Rossen Gargolov Porsche 911 GT3 in the super test
05.12.2010
It's one of those things with success stories: the risk that they might tear off at some point cannot be dismissed out of hand . The reasons for this can be as diverse and varied as life itself: lack of ideas, arrogance, internal quarrels, political turmoil or simply bad general weather conditions. In this case, only one thing helps - consistently stay on the ball, persistently follow the course that has been taken and above all: do the work instead of spitting big tones.
S or ten years of the Porsche 911 GT3
From this point of view, seems to be in the context of the GT3 model series Everything has been done right in the past ten years of its existence. Because the sportiest of all 911s has never lacked resounding success in any of its expansion stages. Each time, however, always shortly before the introduction of the next model or the latest updates, the anxious question arose as to how it would be possible to stand up to the increasingly challenging competition while strictly maintaining all the principles that have been maintained for decades. And every time the answer, turned steel and aluminum, was convincing, if not overwhelming - see the super tests of the corresponding GT3 versions in issues 8/1999, 6/2003, 3/2004, 7/2006 and 3/2007.
Even the latest version of the successful series, which emerged from the legendary RS tradition, keeps up with the philosophy exemplified by its predecessors, according to which the policy of small steps tends to have a higher success rate than an overthrow or a technical revolution - as long as it is only designed for the long term and is pursued with the necessary degree of passion and expertise.
20 HP more power and increased torque
As far as the classic success parameter that is often used in advertising - the number of horsepower - is concerned the new 911 GT3 can hardly be drawn from the reserve, which is a self-confident undertaking in times of ongoing performance escalation in the sports car sector. The 20 hp more power and the increased torque, with which the new one can proliferate compared to its predecessor, are gladly taken with them, but in the knowledge of their practical relevance they attach less value than is commonly assumed.
Logically, for those responsible behind the GT3 project, the motor-related influencing variable is only in third place - behind the complex of aerodynamics and the top-ranking area of chassis and tires - i.e. those two levers that are ultimately only used in motorsport. The banal formulas “More fall equals higher cornering speeds” or “The gurney will fix it” has long since ceased to be used in these extremely complex areas of science. Would you like an example? It is easy to imagine, with a little imagination, that a centennial weight in the rear trunk, which is not firmly fixed in its position, can have a major influence on driving behavior in bends.
The engine is decoupled from the chassis
This somewhat clumsy-sounding analogy explains clearly what small-minded sounding problems, for example in the form of the new, dynamic engine mount PADM (Porsche Active Drivetrain Mount) - knowing full well that conventional connections between engine and chassis are often only of limited use in view of their complex tasks in sporty or even racing-style driving. On the one hand, they should decouple the engine from the chassis in such a way that no oscillations or vibrations are transmitted. On the other hand, they should fix the motor so immovably that it does not cause any disruptive mass impulses in sharp corners. A liquid enriched with magnetic particles, the viscosity of which changes an electric field controlled by the existing sensors, manages this difficult balancing act, which Porsche claims to have been able to present exclusively so far.
As far as the running smoothness of the six-cylinder vacuum cleaner, which has been enlarged to 3.8 liters, is concerned, the measure can already be certified as a success. Both the gentle shaking of the six-cylinder engine, which is now also equipped with the VarioCam adjustment mechanism on the exhaust camshaft, while idling, and its run, which is felt to be silky smooth over the entire speed range, are absolutely credible indicators of the flawless function of the new system. The talents gained through the PADM in terms of driving dynamics are subjectively much more difficult to assess, although on closer inspection there is one or the other evidence of this.
Sprint from zero to 100 km /h in 4.1 seconds
The ram inclination during sharp acceleration maneuvers from a standing start with a high output speed is not even with the new GT3 disappeared completely, but significantly reduced compared to its predecessors. To what extent the GT3 profile in terms of driving behavior and driving dynamics, which is more and more clearly gained in quality with each Supertest test, is due to this measure in the area of the engine mounts, which from a layman's point of view appears to be secondarydifficult to quantify. The fathers of the GT3 approve of their youngest, due to such and similar tricks in the sensitive area of axle kinematics, a qualitative gain in measurable size, also and especially in the area of lateral dynamics.
