If you thought that the GT3 couldn’t get any better, here’s a nice surprise. Porsche’s new GT3 is a beast that will increase the pulse of any Porsche purist. And, it also makes me question the need for Viagra.

Porsche has increased the engine displacement by 0.2 liters, from 3.6 to 3.8. And, with an extra 100 revs the engine now screams to an 8,500 red line. This helps to increase the output to 435 horsepower, 20 hp over the former GT3. Add that to the 317 lb/ft of torque at 6,250 and a very slender 3,075 pound curb weight, and the GT3 now rockets to 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds and tops out at 194 mph.

The 3,075 lb curb weight, identical to the previous GT3,  didn’t come easy. A bigger engine, Porsche Active Drivetrain Mounts (PADM), a hydraulic lift system for the front nose, larger front brake discs, and for the first time in a GT3, Porsche Stability Management (PSM) all added to the weight of the car. Porsche’s weight management program evaluated virtually every mechanical piece of the car resulting in new, center-lock wheels, hollow anti-roll bars, and a dual-mass mass flywheel. The larger 3.8 liter engine is now 3.97 pounds lighter than the 3.6 it replaces and the new alloy wheels save 6.6 pounds alone.

Porsche also did their homework in the area of aerodynamics. The new GT3 generates 88 pounds of downforce up front and 154 pounds in the rear at 188 mph. This creates incredible stability at high speeds making 150 mph driving a much more comfortable experience.

With all of these improvements and a very “affordable” $112k price tag, Porsche may have created quite possibly the best car for the money.

Time to start saving my pennies!

Photo by Maxence Jacques