Rumor: "Pure back-to-basics" 911 GT planned

Autocar has the scoop. Being one of the most trusted mags in Europe, they probably have a good source: 'Pure' Porsche 911 GT planned | Autocar This is something I recently theorized about, that perhaps Porsche has realized there is room for something that still focuses on the driving experience as opposed to where the GT3 is pressured to use all available tech to its advantage. After all, every time someone buys a 997 or 996 GT3, that's money Porsche isn't getting. Never mind the money being spent on the Singers that trickle out, as well as the massive aftermarket/resto community. I was thinking it might be something between the GTS and GT3, yet Autocar thinks it could possibly even take a step from the Miata handbook -- with skinnier tires than current 911s. Miatas have had narrow tires with a "maximum grip limit" planned very early into the design process of the car (with original Miatas as the reference point), and the Toyobaru Triplets (FR-S/GT-86/BRZ) have a similar ethos in that sliding a car around at legal speeds is a very good thing. A new Porsche that drives much more like an old Porsche? I'm sure they'll sell plenty.

I think there's unquestionably an appeal for a car you can drive at near speed limit speeds and it feels like your are racing at Le Mans. My first mid engined car was an '87 Toyota MR2 with 185/60R14 all season tires. 0-60 just under 10s. You could drift that car on any on ramp and enter the highway going 10 miles over the speed limit while winding out the motor to 7200 RPM. If I try that in my Porsche I enter the highway at speeds approaching 100 mph. It wasn't fast but man was it fun.

Forget it!!! The day you can buy a slide-y Porsche will be the day your country will introduce "stunt driving" laws. Some countries already have this law which includes anything considered "not normal driving". Anyway, just put on my R-Spec tyres ready for this weekends club's Sunday track day. So now its off to do a bit of stunt work and freak out some people thinking Im not going to turn the corner (even though indicator is on) because Im not slowing down. Resist braking, resist braking... :hilarious:

Thank you Goofnik for sharing... I can't guess what it could be! I thought the only way to go was either below the 981 or above the 911. I can't think of what could be left within the 911 to add. Maybe Chows can chime in once he wakes up in the U.S.

So Porsche will introduce a stripped down car with less capability to capitalize on driving fun. Of course it will not have lesser prices. If I read this right, it is supposed to use the 475 hp GT3 engine but take away the aerodynamics and grippy tires? What's the market for this type of vehicle - I'm not sure I understand the rationale?

Me. Don't care about tracking. No longer autocross. And don't read too much into the aero or less grippy tires. That only means no boy racer wing and no PS2s. Think stripped 911S with GT3 Engine. I'll take two.

Thank you, Chows, but... A GT3 engine in a Carrera is gonna be like a Carrera engine in a Cayman... They called that GT4. What are they gonna call the GT3 engined Carrera? Plus, they already have the 991 GTS which is a street comfy GT3. I don't see a segment in between in terms of price or configuration. If you're saying a 992 GTS with a GT3 engine, then that's a different story.

Why can't it be a 991 Speedster and call it a day? This is the most reasonable explanation following the GT4 and Spyder earlier this year. With the Speedster the 991 line would be complete in time for PAG to move to 991.2 (or 992 as some guess).

Could be. Many articles saying a speedster is coming. Here is one Is Porsche Prepping A 911 Speedster To Pay Homage To The 550? . But now we are talking TTS money, 550 numbered cars, one time shot, and the car being worth some money.

Doubt many would buy that seeing as how everyone seems to go for the biggest fastest engine every model. If people wanted this, they'd be buying the 2.7L instead of paying more for the 3.4 or 3.8L.

You doubt anyone would buy a 991 with the 475HP 9K GT3 engine, with MT, dropped into the standard body Carrera, not the C4 wide body? Really? I do not mean to be disrespectful in any way but do you read the 911 forums? They'd pay $130 without skipping a heartbeat. Many pay $17 just to get a measly 30HP. If you are into DSLRs, that would be like putting Canon 1DX power into a 7D body. People would die to get that.

So it sounds like they building a 991 R as a 50th anniversary of the original 1967 911 R

Noted elsewhere is the idea that this is a result of pushback (not said but implied from 911 owners) on the upcoming turbo owners. Couple that with the referenced article discussion on the GT4 and this might be true. To expand on this: I doubt they want to irritate their core buyers. Some of those guys buy a new 911 every year, or 3 times a year At the same time, they might not be track junkies. It's possible that PAG is hearing pushback and decided to throw a bone out? OK, we said only the GT cars can be NA. So here is another one. We can market it as a GT car, push up the price, and now we appease the core buying group. Your choice: move on with tech or go retro. It's possible this is a reaction to pushback. Just because they have to meet EU regulations does not mean ALL 911 cars have to. They sell far more SUVs.

