2003 PORSCHE 911 GT3 (996) 3.6L 6MT (381 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Two seats, no turbo, and, due to its lightweight, it was the quickest and the fastest naturally aspirated Porsche from its generation. And it was available with automatic transmission as well.

Apart from production vehicles, Porsche was one of the biggest suppliers for racing teams around the world. For some categories, the race models had to be built as the street-legal vehicles in order to receive an FIA approval. The GT3 was one of them and it was not just an ordinary car.

The design of the GT3 was different than the rest of its stablemates. The front bumper featured a special apron and a lip underneath. The sleek bodywork was carried over from the regular Carrera 2. It didn’t feature any fancy air-scoops on its sides. The aerodynamically enhanced sills carried over the air-flow from the spoiler to the rear wheels. An adjustable rear wing was installed on top of the engine lid, to provide more downforce.

Inside, the GT3 was stripped from most of the comfort features. There was no bench in the back. Instead, it was fitted with a roll-cage, which provided more safety and a stiffer bodywork. The race-bucket seats were designed for track use. On the center stack, the GT3 kept the PCM (Porsche Communication Management) infotainment unit, but the AC was fitted as an option.

The GT3 engine was the same flat-six as the rest of the range, with a 3.6-liter displacement. It was enhanced to offer 380 hp, which was more than 100 hp/liter. The stiffer and lower suspension offered a better cornering speed. The standard transmission was a 6-speed manual, but a 5-speed Tiptronic (automatic) with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel was offered as an option.