It’s been a long time waiting, but after all, the teasing had to stop somewhere. And it just did, officially bringing out a rev-happy naturally aspirated engine shared with the 911 GT3 Cup, a double-wishbone front suspension snatched with some modifications from the 911 RSR, as well as a choice between the speedy PDK and the traditional six-speed manual transmission. That, in a nutshell, is the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3.
As always, such a driving enthusiast machine is always a little more than the sum of its main qualities. Porsche is even taking a humble approach, not dwelling on the fact that it has acquired experience with the previous 13 iterations of the 911 GT3. Instead, it tells us the latest 992-family member “continues the tradition of transferring what it learns on the racetrack directly to cars designed for the road.”
That means even more lightweight materials, highly refined aerodynamics, as well as the high-revving engine shared with the GT3 Cup, the motorsport-derived front axle setup, or the 7-speed PDK/6-speed manual transmission choice. Underneath the huge swan-neck wing sits the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter boxer engine that has 502 horsepower and 346 lb-ft (469 Nm) of twist, which is said to go all the way up to 9,000 rpm.
The seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission is actually the standard choice and the one to provide the 60 mph (96 kph) sprint time of 3.2 seconds on its way to a maximum speed of 197 mph (317 kph). By the way, the company took the 992 GT3 on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife and came out with a spectacular 6:59.927 minutes lap time.
Photo: Porsche
Don’t judge it as barely coming under the seven-minute mark because it’s not only 17 seconds better than its predecessor; the lap was done on the 12.944-mile (20.832 km) configuration of the Green Hell, not the usual “bridge to gantry” portion.
Although it’s mostly based on the 911 Carrera, the GT3 seeks to entice the motorsport-aficionado crowd with a further developed front track that was increased by 1.9 inches (almost 5 cm), while the hood, rear wing, and fixed rear spoiler are all made of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic). The 911 RSR and 911 GT3 Cup racers were the benchmarks for the new double wishbone front axle suspension, while the multi-link design now has even more ball joints.
The standard braking system uses cast-iron discs that have the same diameter (408 mm) as the ones deployed on the 911 Turbo models, but they’re actually 17% lighter. Of course, Porsche also has the Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) on the options list, while the forged 20-inch/21-inch front and rear alloy wheels are wider and lighter (3.5 lbs/1.6 kg) than on the predecessor.
Photo: Porsche
Of course, the GT3 takes advantage of the changes to arrive with an even beefier set of specifically developed ultra-high performance summer tires that are 10 mm wider at both the front and rear, meaning we’re dealing with 255/35ZR 20 on 9.5Jx20 front units and 315/30 ZR 21 on 12Jx21 wheels at the back.
Naturally, all eyes will be drawn towards the swan-neck rear wing (which is manually adjustable), but the 992 911 GT3 also comes with a reskinned front end sporting some cooling intakes, as well as an adjustable front spoiler lip and diffuser that can be set up for normal or track use.
There are also new side skirts, while the massive wing brings a 50% improvement in terms of downforce even in the “normal” setting compared to the previous model. Then, when the “performance” tune is applied both to the front and rear, the downforce jumps a massive 150%!
Photo: Porsche
Moving inside, future customers will find a Race-Tex-upholstered GT3-specific multifunction sports steering wheel, and now it also includes a drive mode dial. The standard Sport Seats Plus are four-way adjustable (18-way comes extra), but one can save another 26 lbs (12 kg) when opting for the carbon fiber-clad Full Bucket Seats.
Many will find the interior very familiar in reference to the eighth-generation 911 models, but the PDK lever has a GT3-specific styling that mimics the design of the manual transmission gearshift lever. And, just in case you were wondering, there’s a slight weight advantage for the latter, as the 911 GT3 equipped with it weighs exactly 1,418 kg (3,126 lbs) - compared to 1,435 kg (3,164 lbs) for the standard PDK model.
Other details worth mentioning are the GT-specific “Track Screen” function, as well as the optional availability of the Chrono Package – which is slightly different from the usual Sport Chrono Package, this time coming with “an analog stopwatch on the dashboard and a digital stopwatch in the instrument cluster.”
The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 will arrive in the United States sometime this fall, but the German automaker hasn’t revealed pricing details and specific ordering details just yet. Meanwhile, at home in Germany, it will reach dealerships starting this May with a costly tag of at least €152,416 (around $184,387 at the current exchange rates).
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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