Porsche GT2 genes in the new GT3 model
The cult sports car GT3, who competes with the well-known excellent chassis genes of the 911 GT2, which has since been retired, should therefore be heard after not only straight ahead, but also in corners, it shows significantly more talent than its direct predecessor. In short: the difference between debit and credit is not just about zero - the credit far outweighs it, in all relevant criteria. The appearance of the two-seater, painted in the eye-catching (and unfortunately surcharge) special color Riviera Blue, turned out to be so convincing that the competition must be overwhelmed by the sovereignty with which the athletes, who are probably only connoisseurs of the subject as the new GT3, set the limits newly marked.
The super athlete, with one exception - the 0-200-0 test - six times with the maximum number of ten points, gains the highest respect through the rare feat, his driving dynamics class without the usual restrictions in everyday usability to be able to prove. The characteristics that are often inevitably to be accepted in the case of borderline-optimized treasures in the form of wheel groove sensitivity, stubborn suspension comfort, brittle rolling behavior or tiring acoustics have been permanently driven out of the GT3. The PASM chassis, which appropriately differentiates between acceptable driving comfort on the one hand and extremely suitable sports setup on the other, reveals the advantages of the dual system in its logically structured characteristic curve in a very understandable way. Nothing jerks or wobbles here, neither in the warm-up phase nor in traffic jams.
Suitability for everyday use not excluded
The engine sounds robust, especially when the sports button is pressed, but it doesn't roar. Even the ceramic brake, which is still subject to a surcharge, does not make a sound - in short: the 911 GT3 is able to disguise its inspiring systems in terms of positive and negative acceleration in dreary everyday life with an accessible environment that is equipped with all the gimmicks that have become commonplace Less explosive inmates can find peace in this highly qualified two-seater. The significantly improved chassis quality of the over-911 can probably be understood by those who are more interested in an exciting high-speed orgy than in increased lateral dynamics than those who are more concerned with the experience of the maximum possible lateral forces - simply because of the verylimited opportunities to get in close contact with the up to 1.4 g strong lateral forces.
The aerodynamic properties, especially the downforce values, are despite the visually restrained reinforcement in the form of wings and front splitter of Such outstanding quality that exploring the high-speed range, which only ends at over 310 km /h, is still a very exciting undertaking, but is now gladly undertaken. The straight-line running qualities are improved to such an extent that the GT3 is hardly recognizable as a once somewhat capricious straight-line runner. As if pulled on an imaginary string, it pulls its course casually and unimpressed. The steering wheel is not motionless due to the vertical wheel movements, but it is comparatively calm in the hand.
Driving safety that sets standards in the 911 environment
The palms of the hands remain dry even when the road surface reaches the spring /damper system in extremely fast bends on the motorway calls to the utmost. The downforce, which is clearly effective on both axles, in combination with the geometric optimizations on the wheel suspensions, ensures a level of driving safety that was previously considered unthinkable in the 911 environment. In tests on the high-speed test track in Papenburg, the GT3, according to Porsche, was able to realize transverse accelerations of one g with abrupt lane changes without even shaking the rear end - and this at a speed of 300 km /h.
You shouldn't say it out loud: If the travel speed has so far leveled off at around 220 km /h, partly because of the dominant driving noise, today it is a good 250 km /h, which is easy and fast in the GT3 relaxed can be accepted as the basic pace. In addition to the ground effect and the much more civilized driving comfort, it is of course the gift of the six-cylinder, which is still built on the engine housing of the legendary 911 GT1, which, thanks to its exorbitant willingness to perform, virtually forces you to push it excessively at every moment.
It hangs on the gas as if electrified and turns silky and smooth in speed regions where others would refuse to exchange gas. The automated dual-clutch transmission offered in other models is not missed after initial disappointment about the inevitable waiver, because the conventionally operated six-speed transmission leaves nothing to be desired in terms of function and handling. It would also have had a negative impact on an area that has the highest priority in the GT3: its extra weight would have completely destroyed the many small visible and hidden initiatives to further reduce weight. And that would have been a shame if it had been established that the Porsche 911 GT3 of all things had become heavieris.
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