2000 Porsche 911 GT3
About the Car
2000 Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 accelerates to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds, the speedometer reaching the 200 km/h mark only 11 seconds later. And the car keeps on going this way until reaching its top speed of 302 km/h or 187 mph. Tested at Nürburgring, the GT3 has already set up a new lap record for production cars, covering the northern circuit in 7:56 minutes. In its driving behaviour the Porsche 911 GT3 is designed and built for extremely sporting and agile handling, offering an excellent feeling for the road at all times. And the car’s reactions always remain predictable and forgiving, even in extreme situations.
Where the power comes from: aluminium
The 3.6-litre power unit is a further development of the six-cylinder aluminium boxer already featured in the 911 GT1. Via the six-speed manual gearbox, up to 370 Newton metres or 273 lb-ft of torque is conveyed to the rear wheels. And at 7200 rpm the engine develops its maximum output of 265 kW (360 bhp).
Stopping power at its best
Power is also provided on all four wheels in the opposite sense of the word: Reinforced four-piston monobloc fixed-calliper brake discs with compensation of uneven wear, the discs themselves enlarged in diameter to 330 mm or 13.00″, cross-drilled and inner-vented, ensure supreme stopping power. Together with the new 911 Turbo, the GT3 thus offers the best deceleration of all of Porsche’s production sports cars.
A Breathtaking Sprinter
The Porsche 911 GT3 already earned its laurels before even entering the market: With two-time World Rally Champion Walter Röhrl at the wheel, it became the first production car ever to lap the northern circuit of Nürburgring in less than 8 minutes. To be precise, the GT 3 takes 7:56 minutes to cover these 20.8 kilometres, the stopwatch impressively and objectively proving the successful work done by Porsche’s development engineers: This car from Weissach is certainly a top-flight athlete with supreme performance of the highest standard. And at the same time it combines superior agility and handling with a high standard of active all-round safety.
Discreet looks – muscular performance
Compared with the 911 Carrera, the GT3 remains relatively modest in its visual modifications. The main signs of distinction are the new front end, discreet side-sills, the rear wing fitted in position, red brake callipers and 18-inch sports-design light-alloy wheels. 225/40 ZR 18 tyres come as standard on the front wheels, the rear tyres measure 285/30 ZR 18. Conveying its power to the road through this superior suspension, the Porsche 911 GT3 accelerates to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds and reaches 200 km/h after 15.8 seconds. Acceleration in fifth gear from 80-120 km/h, in turn, comes in 6.7 seconds and the car’s top speed is 302 km/h or 187 mph.
The power unit: Le Mans-winning technology
Developing maximum output of 265 kW (360 bhp) at 7200 rpm, the 3.6-litre power unit provides maximum torque of 370 Newton metres or 273 lb-ft at 5000 rpm. Further fortes of the engine are its compact dimensions, superior running smoothness free of vibrations, supreme power reserves, a “beefy” torque curve and fast-revving response. Yet a further point is the decrease in fuel consumption versus the former Carrera RS: With its composite fuel consumption of 12.9 litres/100 km in the EU cycle, the GT3 requires 0.9 litres less than its predecessor.
The “heart” of the GT3 is based on the water-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine first featured in the Le Mans-winning 911 GT1. And clearly, features that have proven their qualities under the toughest racing conditions also guarantee supreme reliability and performance in this production sports car. Just two examples are the special surface treatment of the crankshaft and the use of high-quality materials such as titanium on the connecting rods. These rods linking the pistons and the crankshaft are made in a particularly sophisticated process ensuring optimum strength and stability even at high speeds (maximum engine speed of the GT3 is 7800 rpm) and providing the speed reserves required for a racing engine of up to approximately 9000 rpm.
The gearbox: carried over from Porsche motorsport
The Porsche 911 GT3 comes exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox, a development carried over from the 911 GT2. All six transmission ratios are carefully matched to the engine speed and performance of the GT3 power unit and the car itself.
To meet the requirements of motorsport, particular emphasis has been given to the following points in choosing the right gearbox configuration:
- Simple exchange of the individual gear ratios to adjust the gearbox to different race tracks
- Quick exchange of parts (such as synchronising rings) subject to much greater wear in motorsport than in regular road traffic
- Provision of adequate reserves for even more powerful racing cars based on the 911 GT3
The suspension: lower, firmer, more dynamic
The chassis and suspension of the GT3 is built for sporting performance, superior handling and driving safety at its best. Carried over from the 911 Carrera, the suspension concept has been modified to match the car’s even higher level of performance, with handling suitable for motor racing. Apart from the general requirements thus made of the front and rear axle, the modifications include
- a reduction in the car’s centre of gravity (with matching kinematics) by approximately 30 mm,
- adjustable anti-roll bars and a spring system compatible with racing springs in order to set up the car for different kinds of tracks,
- an extended range of axle geometry adjustment for the use of racing tyres, and
- reinforcement of all relevant components, such as the front pivots and wheel bearings, for the possible use of racing tyres.
Same stopping power as the 911 Turbo
Compared with the 911 Carrera, both the front and rear wheels come with larger, reinforced four-piston aluminium fixed callipers in monobloc construction. And whenever necessary, the cross-drilled, inner-vented brake discs interact perfectly with the brake callipers for supreme stopping power. Brake disc diameter on the front wheels is 330 mm or 13.0″ (911 Carrera: 318 mm/12.52″), brake disc width is 34 mm or 1.34″ (911 Carrera: 28 mm/1.10″). The rear brake discs also measure 330 mm in diameter (911 Carrera: 299 mm/11.77″) and 28 mm or 1.10″ in width (911 Carrera: 24 mm/0.94″). As a result, the GT3, together with the new 911 Turbo, offers the best stopping power of all Porsche production sports cars.
The cockpit: sports design all the way
Leather-covered sports bucket seats replace the standard seats of the 911 in the GT3, guaranteeing not only optimum side support, but also excellent comfort on long distances, when entering and leaving the car. And an important advantage with a sports car like this is that the seats save approximately 20 kg in weight. Behind these light bucket seats the measures taken to save weight and enhance the car’s dynamic performance are equally obvious, with the rear seats being dropped entirely, reducing the weight of the car by another 8 kilos.
The Porsche 911 GT3 is also available in a Clubsport version specially developed for purchasers wishing to participate in official motorsport events without elaborately modifying the car. The most significant feature here is the roll cage bolted on to the body and now, unlike on former 911 Carrera RS models, including the rear axle spring strut supports in order to provide extra stability. As a result, forces conveyed by the suspension go not only into the body of the car, but also directly into the roll cage. In tough motor racing this means that even severe forces acting on the rear spring struts will cause only minimum deformation of the body.