Ready to ! Porsche 911 GT3 facelift REVEAL with GT3 Touring REVIEW
Do you want a Porsche 911 suitable for the racetrack but with a naturally aspirated engine? Well... Then this is here for you, this is the updated Porsche 911 GT3. Exclusively with all the changes, both for the normal GT3 and also for the GT3 Touring, which is then a little bit more suitable for the normal road again. All you need to know about both models and the updates and the changes with Thomas and Autogefühl in 4K full screen, full length. Let's go, starting with the main 911 GT3, this new update here, this is really made for the racetrack, but also that you can drive to the racetrack with the same vehicle, use it on the track and then drive back again. This is also equipped with the optional Weissach package, listen and repeat, Weissach, that's named after the place of development.
And here you can see this also has then this visible carbon fiber in the front and these air outgoings. So here the air comes in here, then there's the cooler, then there's a lot of cool and flying around the vehicle and the hot air comes out here and also serving in here that's actually entering faster with these extra openings. This is special to the GT3 and the normal 911 doesn't have these really large openings. Then headlamps.
LED, Matrix LED is standard, these ones here are the HD Matrix LED and this is actually an option. So with this update here with the facelift what did they do? First of all the GT3 always has a double wishbone in the front. This is special then so only these top race oriented models have these and not a normal 911. And then they actually reduce the diving in the front. So, usually, when you are at really high speeds, you start to be hard on the brakes, and then, just by physics, the front dives in a little bit, which also changes the aerodynamics. They were able to reduce that, and their racing test drivers said that this is a significant change, especially for the racetrack.
Also the whole suspension has been reworked. And the length is 4 meters 57 or 180 inches. This is actually unchanged.
The wheels are always 20 inches in the front but 21 inches in the rear. Here, there’s not only the Weissach package but also, on top of that, these optional magnesium wheels. Behind them, there was also an option for the carbon brakes— almost the top spec you can get over all here in classic white color also. Then the Weissach package also includes here this CFRP roof, so this also brings down the weight on top of the vehicle. And towards the rear, this is the main difference than the GT3 and the Touring which we'll soon explain you all about.
This one here has a fixed rear wing, and it would look like this, even in the base version. However, in the Weissach package, the side flaps are a little bit different, and it also features visible carbon fiber on the outside. Then we can see the light strip goes all the way through, though this is like taking from the normal 911 world. Also, this Porsche lettering here is very visible, three-dimensional, and pretty cool. And here, for the GT3 facelift.
They put a new diffuser and in the normal GT3 it is a little bit more pronounced. It has these longer wider flaps. It's a little bit less, a little bit smaller than here in the Tourings. I'm going to show that to you and these exhaust tips here are just the real deal. There's no fake tip whatsoever and also the sound is not fake at all. There is no sound actuator here in the GT3 models, whereas the normal 911 has one. This makes sense
because the engine in the regular 911 is well-dampened, so you need an actuator to make sure you can still hear it. But in the GT3, the engine doesn’t need any help to be heard. And since it’s a rear-engine concept, I can’t open the hood to show you the engine.
The only thing I can open is this service flap. And you know, in the normal 911, it already looks kind of funny, but here it looks even funnier because it’s really cute. It’s just this tiny, tiny flap, and that’s all—just enough to fill in some fluids right there, and that’s it. But I can tell you more about the engine just by looking at the vehicle from the outside. So they still, and also as you have 4.0, they still employ a four-liter flat six-cylinder.
These flat engines, the famous Boxer Motor by Porsche, 510 horsepower and either a seven-speed PDK or a six-speed manual. So both choices are still available and actually it depends on the market what customers rather go for. In general, for example, in the US, people rather take this one here, the normal GT3, also for the race track together with the manual, whereas customers in Europe rather take the Touring version with the manual. But overall, the split is basically 50-50, so the PDK is better in the performance. So the acceleration difference from 0 to 100 kmph, 62 mph, is half a second.
That is a massive difference. It wasn't like that like maybe like 20 years ago or something but today it's a massive difference if you have like a high performance PDK's dual clutch transmission or if you go with the manual and it is either 3.4 seconds or 3.9 seconds then in the acceleration figure 3.9 then for the manual. By the way, this is almost the lightest combination you can have. So, here we have the
normal GT3 with magnesium wheels, and in this case, it has the PDK transmission—I'll show that to you soon. But if you opted for the manual, that would be the absolute lightest configuration, weighing in at 1,420 kilograms. In today's world of street-legal sports cars, this is really impressive, even with 500 or 510 horsepower is really really lightweight still.
