Porsche 911 991 GT3 vs. 992 GT3: Which One Is Better?

The newest Porsche 911 GT3 does a whole lot more than just look different than its older counterpart.

It goes without saying that the new Porsche 911 GT3 looks much different than its predecessor, at least in terms of Porsche 911s, but there’s much more that’s different than just the looks between these two cars. When you’re discussing the Porsche 911 992 GT3 vs. 991 GT3, you’re talking about two incredible performance cars that represent the absolute pinnacle of what Porsche is capable of. While the Porsche 991 GT3 was and is an incredibly performing car, Porsche took every opportunity it could to make improvements and optimize the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3. Here, we’ve broken down the differences between the two cars to show just how much the Porsche 922 GT3 has changed.

Engine

When comparing the 992 vs. 991 GT3, it’s important to note that the 992 GT3 engine boasts an increase of 9 horsepower compared to its 991 counterpart. The 493 horsepower that the 991 GT3 produced is an incredibly impressive figure, but the 992 GT3 squeezes all the power that it possibly can out of the engine, producing a massive 502 horsepower. Both cars are powered by a 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated flat-6 engine, however, the new 911 GT3 engine is related more closely to the 911 GT3 Cup. One interesting change is that the new 911 GT3 lacks access to the engine bay. When you pull the lever to release what you think is the engine access, all you get is access to add fluids. This is because the engine has been situated so low and deep within the car that even with engine bay access, you would not be able to reach anything. To some, this might be a disadvantage of the new 911 GT3.

Wheels, Tires, and Brakes

While the body shapes of the 991 and 992 Porsche 911 GT3 may look similar, one of the important distinctions to make between the two is the fact that the 992 GT3 has a much wider body. This change allowed Porsche to make some important improvements to the wheels, tires, and brakes for better track performance. To start, the 992 GT3 is the first to feature staggered wheel sizes. You will notice that while the front wheels of the car are 20 inches, the rear wheels are 21 inches, which means greater road contact for the rear wheels, which are the drive wheels, and improved acceleration. The tires play an even more important role, as the wider body meant that Porsche could fit Michelin PilotSport Cup 2 R tires on the new GT3, which are motorsport tires on a road-legal car. Having these larger wheels and tires opens the door for larger brakes, as well. The new GT3 gets incredible 16-inch brake discs in the front, with 6 pistons, while the back gets 15-inch discs with 4 pistons. Because of the 992 GT3’s wider body compared to the 991, the 991 was, unfortunately, unable to get any of these bonuses.

Suspension

The suspension also provides advantages for the 992 GT3 that enable it to be faster, as the suspension in the 992 GT3 features, for the first time, a double-wishbone setup at the front, multi-link rear axle, and adjustability for racing. The rear-wheel steering for stability at high speeds and tighter cornering at lower speeds is continued from the 991 and improved upon, by using a suspension adapted for the road for the 992 GT3 from the 911 RSR and 911 GT3 Cup cars, resulting in a car that easily dominates the track and the road.

Interior

With a new 911 comes a new interior, and it signifies one of the biggest changes that occurred between the 991 GT3 and the 992 GT3. Unlike the 991 GT3, the 992 GT3 debuted with both a manual transmission and a PDK transmission available. Until the 991.2, only the PDK was available for the 991 GT3. However, if you do get the PDK transmission in the 992, you won’t miss out on the sporty feel of the manual, as the gear lever is adapted from the manual and has the same exact look and feel, except for the fact that it, of course, controls an automatic transmission. An interesting feature of the 992 GT3 is that it introduces a “Track Screen” to the instrument panel. When the Track driving mode is selected, extraneous information on the instrument panel screens literally disappears, and what you’re left with is only information that is necessary for racing, like temperatures, the tachometer, and the speedometer. While both cars have incredible interiors, the performance dedication goes the extra mile in the 992, with thinner carpet in the back compartment, and more modern equipment courtesy of a more modern 911.

Performance

What all these improvements, and more culminate in, is a faster, and in many ways, better Porsche 911 GT3 between the 991 and 992 generations. The aggressive aero kit on the 911 GT3 introduced the largest diffuser yet on the 911 GT3 and optimized airflow throughout the car. One easy detail to notice about the new GT3 is the unusual rear spoiler on the car. Porsche calls this the “Swan Neck Wing,” and by mounting the spoiler from the top rather than the bottom, the surface area on the bottom of the spoiler can be maximized, helping generate more downforce. As a matter of fact, compared to its predecessor, the Porsche 911 GT3 is able to achieve as much as 150% more downforce, which translates to better handling, wherever you drive the GT3. The spoiler is adjustable and allows the driver to tune it for road or track use. However, the potential disadvantages of the aero kit are also something that Porsche has considered. Available for the new Porsche 911 GT3 is a front axle lift system that lifts the car when it needs to clear steep driveways or other bumps, which is also linked to the GPS system so that the car remembers to do it when it comes to a familiar obstacle. Porsche has gone to the ends of the earth for weight savings on the new GT3, from a carbon-fiber roof and hood to lightweight glass. Because of this, despite being a larger and more powerful car, the new 992 Porsche 911 GT3 manages to weigh a similar amount to the 991 GT3 while being a larger, more powerful car. The on-track performance is where this all truly shines, as just when Porsche fans thought it couldn’t get any better than it was, the 991 GT3 was eclipsed by the 992 GT3 in the name of 17 seconds on the Nürburgring, an incredible amount, especially considering the fact that it is a new generation of an existing car compared to its predecessor. And not only did it do that, but it also eclipsed 7 minutes. The Porsche 991 GT3 and the Porsche 992 GT3 are both incredible cars, but the new generation shows remarkable improvement.

Source: Porsche