New Porsche 911 GT3 Prototype Spotted at Nürburgring with Never-Before-Seen Feature

Full text

A bright red Porsche 911 GT3 prototype was recently spotted testing on the ‘Ring.

Porsche’s GT boss says the company will ensure the GT3 doesn’t become heavy.

Demand for the 911 GT3 remains strong, hence why the S/C droptop was launched.

The Porsche 911 GT3 family looks set to grow even further, just months after the brand launched the exciting droptop S/C version. Thankfully, Porsche says it is committed to keeping GT3-badged models lightweight and isn’t interested in adding weight or power.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8");

} else {

adpushup.triggerAd("82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f");

}

});

During the recent launch of the 911 GT3 S/C, Porsche GT model line director Andreas Preuninger noted that having a vehicle with around 500 hp and weighing approximately 1,500 kg (3,306 lbs) or less is the perfect recipe. He also noted that Porsche’s current 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six should be fine to meet strict emissions regulations “for the upcoming years.”

Read: Porsche’s New 911 GT3 S/C Is The Best And Worst GT3 All At Once

“We think a car around 1500 kilos with around 500 horsepower, for us, is a sweet spot for a driver’s car—because power has to be usable,” he told GoAuto . “Horsepower figures nearing the four digits are great on paper, great for maybe cars and coffee.”

Porsche 911 S/C

“Everything else above (1500kg) calls for more stiff materials or bigger cross-sections on the suspension arms and stiffened up bodies, bigger brakes, and everything gets heavier…so there’s a penalty for additional horsepower as well,” Preuninger added. “We don’t get too distracted about four-digit horsepower and active ride and whatever, if that means two tonnes—that’s not our mission.”

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform === "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("ea4d4b5a-f8e5-4d5d-9d9a-53a3b956b6cd");

} else{

adpushup.triggerAd("44c0a4dc-e25b-4ba5-ac64-2c510461b92a");

}

});

Is Another GT3 Version Coming?

Baldauf

During the same interview, Preuninger pointed out that strong demand for the GT3 prompted Porsche to release models like the Touring and the new S/C, catering to owners after something slightly more mature. Based on recent spy shots to emerge from the Nurburgring, it appears the company is readying another new 992.2 911 GT3 that could be exactly that.

Baldauf

Our photographers caught this mysterious bright red prototype working hard around the German circuit, and it carried one detail worth a second look. The standard GT3 wears a large fixed wing, and the Touring gets a small deployable spoiler, but this car had a gorgeous ducktail instead, a shape that suits the bodywork beautifully. A centrally mounted brake light sits inside the wing too, a strong sign the design is nearly ready for showrooms.

The ducktail isn’t new to the 911, just new to the GT3. Porsche traces the shape back to the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7, with the company stating “it was the world’s first rear spoiler on a production vehicle”. It then vanished for nearly four decades. It returned on the 997 911 Sport Classic in 2009 , resurfaced on the one-off 996-based Classic Club Coupe, and came back again on the 992 Sport Classic in 2022 . Every one of those was a limited run, and none was a GT car. The GT3 would be the first.

Baldauf

An image captured of the car’s decklid reveals it was wearing a GT3 Touring badge. That could mean the ducktail will be offered as an option for the Touring, creating a middle ground between the standard GT3’s fixed rear wing and the Touring’s active rear spoiler. Then again, we know Porsche loves a limited-edition 911, so we wouldn’t put it past the brand to launch this as a separate variant.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c");

} else {

adpushup.triggerAd("9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751");

}

});

Baldauf