Here’s a Porsche 911 GT3, seen at a nondescript parking lot in east Beijing in the spring of 2018. The German supercar stood unattended between a Porsche Panamera and a Jaguar XJS. It was an unusual spot for such a rare and massively expensive machine.
The Porsche 911 GT3 (991)
Porsche launched the 911 GT3 (991) in 2013. Later, Porsche changed the factory code to 911.1 when it launched the updated 911.2 in 2017. The 911 GT3 is the hardcore performance variant of the regular Porsche 911 Carrera.
The exterior
The 991-generation 911 GT3 differs from the regular 991 Carrera mainly through its more aggressive, track-oriented exterior. The GT3 features a large fixed rear wing, a deeper front bumper with larger air intakes, and a unique vented front trunk lid for improved cooling and downforce.
At the rear, the GT3 uses a centrally mounted dual-exit exhaust and a distinct diffuser treatment. The exterior color is “Carrera White Metallic“.
Porsche fitted the 911 GT3 with forged, lightweight alloy wheels with center-lock mounting. It stands on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, 255/35 ZR20 front and 315/30 ZR21 rear.
The interior
The Porsche 911 GT3 boasts a performance-oriented interior, featuring leather-suede sports seats and a three-spoke steering wheel. Note the cheap-ass blank switches on the center tunnel.
The specifications of the 911 GT3 (991.1)
The GT3’s 3.8-litre flat-six is a naturally aspirated, high-revving boxer engine, producing 476 hp and 440 Nm and screaming to a 9.000 rpm redline. Porsche coupled the engine to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (PDK), sending all horsepower to the rear wheels.
The GT3’s top speed is 315 km/h (196 mph), and it accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and from 0–200 km/h in 11.4 seconds. This made the Porsche 911 GT3 one of the fastest-accelerating cars in the world at the time. It also stopped impressively well, with a 100–0 km/h braking distance of around 31 metres. Interesting extra fact: the 911 GT3 fuel tank has a 64-liter capacity, whereas the 911 Carrera has a 68-liter tank.
Porsche 911 Club Beijing
The Porsche 911 Club Beijing is an unofficial community formed by Porsche 911 owners in Beijing. I saw these stickers a lot in the 2010s, but it seems the club doesn’t exist anymore.
Price in China
High-performance cars are extremely expensive in China. The 911 GT3 is no exception. When new, it cost 1.87 million yuan, or $304K using the 2013 exchange rate. That makes the 991 Porsche 911 GT3 a rare supercar on Chinese roads. Notice the difference in color with the Panamera, which is painted in standard Porsche White.