There's a market for anything with the Porsche name. I'm sure that this model will sell, no matter what the specs are. However, the price will be the determining factor. Personally, I don't like the wing on the GT3 but, if this new car is priced only 10K less and is stripped down from the GT3, what's the point, I would buy the GT3 with the wide body. Again, are we talking people buying a DD or a track car? If they are marketing as a DD, the lack of amenities will be a sticking point. If they are marketing a track car - why not just buy the GT3. I understand that there will be a market for the car but I still see the market as limited. If you think that the lack of MT in a GT3 is the sticking point for purists - why not just offer the MT in that car? It would seem that R&D to do that would be less than making a new model. If it is priced above the Carrera S and GTS but below the GT3, it will have to be in the 130K range, I would guess. I'm happy that people can get excited over this but again, for me, I just don't get it.

'Pure' Porsche 911 GT planned | Autocar Neither. Not for track junkies. Not for DD. This is a sports car for those who like to drive (from the article). I don't. Realistically, most people who can afford it do not have just one car. The sports car people will be all over this. Let me explain it this way. When I need to go somewhere and get something done, like haul stuff or in bad weather, different tools for different jobs. But when I drive my 911, I drive the 911. I never use the stereo (waste of money). I drive to listen to the car, listen to everything. I rarely use the AC. Usually its just sunroof open, windows down. Drive. OTH, I could care less about track days. Fine for others, I don't care. If there were an ultimate goal, like to get a competitive license to drive in a road course series, I could see it. But I don't see people doing that in droves. It's more like 4 or 5 days a month. I'm doing autocrossing. So this car is meant for people like me. Does this mean the car is not for going grocery shopping or doing errands? Of course not. I do that now. What it does mean is that, just like the article describes: 1. I don't care about "lap times". Why not? Because I knew 30 years ago I was never going to be a race car driver so I really don't see the point. There are lots of other things to spend money on 2. I don't care about "luxuries" in a car. A Burm, or the Bose, is a waste of money on me. Ventilated and heated seats? Meh. Leather wrapped AC vents? When I was a kid seat belts were an option, NM AC. NOBODY had AC. It cost too much.. etc. Not joking there. Being from NE, nobody bought cars with AC. Too expensive a luxury. Cupholders and iPod connectors Don't care about any of that stuff. You know that many 911 buyers get a bad rap. Read this Do you avoid driving our Porsche in the rain When I read stuff like this I want to throw up. So these kind of cars, are not for those guys. But I am sure there are many 911 buyers who also buy just to drive. While GT3 buyers are vocal and many wannabe owners fawn over the car, in reality the number of owners are low. I know one guy who DD his GT3. Rain or Snow, no matter the weather, its his only car. That's a rarity. Why? 1. The tires are ridiculous. You know how cold it was this winter. Snow tires would be mandatory. The SP2 tires could crack below 20 and they are outright dangerous. The reality is that most GT3 cars are sold in CA, TX, and FL. Not in the snow belt. 2. The low front end is ridiculous. I'd be replacing front lips every month. I know they are cheap but the aggravation is too much. Remember to use the Axle lift everywhere? Sure, that's going to happen. Just like those who won't buy a manual top Spyder, this is no different. 3. The boy racer wing look is not for me. I know some people love them but I view them as a 20 year olds fantasy. One reason I like this new concept. Or the active aero for a TT. edit: Seriously. I totally get this car. I get the involvement. All the people who were born on video games and expect their luxuries, they won't buy it. OTH, I would like to have old fashioned roll-up windows. Don't care about the radio. Don't need cupholders, etc. That said, there are compromises in life and one of them is the better half and SHE does want a radio . OK, when she drives, so be it.

YIKES!!! Michael & Chows, you don't like the rear wing on the 991 GT3!!

meh. Good for hanging laundry on or attracting unwanted attention. My philosophy is more in line if your going to do it, then really do it. Get a GT3RS wing. Now that's a wing. I was once at an event when a Cayman was parked next to a 930 Whale tail. The Cayman driver parked with his itty bitty wing up. I thought Dude, you're parked next to a whale tail What are you trying to prove leaving the wing up when its supposed to be retracted?

