<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=46PCk5_0wEtGtkD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=46PCk5_0wEtGtkD00" width="1140" height="641" ><figcaption>Porsche / CarBuzz</figcaption></figure>To celebrate 25 years of the <a href="https://carbuzz.com/cars/porsche/911-gt3/">Porsche 911 GT3</a>, Porsche is updating its best sports car. If you thought there’s no way to improve on the GT3 formula, hold on to your hat. Both the track-focused <a href="https://carbuzz.com/cars/porsche/911-gt3-rs/">GT3 RS</a> and the more road-biased GT3 get improvements, and the Weissach Package is now offered for the first time on a GT3 to further optimize track performance.We also drive down memory lane, looking at the GT3 genealogy over the last 25 years since the first 996-based GT3. The GT3 perfectly encapsulates the essence of the 911 as an exuberant and crisply responsive sports car, with the blare of the high-revving naturally aspirated flat six behind you. Sitting between the regular 911s and the Turbo, the GT3 hits the high notes. It’s the ultimate sports car, and here’s how it happened.<h2>Origins: The GT3 Genealogy </h2><h2>996 </h2>Years2000-2005Engine3.6L NA H6Horsepower360-381 hpTorque273-285 lb-ftRedline7,800 rpm0-604.3-4.6 secondsTop Speed187-190 mphThe first of Porsche’s 911-based homologation models was the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7, but it became a permanent fixture in 1999 996 911 with the GT3 nameplate. The controversial 996 had fried-egg headlights and a water-cooled engine, but the 996 911 GT3 was special. Instead of a tweaked version of the trouble-prone M96 engine in other 911s with their IMS problems, the GT3 and Turbo used the Mezger engine - one of the all-time greats.Hans Mezger pushed to give the 1963 911 overhead-cam engines, and his 959 engine became the GT1 racing engine that won the 1998 Le Mans. A development of this engine would be used for the 996 GT3 and Turbo, not the M96. A distant relative to the 962 race car’s engine, it used the same split crankcase, but with full water cooling for both the heads and block. Only in 2004 did the US get the GT3 - the updated 475-hp 996.2 version. The GT3 RS came weighing 110 lbs less, with chassis changes, adjustable suspension, and a big rear wing.<h2>997 </h2>Years2007-2012Engine3.6L | 3.8L | 4.0L NA H6Horsepower409 | 435/450 | 500 hpTorque298 | 317 | 339 lb-ftRedline8,250-8,500 rpm0-604.1 | 4.0/3.8 | 3.8 secondsTop Speed193 mphThe 2007 997 GT3 started as a 3.6L and new tech debuted, notably Porsche Active Suspension Management and Porsche Traction Control. There was a GT3 RS from MY2008, weighing 44 lbs less thanks to a carbon-fiber rear wing and lightweight parts. It got the wider Carrera 4 body with a wider rear track. The 2010 997.2 GT3 received a bigger 3.8L engine with 429 hp and a 8,250-rpm redline. More weight was shaved off to improve performance and handling.<h2>A Defining Moment </h2>The 997.2 2011 GT3 RS 4.0 moved the game on by a huge margin, its new 4.0L engine getting titanium connecting rods and forged pistons from the RSR race car, an 8,500-rpm redline, carbon-fiber parts, and racing bucket seats. It weighed less than 3,000 pounds and only 600 were made. It was a landmark car in the GT3 genealogy and set the scene for its successors, with its slot-car handling, screaming engine, and hair-trigger throttle response.<h2>991 </h2>Years2014-2020Engine3.8L | 4.0L NA H6Horsepower475 | 500/514 hpTorque324 | 339/346 lb-ftRedline9,000 rpm0-603.4 | 3.2/3.0 secondsTop Speed193-198 mphThe 991 911 GT3 dropped the Mezger engine and manual gearbox, getting a new 468-hp direct-injected 3.8L engine with forged pistons and titanium rods and a new seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic. Active torque vectoring and rear-wheel steering were part of the recipe now. In 2017, the 500-hp 991 4.0L GT3 RS arrived with a redesigned engine, not the one from the 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0. It featured lightweight construction, carbon-fiber body panels, a wider body, a redesigned chassis, and a seven-speed PDK automatic transmission.Side note: <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=36SJ3k_0wEtGtkD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=36SJ3k_0wEtGtkD00" width="1650" height="928" ><figcaption>Porsche</figcaption></figure>The 2016 911 R wasn’t a “real” GT3, but shared the GT3 RS’s 4.0L engine, wider track, and carbon-fiber body panels, but without the wing and, crucially, had the six-speed manual transmission.Due to popular demand, the manual gearbox returned to the GT3 for the updated 991.2 2018 GT3, which was now a 