That's also the whole scheme of the vehicle. Same goes for the GT3 Touring. This is then, if you say, like, 'Hey, my primary focus is not the racetrack, but I’d rather have, you know, some more subtleness on the road, for example, also visually,' and they now introduce this additional lip here, so it doesn’t have the huge fixed wing, making it a bit more subtle on the road. But then, this one was actually added because it features an adaptive wing, which can move up and down.
However, if you have this additional small lip here, the speed and at which it has to go up, this is way higher, so it actually goes up later and this was intentionally because the developers wanted to have this sleek look most of the time, unless you go really, really high speeds. Then the GT3 Touring also has this new diffuser style with the upgrade, but here these flaps are not that large as in the normal GT3. Same exhaust graphic here of course and then here because this is a little bit lighter from that you can even better see here the three-dimensional Porsche lettering all in the bright styling now. The white color is just called white by the way. This one here is called Oak Green Neo and you can see when we have a little bit more light then you see these nuances in the paint. By the way these plastic guards here they are actually standard for all 911 even you know, not just for this test weekly, and you can also remove them or get a new one. The thing
is, small stones—especially from the front axle—can easily fly into this very pronounced hip area. These wheels here same dimensions 21 inch in the rear 20 in the front. These are however not the magnesium wheels and then there's like a big package difference, whereas you can get the Weissach package for the normal GT3, very stick oriented. You can get a lightweight package here for the GT3 Touring. This one is not equipped with it to also show you the difference.
And this one also includes the magnesium wheels. Therefore the lightweight package is more expensive than the Weissach package, which at first sight doesn't seem logical, but it's because the magnesium wheels are included here automatically then, whereas with the other one it's an option. Because these magnesium wheels, maybe if you want to have a racetrack used, you don't want to damage them that easily with racetrack... small stones and so on.
That's the logic behind it. And here once again from the front our green vehicle. You can see here these large cooling holes here in the front. They are making this look so special. But then again you can see the GT3 Touring also works maybe like from the first side and as a more or less normal 911. And of course when you turn on the engine, hear the sound and also have this naturally aspirated engine from the whole characteristic, it becomes something different.
And of course you feel the lightweight building of the vehicle. We already have a driving part of the pre-facelift version, you can check that out later for example. And to me the most special thing about the naturally aspirated engines are always that it has a more natural driving feeling. So, when you have these turbos, for example, or maybe also with electric helper systems and so on, at some point you get this very sudden boost. The naturally aspirated engines they have, you know, it feels more linear, like this whole performance curve, and you just get somehow a little bit better feeling for the vehicle. Even though, of course, with a turbo you can reach better acceleration figures, you know, but here, of course, 3.4 seconds is still very impressive,
especially for a naturally aspirated engine. And why did they also have to rework this vehicle here? Because they needed to lower the particle emissions, the emissions overall and so on by regulatory reasons, but at the same time this usually costs performance and so on. But they try to do everything that although it emits less, they could still keep it at the very same power output and that's also what they have done here. And then for everyone who really wants to push it, the red line is also still at 9000 RPM. This is also something really special that you have a naturally aspirated engine and still go at 9000 RPM.
Of course, not always useful to use it, but it's good to know that it actually does work. The correct term in German, by the way, for these naturally aspirated engines would be Sauger. Listen and repeat, Sauger, which is like...
Turning indicators here by the way in the rear, super wide and nice integration. And since this one here is the Touring here, this one again has the surface fat that goes over the hole. Yeah almost the whole width, there we go. So you see, yeah.
The main difference is the servoslap between the GT3 and GT3 Touring. It's also like, really like, it appears to be fragile. You always have to think, oh, I have to be gentle to close this again.
And the turning indicators in the front, they actually replace the daytime running light then temporarily and they have this four-dot design and even the side... indicator here is like a little bit visible already from the front. The car key looks like this. It's here
in this case. In this case, which is... I don't know, not necessarily. I would say then here, the door closing sound is really solid, although these are frameless doors, of course, and even dual insulation. So, yeah, rare for a race car, let's take it that way.
