More impressive still is the GT3’s active rear-wheel steering. It’s a first for Porsche’s GT road cars. The system, which adds 6kg to the kerb weight, uses two electro-mechanical actuators at the left and right side of the rear axle, in place of conventional control arms. These vary the steering angle of the rear wheels by up to 1.5 degrees, depending on the speed – in the same direction as the front wheels above 80km/h, and in the opposite direction below 50km/h.
The “counter-steer” cuts the car’s turning circle, while the “same-steer” reduces the car’s nervousness at high speed by giving it a virtual wheelbase increase of nearly 500mm. The active rear-wheel steering also helps the tyres to run less hot during track use, which improves their safety and durability.
This is a high-power, high-revving boxer engine with a ram-air intake and other motorsport technologies.
Mindful of the criticism from hardcore petrolheads about the 991’s electric power steering (EPS), the GT3’s engineers rewrote the software algorithms to make the car’s EPS feel like the hydraulic servo steering of the old 997 RS – it writhes a little in your hands, it “lives”. This steering “fix” might be applied to the Carrera models in due course.
A more obvious GT3 party trick is the “paddle-neutral” feature. Pull both paddles simultaneously, the dual clutches of the PDK will open and the drivetrain’s power flow is interrupted – release the paddles and the clutches re-engage in an instant. With your right foot planted on the throttle pedal, it’s like a “drop-clutch” 6000rpm take-off, with expensive Michelin rubber burned for most of first gear. Use “paddle-neutral” just as you enter a corner and the car goes into an oversteering drift. Amazing stuff.
Whether using “paddle-neutral” or the 911 PDK’s standard Launch Control, the rear-drive GT3 guns from a standstill to 100km/h in a scorching 3.5 seconds – comparable to the all-new, all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo.
Ever since Porsche introduced the 996-series GT3, it has been making steady improvements to its special breed, with a breakthrough in the early 997 version, which uses PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) that allows a much broader range of damping than the fixed-rate type.
The newest-generation 991 GT3 continues to use PASM dampers, but they aren’t the same ones found in the current Carrera, with Bilstein having made a bespoke set to suit the GT3 suspension, which has adjustable ride height, pre-loading of the springs, and variable camber. The suspension geometry is kept perfect with dedicated spherical rose-joints that do not allow any unnecessary movement. Remarkably, this supreme “low-frequency” control has been achieved without the ride suffering “high-frequency” harshness and excessive noise.
Even manhole covers and road repairs aren’t transmitted from the chassis to the cabin, while ridges and crests are traversed without trouble. In fact, the new GT3 rides nearly as well as the “softer” Carrera S, and this is with gumball “super GT” tyres.
On any road or track, the 911 GT3 is ready to rock and roll. Its performance, suspension and steering come together beautifully to deliver an awesome drive experience every time. This Porsche chilli pepper is red, hot and a great pinnacle model – other than the new 911 Turbo and Turbo S, of course.
This article was first published in the October 2013 issue of Torque.
2013 Porsche 911 GT3 3.8 (A)
ENGINE 3799cc, 24-valves, flat-6
MAX POWER 475bhp at 8250rpm
MAX TORQUE 440Nm at 6250rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 3.5 seconds
TOP SPEED 315km/h
CONSUMPTION 7.8km/L (combined)
Check out our review of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS here
Read about the Porsche 911 GT2 RS here
