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Porsche teasing next 911 GT3 Cup racecar with track footage

George Kennedy — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche, Racing

While we are always brimming with anticipation when Porsche rolls out a new 911, we've sort of become accustomed to the progression of debuts that follows the new model's initial unveiling. The Carrera and Carrera S are usually followed by Cabriolet and Cabriolet S, then the Carrera 4 S and so on. It's a fun little pulling-back of the curtain, but we usually know what to expect.

With that in mind, we bring you this video from the German sportscar marker, displaying its 991-generation GT3 Cup in all its stripped-down, track-ready hotness. All Porsche leaves us with is the YouTube description, "One very special Porsche 911. Not for the road. Only for the racetrack." That's all well and good, but if the last 911 and the one before that have taught us anything, it's that Porsche will be taking "strong enough for a track, made for the road" GT3 variant in the not-too-distant future.

In the mean time, feast your eyes on the video below of this race-ready, rear-engined beast.

Continue reading Porsche teasing next 911 GT3 Cup racecar with track footage

Porsche teasing next 911 GT3 Cup racecar with track footage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next 911 GT3 caught on video with PDK transmission

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

There's been debate about whether the 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 will come with a manual transmission or PDK only. Inside Line has said that only one transmission will come to market, and the 911's product chief, August Achleitner, told IL that both transmissions were being tested but that it looked like the PDK would get the nod. Few outside Porsche testing facilities know what the answer final is, but thanks to some spy video, we now know what a PDK-equipped GT3 would sound like.

Other speculation surrounding the everyday racer says that it will be 150 to 200 pounds lighter than the preceding generation, and that its engine has been moved forward a bit to improve handling. Power output is expected to be around 480 horsepower, leaving room for the GT3 RS to hit the 500-hp mark. Check out the video below for the sights and sounds - and note what looks like a Gurney flap on the prototype's unique rear wing.

Continue reading Next 911 GT3 caught on video with PDK transmission

Next 911 GT3 caught on video with PDK transmission originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Porsche 911 GT3 won't be available with a manual gearbox?

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:46:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche

If you were in the market for a Porsche 911 that could play dual roles as track toy and daily driver, the GT3 always fit the bill. And it was a given that you'd find a proper manual gearbox between the seats. According to the latest report, that might not be the case in due time.

InsideLine sat down with the 911's product chief, August Achleitner, who confirmed that the next GT3 is on the way and that Porsche's motorsports division is testing both a manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. However, only one gearbox will make it to production in 2013 and Achleitner believes the PDK will win out.

Whether that decision will be limited to Europe, while a manual option would still be offered in the States (similar to what BMW is doing with the M5) isn't clear, but Achleitner contends that putting the PDK in the GT3 is only logical, particularly given that less than one-third of 911s are fitted with a stick shift.

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 won't be available with a manual gearbox? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche committed to offering manual transmissions as long as there's demand

Noah Joseph — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Porsche

Purists take note: As long as customers ask for it, Porsche will offer the 911 with a manual transmission. This sigh of relief comes from the mouth of the company's CEO Matthias Muller, speaking with Motor Trend editor-in-chief Angus MacKenzie.

The news will undoubtedly come as welcome to those who feared that the smooth-shifting PDK dual-clutch transmission would obviate the availability of a traditional three-pedal stick-shift gearbox. Porsche did, after all, just develop a new seven-speed manual for the new 911, even though the PDK is both smoother and quicker than even the most seasoned heel-and-toer could ever be.

While they were at it, Muller and MacKenzie also confirmed that the new 911 GT3 will remain a manual-only affair, superseding earlier reports and allaying fears that the beloved enthusiasts' favorite would lose a pedal for the clutch in favor of a second automated one.

Porsche committed to offering manual transmissions as long as there's demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Next-gen Porsche GT3 to ditch manual transmission, rear-engine layout and KERS?

Noah Joseph — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Porsche, Rumormill

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Remember simpler times when transmissions came in two flavors? Choosing a manual or an automatic was a straightforward decision: enthusiasts took the manual, commuters took the automatic. The emergence of in-between options like sequential and dual-clutch gearboxes may make it easier if you're an enthusiast who also has to commute, but what does it mean when these robotized transmissions shift faster and smoother than any set of human limbs could ever hope to?

That debate will rage for years to come, but when it comes to one of the world's purest driving machines, we could have our answer right here. According to reports circulating the interwebs, the next-generation Porsche 911 GT3 could lose the choice of a manual altogether, replaced by the PDK dual-clutch transmission. (Of course the stick could, mind you, come back for the yet more hardcore GT3 RS should enthusiasts object.)

That one bit will be enough to have purists up in arms, but that's not the end of it. An enthusiast on the Rennlist forum citing high-up Porsche sources also claims the GT3 will pack a 4.0-liter flat-six with some 480 horsepower on tap and nearly 200 fewer pounds to schlepp around. Purists may also take exception to the point that the engine is slated to move forward from its trademark position behind the rear axle to a more optimal mid-engine layout.

Finally, notions of a streetable implementation of the Williams-developed regenerative braking system from the GT3 R Hybrid is apparently off the table as well - at least for the GT3, anyway. Guess a hybrid, robotic-clutched, mid-engined GT3 would be one step too far, even for the people who came up with the Porsche Cayenne.

Gallery: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3

[Source: Rennlist via 0-60]

Rumormill: Next-gen Porsche GT3 to ditch manual transmission, rear-engine layout and KERS? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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