Because Porsche street-legal race car, that’s why. Because we really can’t get enough of the 3.8-liter, 475-horsepower road-going track car, and we’ll bet that most readers can’t either.
Purists aren’t happy that Porsche is dropping the six-speed manual gearbox from the 911 GT3, in favor of a PDK dual-clutch automatic, but we understand the (many) reasons why.
If you’ve ever driven a 911 GT3 or GT3 RS at speed, on the track, you know that money-shifting the engine by grabbing the wrong gear isn’t hard to do, which is why a sequential gearbox is one of the most popular upgrades for these track-driven models.
The PDK gearbox is also much quicker than even the most skilled human operator rowing a seven-speed manual, and the GT3 is all about lap times. No one likes change, but change is inevitable.
On the other hand, buyers will surely like the 0-60 mph time of just 3.3 seconds, the curb weight of 3,152 pounds and the top speed of 195 mph, which, combined with the 911 GT3’s new active rear-wheel steering, should produce a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of under 7:30.
Look for the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 to hit U.S. dealers by the end of the year, priced from $131,350 (including a $950 destination charge).
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