This is the big one. While the idea of
turbocharged 911 Carreras
has been begrudgingly accepted by most,
the GT3
is a very different matter. The benefits turbocharging brings in terms of easy torque and improved efficiency will appeal to the average sports car buyer looking at regular 911. The drawbacks it presents in terms of dulled response and a reduced willingness to rev are the worst things for a prospective GT3 buyer to hear.
A 500hp standard GT3 would be nice!
As yet we don't know what the engine the GT3 facelift will have. If it follows both the
996 and 997
, we can expect a little more power (typically around 20hp) plus the interior and exterior styling updates introduced on the Carreras. Without wishing to fan the flames of speculation too far, could the 3.8 make way for the 4.0-litre of
the RS
in light of its early issues? It would make that 20hp gain nice and easy...
Now identifying a 911 facelift isn't the easiest job at the best of times, but it's made harder here by the fact that this GT3 combines bits of 991.I and 991.II. At the front you'll see larger new intakes, and that camo hides LED indicators. The back remains the same, and the wheels are from a Turbo. So there's not a lot to discuss just yet, but first sighting of a new GT3 is newsworthy to us!
As for when the 991.II GT3 will actually be seen and released, it's again probably best to look back to the 997. The 997.II Carrera was announced in June 2008, with details of the GT3 following in May 2009. By that logic we can expect news on the GT3 in August this year, which would tie in quite nicely with a motor show debut at Paris in September. More info as we receive it!
Images: S. Baldauf/S.B. Medien