Fans of the company have long feared that the end of the naturally aspirated engines in the hardcore 911 GT3 and GT3 RS models is near and a new report says that their fears are about to become a reality.
Autocar cites a Stuttgart-based source close to Porsche Motorsport, saying that the successor to the current 911 GT3 is going to use a twin-turbo engine instead of the 4.0-liter flat-six unit. Porsche’s plan is to put a heavily reworked version of the existing 911 Turbo’s twin-turbo 3.8-liter engine in the next-generation 911 GT3.
The upcoming 911 992 Turbo is expected to offer around 572hp (580PS) once it arrives in the market in the second half of 2019. In the new GT3 however, the engine will be tuned to produce somewhere in the region of 513hp (520PS). The current, naturally aspirated 911 GT3 is rated at 493hp (500PS).
In theory, adopting a twin-turbo engine will fundamentally change the character of the hardcore 911, on road and on track, by introducing heaps of torque into the equation, especially in the low-to-mid rev range. It will be interesting to see what Porsche will do to the turbocharged engine in order to make it feel more exciting and please the demanding GT3 clientele.
The same report goes on saying that Porsche boss Oliver Blume has green-lighted the rumored hybrid version of the 911. The electrified 911 will be reportedly powered by a combination of the turbocharged 3.0-liter engine found in the Carrera models and a 94hp electric motor for a combined output of 478hp (484PS).
As for the all-new Porsche 992, we’ve already seen prototypes running around in full-production bodywork but the official reveal will take place at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.