Porsche 911 GT3 manual 2017 first drive

For a start, it gets a unique and aggressively styled polyurathene front bumper that weighs less than before and features a more prominent splitter element that's claimed to slice the air more efficiently, plus a quartet of restyled air ducts that serve to cool the front-mounted radiators and brakes.

The rear bumper, too, is uniquely styled with typical function-over-form modifications, including additional vertical cooling ducts incorporated on each corner to draw hot air away from the engine bay. From above, you also notice changes to the engine lid, which has two new shaped air ram ducts and cooling vents.

The signature design element, however, remains the rear wing. Drawing on more up-to-date aerodynamic data gathered while testing the 2017 911 GT3 in Porsche's newly commissioned wind tunnel at its R&D centre near Stuttgart, Germany, it has been lightly restyled. It is also now mounted 20mm higher and 10mm further back in a move aimed at better harnessing its downforce-inducting qualities. 

What you can’t see unless you get down on your hands and knees is the reworked underbody. Adapted from the 911 R, it differs from that used by the old 911 GT3, with modifications to the rear diffuser and so-called vortex generators that Preuninger claims contributes to a massive 20% increase in downforce on the rear axle; there’s now 155kg more downforce at the car's top speed of 199mph.

Mounted on dynamic engine mounts that stiffen as revs rise to help dampen load change, the new engine revs to a stunning 9000rpm before the ignition cut-out is triggered. Porsche claims it rockets the manual version of the new 911 GT3 from 0-62mph in 3.9sec, which is 0.5sec slower than it quotes for the new dual-clutch model, on the way to 124mph in 11.4sec. 

At start-up, there’s a hard-hitting clap of exhaust accompanied by a familiar metallic thrash from the engine. The unit's internal action sends pulses through your body at idle, further adding to the sensation that the 911 GT3 really is more of a race car tuned for the road than a road car developed for the track.

Easing onto the road in Comfort mode, the ride is more controlled than on the old model, especially in terms compliance over small bumps. As part of Porsche’s efforts to make the 911 GT3 a more agreeable long-distance road car, its adjustable dampers, which can be set to either Comfort or Sport mode, have been modified to provide what Preuninger describes as a wider operating range.

The 911 GT3 is prone to tyre noise, though. In fact, with less sound-deadening material concentrated in the area around the rear bulkhead in an effort to retain the same weight as the old model, there is now more tyre roar. Thankfully, though, it’s more often than not drowned out by the wonderful bass-driven intensity of the exhaust, which remains a true highlight of any journey in this car.

The new 4.0-litre engine is slightly different in character to the old 3.8-litre unit. The increased torque, which arrives 250rpm earlier than before, contributes to greater urgency through the mid-range when you’re really on it in second, third and fourth gears. The new engine also feels more eager across the final 2000rpm, where Preuninger says the added rigidity of the crankcase and other stiffening measures made to the block come into play.

These are mere nuances, but they represent progress, making the new 911 GT3 more effective than ever before. 

The Autopista on-ramp appears, and with the fluids and internals of the engine suitably warmed, I let rip, and within one upshift we’re hauling along at a heady speed. At around 4000rpm, a flap in the exhaust opens up, further elevating the intensity of the exhaust note. The sheer response of the new engine is breathtaking, as is its ability to accept revs. The traffic thins out sufficiently for another surge, this time past the point where peak torque is delivered and on to 7000rpm.

While the exhaust note is quite magnificent, it is the blare of induction concentrated over your shoulder towards the rear wheelarches that's really special. It builds in two distinct stages, firstly at 3800rpm and then again at 6800rpm. The delivery up high is uncannily linear, and there’s still a further 2000rpm to play with.  

It’s not until you find a suitable stretch of road – one that allows you to peg the throttle back for longer periods and run at least two gears all the way to the redline in succession - that the full mind-blowing effect of the 911 GT3’s upgraded engine plays out in full.

When it does, you need to be properly prepared. The heady rush of acceleration accompanied by a frenzied flood of revs that ensues demands your full attention. That's not to say the 911 GT3 is unruly in a straight line in any way. No, the upgraded aerodynamic package ensures it keeps tracking in highly determined fashion. However, the final crescendo up to 9000rpm scrambles your senses as the interior is engulfed with a maddening combination of wind, engine, road, induction and exhaust noise.

Now, here's the part we've all been waiting for: the gearbox. It’s the first manual available since the second generation model ceased production back in 2011, and it's the best yet. The six-speed Getrag unit, brought over from the 911 R, weighs 17kg less than the PDK unit, reducing the new Porsche’s kerbweight to 1413kg and marginally improving its overall power-to-weight ratio in the process. The two gearboxes share the same first, second, third and fourth gear ratios, with fifth and sixth being more heavily overdriven in the manual than the automatic, owing to its lack of a seventh gear. They also have the same 3.76:1 final drive ratio.

First impressions are extremely positive: the dual plate clutch is predictably firm and has a very defined friction point indent. The gearlever, quite short and conveniently positioned just a hand’s span away from the steering wheel, has a superb action, with a heavily spring-loaded feel in both the horizontal and vertical planes. There is an engaging snappiness to each gear change, although shifting does require some heft and determination from the driver, especially on the upshifts, before delivering its best. There is a tiny bit of slack as you come out of each gear, but the inherent precision you encounter with the engagement of the following ratio means you can hurry it across the gates at high revs without any fear of it baulking.

Dial up Sport mode and the gearbox software will blip the throttle to provide perfectly rev-matched downshifts. Paradoxically, it is arguably more involving in Comfort mode, where you’re left to your own devices. The relatively wide spacing of the ratios requires you to be quite explicit on each blip, but get your heel-and-toe action right and you'll be richly rewarded. Applying this understanding to the way you drive this car is crucial to unlocking its performance potential on challenging roads, providing you with the feeling that you’re not just controlling the action but are an intricate part of it, too. One thing’s for sure: it is far more fulfilling than a simple flick of your finger on a steering wheel-mounted paddle. 

The outgoing 911 GT3, which launched in 2013, was the first to receive electro-mechanical steering. It also had Porsche the rear-wheel steering system originally developed for the 911 Turbo. Under 50mph, the rear wheels would turn in the opposite direction to those up front for a virtual shortening of the wheelbase and increased agility. Above 50mph, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the fronts, giving added stability at higher speeds.