A lighter 911 with a slightly detuned NA GT3 engine, manual gearbox, max 295/30/19 tire footprint at the rear, narrow body, fixed ducktail-like spoiler, LWBS standard, aircon/stereo deleted, minimal other options available (no adaptive cruise control, no PTV, no sunroof), with a chassis purposely designed to reintroduce some of the feedback and liveliness (and even some NVH) that 911 owners experienced in greater or lesser degrees from 1963 to the last 997.2, and was eliminated almost entirely in all 991s save GT3s? Yes please, Porsche.

I must have missed all that in the original article. Here's what I saw: "The new GT car will not be engineered specifically to set competitive lap times or provide a sensible means of daily transport. Instead, it will be set up to maximise feel, response and driver interaction." I understand the appeal to some but, to me, it still seems like less car for more money. Since it does not appear to be a sensible means of daily transport, it is being marketed to the segment of buyers who have multiple cars and maybe multiple Porsches. I know that market segment exists and I'm happy that they are out there but I still maintain that it is limited. However, to each his own.

Deep Dive: The 2016 Porsche 911 Enters the All-Turbo Era 450HP NA. Sounds like a x51 engine tweaked.

All an interesting read, but so far tons of speculation, which is fun........I can see as per Porsche's usual way of doing things, give you less for more money, slight horsepower gains, maybe one or two fancier colors, a plaque with some numbers, vinyl seats and hey you're buying nostalgia for $130-145K, in my opinion the stripper 911 won't get a GT bespoke mill, those honeys are hand built, take time to put together, and go into cars that will bring in more money. I would love to see something in the vein of a 2.7RS........ Super lightweight, sub 2700 lbs, manual, ducktail, maybe a Martini edition!

Skinnier tires though????

More info is coming out about this car. 500 HP NA, no big wing, MT, numbered car - the 991 EOL car AND people dropping deposits on it the dealers can keep Things are getting out of hand. End of the NA era ...

More info. sold out https://translate.google.com/transl...ww.vierenzestig.nl/20883/porsche-onthult-op-iaa-de-911r-met-handbak/&edit-text=

911r Porsche 911 R Details 3 pedals only. no wing less tire all awesome. this may throw a curveball into my former plan.

Re: 911r Porsche to Launch 911 R with GT3 Engine and Manual Gearbox ? News ? Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog Road and Track reports only 600 will be made. All sold out. Car and Driver reports a possibility of a prolonged run (as in, for the duration of the 991s), so the truth may be somewhere in between? Still, this is now a time I wish I could afford more car... THIS will be epic (but I wouldn't think of trading in my 981GTS).

There is going to be as much if not more demand for that than the GT4. They will make more. Sent from my StarTrek communicator using Tapatalk

It'll prob have Carrera S or GTS tires on it. Sent from my StarTrek communicator using Tapatalk

I doubt that. Outside of the mass blogs, the discussion is a numbered car, EOL 991 car. When they made 356 Speedsters, they didn't make more because of demand. When they made 60 Club Coupes, they didn't make another batch because of demand. They won't make more than the numbered. And they are sold out. These are not normal GT cars. This will be a numbered car - that is the rumor. If you want one of these, you had to order 3 years ago when the 991 started. The GT4 thing where Cayman buyers didn't know the game was just that, they didn't know the game. The 911 buyers know it.

You know what would make this car really sweet and special? A proper 6-spped manual. The 7-speed was a horrible idea IMHO. I don't know if Porsche will ever be humble enough to admit they made a mistake and return the 911 to a 6-speed, but a 7-speed makes no sense. If they are serious about back-to-basics, then a 6-speed is the only way to go. Without that, it's largely marketing BS. Yeah, yeah, I know they did it to save money since the PDK is essentially the same 7-speed, and then there's the silliness about gas mileage, but I'm saying if they are serious about this being a back-to-basics, driver's car, a 6-speed is absolutely imperative.

IMO 7th gear on 991 is an absolutely useless gear. Around town its never used. I can see if you are cruising for hours at 75 on an interstate where it might be appropriate. It could be 6 gears. The engine will not be the Carrera engine nor turbo, likely the GT3 engine. There is no MT for that car. So, could be ... we will see.

Oh jeeze! If they do make it with a 6-speed, I may fall in serious lust, and I didn't have a new toy of this price figured in the budget. I hope it's only available in Pepto Bismal pink with a green plaid interior so I don't want one.

add me to that list.