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2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Spied on Nurburgring, to Get 911 R 6-Speed Manual as Option

Check out Porsche's website and, if you manage to go past the 718 Cayman storm, you'll notice the GT3 flavor is missing from the 911 mix. That's no coincidence, though, as Zuffenhausen is currently completing the final stages of development for the 991.2 GT3.
2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot 13 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot2017 Porsche 911 GT3 spyshot
The mid-cycle revamp (but not a boost) for the current 991 generation has touched the Carrera, Targa and Turbo models so far and it's time to see the facelift reaching the uber-special corners of the 911 line-up.

For now, all we can see are front end changes such as new daytime running lights and reshaped air intakes. Nevertheless, as Porsche has accustomed us, we should see an uncamouflaged prototype just before the model debuts.

As always with Porsches, the changes under the skin are the important ones and the news is awesome in this department - with the carmaker's GT division having figured out the mistake it made when it retired the manual gearbox, the next GT3 has been confirmed to bring back the clutch pedal.

Instead of the less-than-perfect seven-speed of the 911 Carrera, the GT3 will inherit the 911 R's six-speed manual as an option. Mind you, the facelifted GT3 RS won't follow this path, sticking to the PDK setup in its quest for ultimate lap times.

Turbocharging may have taken over Porsche's sportscars, be they mid- or rear-engined, but the GT label means natural aspiration is here to stay (with the exception of the GT2, of course). The retiring GT3 is motivated by a 3.8-liter flat-six delivering 475 hp, but it's too early to talk about the changes German engineers will make for the facelift.

When it comes to the cabin, the changes will be led by an updated Porsche Communication Management infotainment system. From the 7-inch display to the Apple CarPlay integration, the system aims to keep owners up to speed in the digital world.

The revamped GT3 incarnation of the Porsche 911 is expected to make its debut towards the end of the year as a 2018 model, so you'd better start saving now.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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