Porsche has finally announced the new 911 GT2, after both the brochure and official pictures were leaked. The 911 GT2 “vintage 997″ will be shown to the public at the Frankfurt auto show in september and will be “the most powerful 911 so far homologated for road use”.
The 911 GT2 will share its underpinnings with the 911 Turbo, but it will feature larger air intakes at the front, a larger rear wing and a souped up engine, with 50 ps more than the standard Turbo: power output will be 530 ps at 6,500 rpm, maximum torque will be 680 Nm between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm.
Weight has been kept down to 1,440 kg and the 911 GT2 boasts performance data considerably better than the turbo: 3.7 seconds from 0-100 km/h with a top speed of 329 km/h. Traction is rear wheel drive only, with a 6-speed manual gearbox. You can find the full text of the Porsche press release below the fold.
The power unit of the new 911 GT2 is based on the six-cylinder boxer engine of the 911 Turbo, with air supply by two exhaust gas turbochargers featuring variable turbine geometry (VTG). The 3.6-litre boxer engine achieves its maximum output of 530 bhp (390 kW) at 6500 rpm, with maximum torque of 680 Newton-metres maintained consistently between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm. With its unladen weight of 1,440 kg or 3,175 lb, finally, the 911 GT2 offers a power-to-weight ratio of just 2.72 kg/6.00 lb per horsepower.
The increase in engine power by 50 bhp over the â€regular“ power unit is provided in the new 911 GT2 by two turbochargers with a larger compressor wheel and a flow-optimised turbine housing raising turbocharger pressure to an even higher level. And for the first time Porsche’s engineers have combined the turbocharged engine with an expansion-type intake manifold – a genuine revolution on turbocharged power units.
The expansion intake manifold uses the principle of oscillating air in the intake manifold during the cooler expansion phase, keeping the temperature of the fuel/air mixture lower than in the 911 Turbo. This, in turn, means a significant increase in all-round efficiency, with fuel consumption down by up to 15 per cent under full load despite the increase in engine output.
The 911 GT2 offers new achievements also in terms of emission management and control: This is the first Porsche homologated for the road to feature a rear silencer and tailpipes made of titanium as standard equipment. This expensive material reduces weight by approximately 50 per cent versus a comparable component made of stainless steel to just 9 kg.
The new 911 GT2 comes as standard with PCCB brakes featuring brake discs made of a composite carbon fibre/ceramic compound ensuring maximum stopping power maintained with an extremely high level of consistency. A further advantage is that PCCB brakes reduce the weight of the unsprung masses versus comparable grey cast-iron discs by approximately 20 kg or 44 lb.
Yet another feature fitted as standard is the electronically controlled PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management. (PASM). The GT2 comes on 19-inch light-alloy wheels running at the front on 235/35 ZR 19, at the rear on 325/30 ZR 19 sports tyres.