4.0L, just like the RS, with 500 hp. A Touring spec without the rear wing and with a leather interior was now available, essentially continuing on from the 911 R, but without the carbon-fiber body panels. The PDK-only 2019 RS received a power boost to 514 hp.Side note:<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2vZycY_0wEtGtkD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2vZycY_0wEtGtkD00" width="1650" height="928" ><figcaption>Porsche</figcaption></figure>The open-top 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster had the GT3’s suspension, engine, transmission, and fascia, with a 502-hp version of the 4.0L engine, a titanium exhaust, a manual transmission, and no rear wing, with a double-bubble hump behind the front seats. Only 1,948 were made.<h2>Fast Forward To The Present </h2>Years2022-2024Engine4.0L NA H6Horsepower502 | 518 hpTorque346 | 342 lb-ftRedline9,000 rpm0-603.2 | 3.0 secondsTop Speed197 | 184 mphThe current 992 GT3 returned to the US market for MY2022 with the 502-hp 4.0L engine last seen in the limited-edition Speedster, with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed PDK auto. A year later, the PDK-only 992 GT3 RS arrived, now with 518 hp. The 992 GT3 models debuted control-arm front suspension for better toe and camber control and improved handling precision, advancing the handling game just when <a href="https://carbuzz.com/reviews/driven-2023-porsche-911-gt3-is-sports-car-nirvana-on-track/">we thought it couldn’t get any better</a>.<h2>2025 911 GT3 and GT3 RS Updates </h2>Years2025-presentEngine4.0L NA H6Horsepower502 hpTorque331 hpRedline9,000 rpm0-60Est. 3.1 secondsTop SpeedEst. 197 | 180 mphMarking the 25th anniversary of the GT3, the 2025 models are updated. The engine is optimized to meet the latest emissions standards with two particulate filters and four catalytic converters, resulting in 502 hp and 331 lb-ft for both the GT3 and GT3 RS. To make up for the slight power loss, an 8% shorter axle ratio is used. The steering has been tuned for improved response and directness. On the outside, the styling has been sharpened with new diffusers, a new front lip spoiler, and redesigned Matrix Design LED headlights that now incorporate all the front lighting functions in one unit.The Touring package is available for the first time on the regular GT3, dispensing with the rear wing and trimming the cabin in leather. Due to customer demand, rear seats are now optionally available in conjunction with the Touring package. Also new is the available lightweight CFRP bucket seat. Its backrest can fold to easily access the storage area behind the seats - or the rear seats if specified. The lightweight Weissach package is now offered on the GT3 too, providing more custom track configurability and access to optional lightweight magnesium wheels.<h2>The Future </h2>Porsche is committed to the 911 GT3 as we know it. That means, whether hybridization is added or not, an internal combustion engine in a flat-six configuration remains the heart of the beast. The automaker’s latest changes for the 2025 model year bring it into compliance with the latest emissions legislation. With the synthetic fuels Porsche is developing, and the innovative six-stroke combustion cycle that may very well appear in production in the future, there is a lot to look forward to, and Porsche is determined not to let the fans down.The GT3 remains our favorite 911 ever, and is arguably the ultimate sports car. It’s everything a 911 should be - a crisply responsive, lightweight naturally aspirated sportster that will knock out track times in a blink, yet with everyday usability and comfort, especially in Touring guise. The regular 911 caters for the masses, the Turbo is a refined GT sledgehammer, and the GT3 is the 911 for the enthusiasts. The best just got better.<blockquote>Sources: <a href="https://www.porsche.com/usa">Porsche</a> , <a href="https://newsroom.porsche.com/en_AU.html">Porsche Newsroom</a> , <a href="https://www.motortrend.com/">MotorTrend</a> .</blockquote></div></body>

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How The Porsche 911 GT3 Became The Ultimate Sports Car

To celebrate 25 years of the Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche is updating its best sports car. If you thought there’s no way to improve on the GT3 formula, hold on to your hat. Both the track-focused GT3 RS and the more road-biased GT3 get improvements, and the Weissach Package is now offered for the first time on a GT3 to further optimize track performance.

How The Porsche 911 GT3 Became The Ultimate Sports Car

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