(2008 – 2009) Porsche 911 GT2 (997) – Ultimate Guide
The 2008 Porsche 997 GT2 is the most powerful and fastest roadgoing 911 Porsche has ever created. Power for the 997 GT2 comes from a 3.6 litre, twin-turbo, flat-6 cylinder engine which develops 530 bhp @ 6500 rpm, and a tire destroying 505 lb-ft of torque @ 2200 – 4500 rpm. most of the power gains have been achieved with changes to the turbo-charging system and the addition of a high-flow titanium exhaust system. Power is transferred to the rear wheels of the 2008 GT2 through a 6-speed short-throw manual giving the car a 0-60 mph time of just 3.6 seconds and a 204 mph top speed.
Like most recent 911 versions the 997 GT2 is equipped with driver aids. For the GT2 a specially adapted version of Porsche’s Stability Management (PSM) is fitted. This includes Stability Control (SC) which monitors the direction, speed, yaw velocity and lateral acceleration of the car and uses the gathered information to apply selective braking in order to correct oversteer or understeer. traction control (TC) is responsible for adapting the cars power delivery to various surfaces the car may encounter, it also helps to prevent the back end from stepping out during hard acceleration. The 997 GT2 also features launch control which maximizes acceleration from a standing start, the 2008 GT2 is the first road going car Porsche has fitted this system to.
Visually the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 is equipped with a new front bumper with revised aerodynamics to compensate for the increased cooling requirements of the engine and brakes. At the back a fixed rear wing with integrated lip spoiler keeps the GT2 glued to the road. The 2008 911 GT2 rides on one-piece 19″ wheels specifically designed for the car. Behind the new wheels sit ceramic composite brake discs which provide shorter stopping distances and excellent fade resistance under harsh use, as well as a 50% reduction in unsprung weight when compared with conventional discs.
Under the slippery bodywork Porsche has fitted the 2008 911 GT2 with adjustable suspension, including customisable ride height, camber, toe angle and anti-roll bar settings. This is backed up by Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) which provides active damping which adjusts individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving styles.
Inside the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 features ergonomic sports bucket seats compatible with six-point racing harnesses. Facing the driver is the cluster of five instruments including a large central rev counter highlighted with a GT2 logo, titanium colored dial and upshift light. An optional ‘Chrono Package’ combines a dash mounted analogue/digital timer with a range of functions including lap times and distance traveled.
Pictures
Press Release
The Porsche 911 GT2 is the fastest and most powerful Porsche 911 homologated for the road to ever see the light of day. Its 3.6-litre horizontally-opposed six-cylinder power unit with biturbo technology develops maximum output of 530 bhp (390 kW) at a speed of 6,500 rpm. Maximum torque of 680 Newton-metres or 501 lb-ft, in turn, is maintained consistently over a speed range from 2,200 – 4,500 rpm. Acceleration to 100 km/h comes in just 3.7 seconds and the new top sports model within the 911 Series reaches a staggering top speed of 329 km/h or 204 mph.
Full of character, full of efficiency
The low-slung spoiler lip at the front and the rear wing so characteristic of this very special model give the Porsche 911 GT2 remarkable down force both front and rear, while at the same time maintaining the silhouette so characteristic of this top model. Low weight of 1,440 kg or 3,175 lb, rear-wheel drive and a superior drag coefficient of Cd = 0.32 ensure not only exceptional sportiness and performance, but also a supreme standard of all-round efficiency. As a result, the Porsche 911 GT2 consumes just 12.5 litres/100 km of premium plus fuel in the composite EU test (equal to 22.6 mpg imp), thus offering a standard of fuel economy exceptionally good for a car of this kind.
A world-first achievement: the expansion intake manifold
Using the oscillating air during the cooler expansion phase is a genuine revolution in turbocharged engine technology. So benefiting from a brand-new, innovative expansion-type intake system with its own special geometry and an exhaust gas turbocharger with variable turbine geometry operating at a maximum pressure of 1.4 bar, new 911 GT2 offers an extra 50 bhp over the already very powerful 911 Turbo.
Chassis with PASM and ceramic brake system
Compared with the 911 Carrera, the new 911 GT2 has been lowered by approx 25 mm or 1.00″, with the chassis and suspension geared specifically to the needs of this very dynamic car. And as one would rightly expect of a Porsche sports car, the GT2 comes with unusually powerful and effective brakes, PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes featuring brake discs measuring 380 millimetres or 14.96″ in diameter at the front and 350-millimetre (13.78″) brake discs at the rear fitted as standard on this top-of-the-range sports model.
