That gearbox is still offered, of course, but at least now those who prefer three pedals in the footwell of their GT3 will be happy. Fitted with the manual, this hardcore 911 does 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds and goes on to 319km/h. Opt for PDK and the top speed is marginally reduced, to 317km/h, but the car's extra ratio and launch control function strips half a second from the benchmark sprint, 0-100km/h taking just 3.4 seconds - that's a tenth quicker than the old 475hp car.
Anything else?
Following its debut in Geneva, the 911 GT3 goes on sale in Porsche Centres across Ireland immediately, with first deliveries arriving in early summer. Prices are yet to be confirmed.