2004 Porsche 911 GT3 Preview

Is it the Best Purist's Porsche Yet?

If you're a Porsche fan the GT3 has got to get you going. It's classic 911 styling cues and dominating performance keep Porsche on the podium at sporting events around the globe.

Are you bored with your 911 Carrera? Sure it's wonderfully balanced but does its mere 320-hp really satiate your lust for absolute acceleration? The Turbo is tempting for sure, but you're a purist and the thought of its all-wheel drivetrain ruining blissful stints of throttle actuated, power-sliding oversteer leaves you cold, and besides it's a little pricey. The GT2 solves the former problem but exacerbates the latter. What to do?

Take heart, Porsche has just announced the answer. A new GT3 version of the 911 Carrera coupe, based on the European GT3 that never made to this side of the Atlantic, is on the way. With 375-hp and 284 lb-ft of torque it will be the most powerful non-turbocharged factory Porsche to ever hit North American streets.

The GT3 sports a uniquely designed wing, separating it from its 911 siblings as well as contributing to superb directional stability.

Still at 3.6 liters, the horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder has been tweaked to the tune of an incredible 105 horsepower per liter. How fast is it? The new GT3 will knock 0.5 seconds off of the base 911 Carrera's 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) time, accomplishing the run in 4.5 seconds compared to 5! It will then go on to nail 160 km/h (100 mph) in 9.4 seconds before rocketing all the way to a top speed of 306 km/h (190 mph).