Three-stage PSM and Launch Assistant
Featured for the first time in the Porsche 911 GT2, PSM Porsche Stability Management can be deactivated in two stages, with the ABS anti-lock brake system always remaining active: The driver is able to deactivate lateral and longitudinal dynamic control in a successive process, thus gearing the car’s driving behaviour to his individual demands and requirements. The new Launch Assistant, in turn, enables the driver, via the engine control unit, to accelerate with optimum power and performance from a standstill, TC Traction Control ensuring optimum longitudinal dynamics in the acceleration process.
Titanium exhaust gas system and folding sports bucket seats
The new 911 GT2 is the first Porsche homologated for road use to be fitted as standard with an exhaust system featuring a titanium rear-end silencer and titanium tailpipes. Compared with a comparable silencer made of stainless steel, titanium reduces the weight of the entire system by approximately 50 per cent.
Another new feature in the Porsche 911 GT2 is the sports bucket seats likewise fitted as standard. And a further advantage in this case is that the backrests fold individually to any desired position, maintaining optimum lateral stability at all times.
Top Performance in the 911
The 911 GT2 is the new top performer in the 911 model series. Through its striking design with extra-large air intake scoops at the front and the characteristic rear wing, this fastest of all models in the 911 series clearly demonstrates its supreme performance right from the start, before even setting off. Indeed, these design and streamlining features so characteristic of the Porsche 911 GT2 give the car an exemplary drag coefficient of Cd = 0.32, together with downforce on both the front and rear axle.
Available only with a manual six-speed gearbox, the 911 GT2 supersports accelerates to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 329 km/h or 204 mph.
Two turbochargers for extra power
The power unit of the new Porsche 911 GT2 is based on the flat-six already featured in the 911 Turbo, with two exhaust gas turbochargers using variable turbine geometry (VTG) providing the requisite supply of air. Maximum output of 530 bhp (390 kW) from this 3.6-litre boxer engine comes at 6,500 rpm, peak torque is 680 Newton-metres (501 lb-ft) maintained consistently over a wide speed range between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm. And with the car’s unladen weight being just 1,440 kg or 3,175 lb, the power-to-weight ratio is 2.72 kg or 6.00 lb per horsepower.
Innovative air supply
The extra power of the engine in the new 911 GT2 versus the 911 Turbo is provided by two exhaust gas turbochargers with an enlarged compressor wheel and the flow-optimised turbine housing, both of which are laid out for even higher charge pressure.
A further point is that Porsche’s engineers have for the first time combined the turbocharged power unit in the 911 GT2 with a so-called expansion-type intake manifold – a genuine revolution in the concept of turbocharged power units. The principle applied in this case is to use the oscillating intake air during the cooler expansion phase to prepare the fuel/air mixture, keeping the temperature of the fuel/air mixture lower than in the engine of the 911 Turbo. This ensures a significant increase in all-round efficiency – more power on less fuel, with fuel consumption dropping by up to 15 per cent under full load. As a result, average composite fuel consumption in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) of 12.5 litres/100 km or 22.6 mpg imp is exceptionally good for a car of this class – and thanks to its new exhaust system, the new Porsche 911 GT2 also outperforms the EU4 emission standard.
Extra-light exhaust system
The 911 GT2 offers new developments and highlights not only on the intake manifold, but also on the exhaust side: This is the first Porsche homologated for the road to feature a rear-end silencer and tailpipes made as standard of titanium, an extra-light but stable material. Weighing approximately 9 kilos, the silencer is roughly 50 per cent lighter than a comparable component made of stainless steel.
Setting off with the Launch Assistant
The new 911 GT2 is likewise the first production sports car from Porsche to feature a Launch Assistant enabling the driver to set off with optimum performance and ensuring simple handling at all times.
To activate the Launch Assistant, all the driver has to do is press down the throttle in full with the car at a standstill, the appropriate gear in mesh, and the clutch pedal pressed to the floor. Then the system will automatically set engine speed to exactly the right level, the driver’s only task then being to take his foot off the clutch as quickly as possible in order to accelerate the car with maximum speed and power.
In this process PSM Porsche Stability Management prevents the car from “twitching”, with the full power of the engine being transmitted smoothly to the road.
