The Next Porsche 911 GT3 Might Not Be Turbocharged After All
Remember the sad day two weeks ago when we brought you news that the next Porsche 911 GT3 will be turbocharged and automatic only? Things might not be as clear-cut as they seemed.
In an interview with Australia’s Drive website, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Porsche’s head of motorsport, said that the original Automobile report wasn’t true. The plot thickens.
He denied the claim that the engine would be turbocharged. It doesn’t mean it won’t be, of course, but even if it is, Porsche doesn’t want us to know about it yet. A separate report in Road & Track said that the 911 will move to the chassis used by the R8, but Dr Walliser denied that, too. It seems unlikely – that platform puts the engine in the middle, after all, and squeezing rear seats in would be less likely than Kermit the Frog entering this year’s Le Mans.
The good doctor is quoted as saying that he’d “like to continue with [the naturally-aspirated flat-six] as long as we can do it.” He’s clearly a fan of boost, having led the engineering development for the latest GT2 and the 918 Spyder, but he understands the unique appeal of the GT3 – especially as a manual.
It remains to be seen whether Porsche can gradually lower the emissions across enough of its range to let the last high-revving, non-turbo 911s sneak through the overall programme. We know it’ll be dead in the water in many countries by 2040 at the latest, but for now let’s hope there’s more life in the iconic GT3 recipe yet.
This news is said not to affect the plans to shoe-horn the current GT3’s 4.0-litre glory-fest into the upcoming Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder. Those, we’re really looking forward to.
Comments
THANK YOU, PORSCHE.
Why not stack two flat sixes on top of each other like SUbaru’s F1 engine, add nitrous, make it run on methanol, electric superchargers that are charged by twin turbo chargers, that run off of two leaf blowers zip tied to the roof, two break calippers per disk, push rod suspension, and a carbon fiber tub and call it the 911 gt3000rsmsuperfastgazooracingmobileswag69
I saw one of these yesterday, it was absolutely gorgeous
There is an easy way to keep naturally-aspirated engines while reducing emissions. Don’t have too much power. 500 is more than plenty. I would much rather see the 911 GT3 lose displacement and drop down to 400-450hp than go turbo for the sake of number-chasing. That job should be left to the GT2.
Exactly my point. I even made a blogpost about it a while ago.
People assume that downsizing and turbocharging is there to reduce emissions and improve efficiency. But that’s only half of the story: downsizing and turbocharging is there to reduce emissions while maintaining/increasing torque (and power).
Therefore, if you downsize the engine without worrying about power outputs, you don’t necessarily have to turbocharge the engine to bring the power back to where you want it to be.
Therefore, hopefully, manufacturers and, more importantly, the customers realise this, and we will see naturally aspirated engines living for longer, just without trying to achieve absurd amounts of power…
“Not” turbocharged… Supercharged?
He said it’s not gonna be turbocharged… but he didn’t say it is going to be naturally aspirated
SUPERCHARGED 911 GT3 CONFIRMED
Superchargers give much better exhaust sound. Hope they can surpress the whine though
I dream to own a manual GT3
“Squeezing rear seats in would be less likely than Kermit the Frog entering this year’s Le Mans.” xD “Hello everybody and welcome to LE MANS! It’s time to start the engines! It’s time to countdown the lights! It’s time to see the cars on Le Mans race tonight! (Dum dum dum)”
Richard Hammond not happy..
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