2017 Porsche 911 GT3 to get manual gearbox

Porsche will offer a three-pedal version of its purest road racer when an updated version of the 911 GT3 is revealed at next year's Geneva motor show.

The German brand flipped its transmission philosophy with the current-generation GT3, which was the first of its type to be offered exclusively with a dual-clutch automatic whereas previous models have been the opposite and restricted to manual gearboxes.

The move was completely rational in terms of performance, as Porsche's PDK transmission offers faster acceleration and quicker shift times than a manual gearbox.

But a backlash from traditional customers, highlighted by the sell-out success of the manual-only 911 R, appears to have swayed the German sports cars to offer both transmissions from next year's Type 991.2 upgrade to the GT3.

When asked by Drive at the Los Angeles motor show this week whether a manual gearbox would be offered in a 911 GT3 again, Porsche's head of motorsport and GT cars, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser said "This is LA and not the Geneva motor show... ask the same question there and I will have an answer for you."

Unlike the mainstream 911 Carrera models, which are shifting to turbocharged engines, Walliser confirmed the GT3 would retain its high-revving naturally-aspirated six cylinder engine, which is expected to receive a few tweaks to increase its power beyond today's 350kW maximum output.

While Walliser said the GT3 will retain its atmo configuration "for as long as possible", he also hinted that future GT cars could adopt hybrid systems that would not only further increase performance but also allow them to meet future fuel consumption regulations.

"If you look at the 918 Spyder, this is a pure GT car ? you cannot feel what is electric and it is faster because of this which is the primary outcome," he said.

"With our GT cars we already have systems like four-wheel steering, so it is not as pure as it may seem. But it is all for the better performance. You don't have to show it all the time, so yes we are obviously looking at the future and what is needed for these types of cars.

"GT cars are important for Porsche, for sure, so we cannot let them disappear because of anyone else's interpretation of the word pure."

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