Rear-wheel drive on the Porsche 911 GT2 comes with an asymmetrical limited-slip differential maintaining a locking factor of 28 per cent under power and 40 per cent in overrun.
Porsche’s new supersports runs on 19-inch wheels combined with specially developed tyres measuring 235/35 at the front and 325/30 at the rear. Tyre pressure, finally, is supervised and maintained by sensors in the tyre pressure control system also featured as standard.
Specially set-up PASM damper system and upgraded PSM
The chassis and suspension of the new 911 GT2 is based on the chassis of the 911 GT3, while at the same time the entire set-up is approximately 25 millimetres or 1.00″ lower and firmer than on the 911 Carrera.
PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management featured as standard on the new 911 GT2 has also been modified accordingly, with somewhat firmer and tauter damper action in the Normal mode, as opposed to an extra-firm and taut suspension in the Sports mode suited ideally for use on the race track.
The new Porsche 911 GT2 comes as standard with PCCB brakes featuring ceramic brake discs. The exceptional features of this brake system include in particular a very fast response, enormous stability against fading, superior safety reserves, and low weight.
Compared with grey-cast-iron brakes of the same size, PCCB reduces unsprung masses in the car by approximately 20 kg or 44 lb.
Yet another innovative feature developed by Porsche’s engineers for the new 911 GT2 is PSM Porsche Stability Management specifically tailored to the new model: Giving the driver the option to deactivate various components, this special driving stability system meets the demands of even the most sporting and dynamic motorist. To set up the system to his specific requirements, all the driver has to do is press two buttons in the front centre console: Pressing the SC OFF (SC: Stability Control) button, the driver deactivates lateral dynamic control. By additionally pressing the SC+TC OFF (TC: Traction Control) button, the driver also switches off longitudinal dynamic control, while the ABS brake system remains active at all times.
Innovative sports bucket seats
The high-performance concept of the 911 GT2 also includes sports bucket seats made of a very light combination of glass- and carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (GFP/CFP) with a visible carbon surface, featured as standard on the new model. Incorporating a new type of manual adjustment, the sports bucket seats combine unusually good side stability with enhanced access to the area behind the front seats, thanks to the backrests tilting forward whenever required.
The Pinnacle in Sporting Performance
The new Porsche 911 GT2 forms the supreme spearhead in the current range of Porsche sports cars homologated for the road. And indeed, this is a truly outstanding athlete throughout the entire segment of top-performance sports cars: Developed by Porsche’s Motorsport Division, the new top-of-the-range model combines all the features so crucial to a road-going car also suitable for the race track – low weight combined with supreme engine power, a chassis and suspension conceived for motorsport, exceptional brakes, and highly efficient aerodynamics. As a result, the fastest and most powerful of all street-legal Porsche 911s ever built combines the supreme performance of the 911 Turbo with the exceptional sportiness of the 911 GT3.
The power unit of the 911 GT2 is based on the six-cylinder boxer already featured in the 911 Turbo, consistent enhancement of Porsche Turbo Technology giving the turbocharged 3.6-litre horizontally-opposed engine a further increase in output to 530 bhp (390 kW) at 6,500 rpm.
With the dimensions of the engine block and the engine’s basic configuration remaining the same, it is obvious that Porsche’s engineers have opted for the more demanding alternative to increase engine power by way of greater efficiency, fuel consumption of the 911 GT2 being exceptionally low for a car of this class at an average in the EU composite cycle of just 12.5 litres premium plus on 100 kilometres, equal to 22.6 mpg imp.
To convert this superior power directly into dynamic performance on the road, Porsche’s motorsport engineers have acted just as consistently in reducing the weight of the new Porsche 911 GT2 to 1,440 kg or 3,175 lb. In other words, the 911 GT2 is another 145 kg or 320 lb lighter than the 911 Turbo.
The lighter weight of the new model versus the 911 Turbo is ensured, inter alia, by rear-wheel drive replacing all-wheel drive, weight-optimised sports bucket seats, the complete omission of rear seats, PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes featured as standard, the use of titanium for the rear silencer and exhaust tailpipes, as well as the rear axle subframe made of aluminium.
A power-to-weight ratio of 2.72 kilos (6.00 lb) per horsepower enables this supersports model fitted exclusively with a manual six-speed gearbox to accelerate to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds, then continuing to 200 km/h or 124 mph in an equally outstanding 11.2 seconds. Top speed, finally, is 329 km/h, equal to 204 mph.
