2013 Porsche 911 GT3 to go auto

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 to get PDK

The storm clouds are gathering. Porsche purists are massing their ranks for an assault on Stuttgart. Civilisation as we know it is under threat. Why? Porsche are going to fit the next generation 911 GT3 with an automatic gearbox.

A decade ago that may have been sacrilege of the highest order. But no longer. Gearboxes are now so clever that they can change more quickly, offer more control, provide better acceleration and be more economical than a manual box. None more so than Porsche’s Doppelkupplungsgetriebe – the auto ‘box known as the PDK.

Luddites will claim a Porsche 911 GT3 with an auto ‘box to be the end of the world as we know it. But it’s not. It’s the future. No, we wouldn’t want to see a retro-fitted auto in a 959. But a GT3 is about performance. And frankly, no one can change as well, or as quickly, as a PDK.

Other news on the next generation GT3 sees the engine moving forward a tad to give better weight distribution. This is not – as some have reported – the first mid-engined 911, but is a result of the extra 100mm in the 991′s wheelbase allowing for a bit more latitude in placement.

The 991 GT3 will also get a 4.0 litre version of Porsche’s latest 9A1 flat six lump in a move that consolidates the engine across the 911 range. But unlike the mainstream 911s, the GT3 won’t get any of the eco or hybrid gubbins. The line needs to be drawn somewhere.

Can’t say we have any problem with the likely changes to the 991 GT3. In fact, it sounds practically perfect in every way.

Source: Rennlist

By Cars UK