2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Reveal Is 6 Minutes of Aural Delight
2022 version of GT3 unleashes 502 horsepower of naturally aspirated boxer-six fury at Nürburgring-Nordschleife.
The second the new 992 Porsche 911 debuted, a clock started in the enthusiast community, measuring the time that would pass until Porsche unveiled the newest GT3 model. That clock has stopped. The next generation of the GT3 starts now with the 2022 model.
Porsche kicked it off with a six-minute video showcasing the 2022 GT3 blasting through the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. The footage lasts nearly that long and most of it is filled with the raspy hum and mechanical wail of the GT3’s naturally aspirated 4.0-liter boxer-six engine. Its origins date back to the 2019 911 Speedster, but Porsche updated it for the GT3 by equipping it with new pistons. Six individual throttle bodies sharpen throttle response and provide quicker access to the big six’s 502 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque. A dry sump oiling system keeps it lubricated during high-speed track maneuvers. It’s performed plenty of those in the track-only 911 GT3 Cup race car, which Porsche states has an engine that’s “virtually identical” to the unit in the new GT3.
To keep lap times as low as possible, Porsche gives the 2022 GT3 a seven-speed version of its dual-clutch PDK transmission as standard equipment. For those who prefer a more human connection, a six-speed manual gearbox is available. Both transmissions are connected to a shifter that looks like the shift lever for a three-pedal car.
The new GT3 is able to hold the road with an even tighter grip thanks to the widening of key dimensions. The front track is 1.9 inches wider compared to that of the 911 Carrera and joins forces with a double-wishbone front suspension derived from the 911 RSR and 911 GT3 Cup cars, and an updated multilink rear suspension setup. The specially developed performance summer tires, 255/35ZR in the front and 315/30ZR in the back, are 10 millimeters broader than before and surround 20-inch-by-9.5-inch front wheels that are half an inch wider and 21-inch-by-12-inch rear wheels that are up one inch in diameter. The RS-spec street legal track tires Porsche used on the GT3 when it set a 6:59.927 time on the 12.9-mile configuration of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife are available as an option.
Those new wheels save 3.5 pounds of unsprung weight and sit in front of a set of standard cast iron brake rotors. The optional Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes measure 410 millimeters in diameter up front and 390 millimeters across in the rear.
Porsche made several cosmetic changes to the GT3 that are equal parts form and function. To save weight, it made the hood, rear wing and fixed rear spoiler out of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The new front fascia has integrated ducts that channel cooling air to the brakes. Both the front spoiler lip and front diffuser are adjustable to suit street and track driving.
There’s another diffuser with large fins out back and a large adjustable rear wing with what Porsche calls “swan-neck connections” (aka the pedestal brackets are attached to the top of the wing instead of the bottom). In its tamest aero configuration, the new GT3 generates up to 50 percent more downforce than its predecessor; when that aero is set to maximum attack mode, the GT3’s downforce increases by roughly 150 percent.
Aside from the manual-look shifter, the cockpit features a drive mode selector on the 360-millimeter GT3 Multifunction Sport steering wheel, as well as a simplified “Track Screen” that only displays relevant vital info. Four-way buckets are standard. The midrange seats offer 18-way adjustability. At the end of the performance spectrum is a pair of carbon fiber buckets which are approximately 26 pounds lighter than the base seats.
Pricing and other important info on the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 will come out closer to its on-sale date, which is scheduled to be sometime this fall.
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