Designed and built consistently for supreme driving dynamics, the 911 GT2, maintaining a proven Porsche tradition, conveys its drive power to the road via the car’s rear wheels and ensures optimum stopping power by means of PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes featured as standard.
The chassis and suspension fitted with PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management likewise as standard is tailored specifically to the new top-of-the-range 911 and ensures extremely sporting driving behaviour with superior handling qualities also on the track. As a result, no other Porsche 911 homologated for the road has ever covered the Nordschleife of Nürburgring as fast as the new GT2, a professional racing driver such as the World Rally Champion Walter Röhrl completing the Northern Circuit in a lap time of 7:32 minutes at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT2, a time comparable to the lap time achieved by the Porsche Carrera GT.
Supreme Turbo Power
The power unit of the new 911 GT2 is based on the six-cylinder boxer already featured in the 911 Turbo, with two exhaust gas turbochargers complete with variable turbine geometry (VTG). And indeed, this technology sets the benchmark in the turbocharged engine segment, maximum output of 530 bhp (390 kW) pushing the new 911 GT2 a significant 50 bhp above the 911 Turbo. Maximum torque of 680 Newton-metres or 501 lb-ft, in turn, is 60 Newton-metres higher than on the 911 Turbo.
While the 911 Turbo featuring the optional Sports Chrono Package Turbo also develops maximum torque of 680 Newton-metres, this extra boost is limited to just a short period in the Overboost mode, while in the new Porsche 911 GT2 maximum torque of 680 Newton-metres is maintained consistently throughout a wide range from 2,200 – 4,500 rpm.
Porsche’s development engineers are able to acheive this enormous power by re-guiding the flow of air. This is ensured, among other things, by ram charge air intakes integrated at the sides in the rear wing supports. Positioned directly in the flow of air, these ram air intakes quite literally press air into the openings particularly at high speeds, building up greater pressure upstream of the air filter. The air pre-compressed in this way then goes to the two upgraded exhaust gas turbochargers with variable turbine geometry (VTG). The big advantage on a turbine with variable geometry is that air throughput and the flow of air to the turbine wheel can be controlled individually by the rotor blades, the technology thus combining the benefits of a small exhaust gas turbocharger with the advantages of a bigger unit: superior maximum power, on the one hand, and dynamic response with high torque at low engine speeds, on the other. To provide even more power than on the 911 Turbo, finally, the new 911 GT2 uses exhaust gas turbochargers featuring an even larger compressor wheel and a flow-optimised turbine.
The two water-cooled exhaust gas turbochargers are laid out for maximum charge pressure of 1.4 bar – 0.4 bar more than on the 911 Turbo.
New intake system with an innovative pressure concept
This increase in charge pressure interacts with an intake system brand-new from the ground up: The 911 GT2 is the first Porsche to feature an expansion-type intake manifold, a world-first achievement on a turbocharged engine.
The operating principle applied in this case is very convincing: In the engine’s charge cycle, the air masses between the throttle butterfly and the intake valves oscillate in the intake area. This pulsation effect first compresses and then expands the air in an intermittent process, that is an alternating cycle of over- and underpressure.
Generally, a conventional intake manifold is designed to use the compression phase in order to force more air into the combustion chambers, boosting the cylinder charge and, accordingly, engine output in the process. The disadvantage of this resonance principle, as it is called, is that the charge effect not only compresses the air in the system, but also warms it up to a higher temperature. And this means that the fuel/air mixture cannot be ignited at the optimum point for maximum power.
With the air cooling down in the expansion phase on account of the underpressure generated at this point, the innovative intake manifold in the Porsche 911 GT2 uses precisely this effect, incorporating shorter intake manifolds and a longer distributor manifold with a smaller cross-section.
With turbocharger pressure being increased at the same time, the expansion effect more than sets off the lower pressure. And while this also increases air temperature, such higher temperatures can be set off almost completely by dissipating heat through the intercoolers.
This new intake technology maintains an appropriate fuel/air temperature at maximum engine speeds somewhat lower directly before the intake valves close than on the engine of the 911 Turbo. As a result, the engine is less sensitive to knocking and the fuel/air mixture is able to ignite at an earlier point. This, in turn, means a significant improvement in engine efficiency, higher maximum power and lower fuel consumption under full load: Compared with the same engine developing the same output but not featuring this technology, the power unit of the 911 GT2 reduces fuel consumption by up to 15 per cent.
