2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spied, will gain manual gearbox option

The Porsche 911 GT3 has been spied testing, with a subtly refreshed front-end.

The test mule wore very little disguise when spied previously, so it’s clear to see that the deep, redesigned front spoiler, air intakes and new LED indicators are the extent of the changes, with the rest of the car’s styling carried over from the current model, including the slit grilles at the front and back, large rear wing and central twin exhausts. Black plastic cladding was riveted on for this latest set of spies, making it more difficult to make out the front-end styling of the new car.

The 911 GT3’s manual-only, driver dynamics-focused sibling, the 911 R, was revealed at the Geneva motor show, where it was also revealed by GT3 guru Andreas Preuninger that the facelifted 911 GT3 would gain the option of a six-speed manual gearbox when it goes on sale in 2017.

The test mule was also running on what appear to be new wheels with a multi-spoke design. However, previous spies of the closely related 911 R still use the same alloys as the outgoing GT3.

Despite the rest of the 911 range now being turbocharged for added efficiency and reduced emissions, the facelifted car will maintain the naturally aspirated 3.8-litre engine of the current generation GT3.

The current 911 GT3 pumps out 468bhp and 324 lb ft, which combined with its 1430kg kerb weight, equates to a 0-62mph sprint which is over in just 3.5sec and a top speed of 196mph.

Porsche couldn’t give any further details on the upcoming 911 range-topper, but we do know that the 911 R, which is the manual-only variant on the GT3 format, will share its manual gearbox with the 911 GT3.

Source: www.autocar.co.uk