Then, here, for example, here, Born and Flucht is like a test circuit. So, also a nice paddle light for that. Then we have special features like here from the Weissach package, the carbon fiber here, also for the handles, even more weight savings, and also you know, a general rear GT3, look at that, this net here, just as another racing weight saving measure. Then here in the front, you can then activate the service flap, open it or in the front, in the frunk, you also soon take a look at that. And then here, this normal GT3 is all about the RaceTex, the microfiber here on the steering wheel already, pretty cool.
Also real buttons at the steering wheel, drive mode selector. And these here are the bucket seats, also with a RaceTex and The sports seat would come as base, and then the bucket seat as an option. And this, of course, and the more let's say racetrack-proofed feature you have to squeeze yourself in. You can here adjust the length now. We sit to the steering wheel as, of course, always really upright from this whole area, and it really caters you in. And this
is the solution indeed for the racetrack, that you don't move right and left. It always depends also on your individual body posture which seat is better but yeah probably in most cases, I would go for a normal sports seat, unless you go for the racetrack. Then this one is more suitable and also because of another feature here in the headrest. I'm going to show you very soon this new feature, which is really, really interesting. The steering wheel itself has a manual control
here. Once again up and down. You can find a good position. Then here for you. And headroom here... with 189 cm (6 foot 2), this is no problem because there needs to be also some space left because in this vehicle here people will also wear a helmet. The only other thing you can adjust here by the way with this seat here is that when you press this one, then it's an electric function and it goes actually higher, which leads me to the question this electric motor, the small one. Isn't that too much weight? And you might have seen it in some of my reviews where I was on the racetrack with some cars. There were regulations on location where you had to wear a helmet inside the vehicle.
And then I was often driving like this because, you know, when you have a helmet on, then you're like this far away from the headrest range and you're like, yeah. They thought of that, and so here this head restraint here you can search a button underneath. Release there we go, press it, and then in the top, there are like these hinges you can put it down. There we go. So here you can remove that one for wearing a helmet, and then you just have more space than to wear that helmet on the racetrack. So that's also a good feature then for real racing drivers.
This here the normal GT3 is only varied with two seats and then optionally you can also get this carbon fiber overall cage. This is like really really stiff. Hope you fully you will never need that but this of course an additional safety measure and this of course all tuned to full racing style. Then with the Weissach package it's also here all the way in RaceTex, RaceTex also here on the dashboard.
That's a pretty cool feature. Yeah, you should probably just comb it all the way in the same direction than red contour stitches. Also here, all the way, RaceTex covered here, also for the cup holder, for example, that comes out. Yeah, I'm not sure if I would use it while being on the racetrack. Here the Weissach badge also, together with more visible carbon fiber. And another special thing is that no matter where you put the key, this one here still keeps this turn on the ignition with a key for a like, turning structure here on the left side of the stalk column, especially here on the GT3, is look at that. This is
the PDK selector, not a small one, but here it's like a real one that looks like a manual shifter. The interesting thing is like when you go here from P and then to the gears or back to P, this is like a real wire, you know, you can also feel that. But then you know, like indeed the different gears, this is then shift by wire in a sense of... electronic, you know what I mean. So like the first step is manual, mechanical and then the real shifting steps.
These are then done electronically and you can also go here with the like sequential press forward and backward or you can also use here at the steering wheel of course the shifting paddles to do that. So you still have a manual feeling although you have a PDK. Driver POV here very important once again with the drive mode. Right here, it's very easy to fix the punctuation. While driving, there's also nice clicking feedback here. This is how you control the digital instruments: they can change your views to how you want them. And, of course, all the
different gauges are very well visible. On the right side, first of all, we have a lower part with the manual volume selection and climate unit. Of course, it's blocked a little bit here. And here, with the cool shifting lever, that's the thing. Sometimes you wonder where to reach it, so it's a trade-off, you know. To have this cool thing, it does block this one when you have the small integration of an automatic shifting lever, then it leaves you more space to control the climate unit here.
That's the thing. What would you prefer? Tell me in the comments. Then you also have this front lift function here, for example, with this feature. You also hear it and it says here front end is raising. So then you can also save the Geo locations of that, that maybe at home in a basement garage, it's always getting activated again.
That's very interesting. Ah, lowering not possible door open. So when the door is open, then it's not possible and then there we go. Now it works again. Next to it is a new assist button. Let me zoom into that.
There we go. So this assist button here is really cool. This is a new thing because some especially use of this vehicle want to deactivate certain features of the vehicle quickly and then you just have to press it once here. And you can deactivate the link keeping assist, the brake assist, the brake recombination, the coffee cup motor and also the speed warning. However, you can also deactivate the speed warning here on the steering wheel. Press
and hold the favorite button, and then change the button assignment. This way, you can assign the favorite button to the speed warning to be able to easily deactivate it with that. And it shall never be missing here the stopwatch in the top part, such a classic, right? And something small where the GT3 also profits from the 911 facelift steers here when you raise the armrest. More space for your smartphone and the inductive charging is now also cooled.
So it doesn't overheat but you can also use the cable chargers of course for Apple CarPlay. And a quick look at the Touring interior which is signalized here with the fabric on the inside so you don't have the RaceTex but this special fabric that has like this carbon fiber look a little bit on the inside. This is also the option bucket seat, standard would also be a normal sport seat.
Then once again with the fabric on the inside where the normal GT3 has the RaceTex on the inside. From the comfort actually is kind of similar. It's a different material feeling, this is probably a little bit stiffer, maybe it stays a little bit cooler in summer, I don't know, but the microfiber is maybe a little bit more premium from the touch or something like that, but rather a matter of preference, I would say. An all-animal-free interior is not yet available. This is where Porsche, especially with the 911, is lacking behind. The Porsche Panamera is meanwhile, for example, available with a completely animal-free interior, if you appreciate all animals.
What else here? This is also the version with a manual gearbox, and that's pretty cool. You can see the six-speed manual gearbox, and I can also hear shift them through the sounds. It's pretty short, which is pretty amazing. There's even a shorter stick available, which would also be possible. And, special to the Touring, for the first time, you can get a GT3 with rear seats.
This is also an option. Yeah, you can see the same fabric, also ISOFIX, because this is also something they say most customers demanded that this like the most demanded change that you can also apply some rear seats. Adults cannot really sit there. I see when I have the seat to my driving position, I don't even have to try to get in there.
Actually, maybe when you put the bucket seat in the front, I have to try that very soon. What you can also do of course is use it for bags, so here you can fold it down like this and then you can put the bag here, fold down the other half, I can also do that. So this is done here like an additional luggage area so to speak. So let's just imagine I'm in the passenger seat No, let's not imagine that.
Never. I want to point out this when I would be in the passenger seat and then, of course, there could be more space in the rear then. So here, pull this one again.
Seatbelt. With the seatbelt, it's increasing like over or under it. So this is probably the best solution. Seatbelt under and then I know what's coming now, time codes, Thomas in the rear seats and this time it's really justified. So I want to be really, really careful not to damage the vehicle. Well, it worked to put the seat back again, but now...
No, definitely not. But I'm still proud of myself that I managed to get in there actually. Of course there's also the frunk right here. It's both for both versions.
It's the same actually here and you can see it also fits a cabin trolley. You can also play some Tetris and then put it in like this. Then put something on top of that so that all your racing gear can also drive with it underneath here. By the way, in the
front hood, this is also carbon fiber—the whole thing. But here, you also have these cutout parts. These are actually for pedestrian safety. Otherwise, carbon fiber is really, really stiff and doesn't give way. So, from the outside, when a pedestrian hits the front hood, there's also like a little bit more flexibility. This is a very unique thing to do here with carbon fiber.
Pricing starts here at 209,000 euros. That's the German price already have here for the normal GT3. And if you go for a special package like the Weissach package or the lightweight package for the Touring, with some options and so on, you can close in on about a quarter of a million. So yeah, it's really pricey. But Porsche says that actually, all the prices have gone up rather than down for, you know, all the prestigious owners of this vehicle here. It's not limited though, but of course, not so many people can actually buy one. And also, they
cannot build endless ones of these. So very interesting what's going to happen with this new updated generation than here. And we already have a lot of 911 content. The pre-facelift driving review of the GT3 Touring or also the most recent 911 Turbo. Wait a minute,
the 911, yeah, because it has a Turbo, that's why, but it's a 911 GTS with a new electric Turbo.
2024-10-20 00:25