Proven source of power
In its basic design and configuration, the engine block of the new 911 GT2 is largely the same as the power unit in the 911 Turbo, thus featuring a crankcase made of pressure-cast light alloy split down the middle and a crankshaft running in eight bearings. Engine capacity is precisely 3,600 cc, cylinder bore is 100 millimetres or 3.94″, piston stroke is 76.4 millimetres or 3.01″.
The forged light-alloy pistons run in aluminium cylinder liners with nikasil surface coating.
As a supreme high-performance sports car, the Porsche 911 GT2 naturally comes with dry sump lubrication featuring a separate engine oil tank. A total of nine oil pumps ensure smooth and reliable circulation of lubricant even under the long-lasting horizontal forces typically encountered on the race track. To be specific, these nine oil pumps are two oil extraction pumps for the exhaust gas turbochargers, two oil extraction pumps each for the cylinder heads, and two extraction as well one pressure pump in the crankcase. In all, a total of approximately 11 litres of 0W40 oil circulates within the system.
The gas charge cycle on the new 911 GT2 is controlled and masterminded by Porsche’s VarioCam Plus variable valve management adjusting both the stroke and the opening times of the intake valves. This is done, first, by a vane cell adjuster able to continuously change the relative position of the camshaft versus the crankshaft over a range of no less than 40 degrees crank angle. The second major component of the valve stroke adjustment system is the two interacting, switchable cup tappets operated and controlled by two cams of various size on the intake camshaft.
Rear end silencers and tailpipes made of titanium
The new 911 GT2 is the first Porsche homologated for the road to feature a rear silencer and tailpipes made of titanium as the car’s standard equipment. The big advantage of titanium is that it combines low weight with a high level of temperature resistance and material strength.
Capitalising on these qualities, Porsche’s engineers and production specialists are able to make the rear silencer of the 911 GT2 lighter, more compact and even smoother in the interest of optimum flow conditions. A further advantage of the more compact dimensions of the titanium silencer is that it keeps a larger gap from the surrounding components, improving the dissipation of heat in the process.
Weighing approximately nine kilograms, the new silencer is roughly 50 per cent lighter than a comparable component made of stainless steel. At the same time the new exhaust system reduces exhaust gas counter-pressure and the much lower weight helps to raise the performance of the Porsche 911 GT2 by a further significant margin, again giving the driver more power and performance on lower weight.
Yet a further feature is the deep and throaty rumble of the power unit in the 911 GT2 starting right from the beginning at idle speed, but nevertheless naturally maintaining all noise limits and emission standards. At the same time highly developed catalyst technology with one catalyst each on each row of cylinders, combined with secondary air injection when starting the engine cold, gives the new 911 GT2 an emission rating far better than the EU4 limits.
Race-proven transmission
Power is transmitted on the new Porsche 911 GT2 by a manual six-speed gearbox also developed for racing on the track and fine-tuned for very short and precise shift travel with harmonious gearshift forces. A special feature is that the gears are inserted into the gearbox shafts and not pressed on, meaning that they may be replaced whenever desired, giving the driver the opportunity to adjust the gearbox of the 911 GT2 individually to each race track, as required.
Considering possible use of the car in motorsport, the synchronising rings on the individual gears are made of steel instead of non-ferrous metal, thus allowing a very fast and precise gearshift. At 3.444:1, the final drive transmission ratio is the same as on the 911 Turbo and the 911 GT3. And to ensure a long service life even under extreme conditions, the gearbox fluid is cooled by a heat exchanger integrated in the coolant circuit.
Upshift indicator for an optimum gearshift at all times
Like the extra-sporting 911 GT3 with its naturally-aspirated power unit, the 911 GT2 also comes with an upshift gear indicator integrated in the rev counter and briefly flashing on before the engine reaches the appropriate speed limits to give the driver a signal for shifting gears at the optimum point. This shortens the time required for preparing a gearshift and reduces any distraction of the driver to an absolute minimum.
In consideration of the driver’s response time, the indicator comes on somewhat earlier in the lower gears than in the higher transmission ratios, moving the signal in the upper gears even closer to the engine’s cut-off speed.
The final drive unit on the new 911 GT2 comes as standard with a limited-slip differential featuring asymmetric action. “Asymmetric” means that since the 911 GT2, benefiting from its engine mounted at the rear, offers very good traction, the locking point under load has been kept to a moderate 28 per cent. In overrun, on the other hand, locking action is 40 per cent. The reason for choosing this higher figure is that this offers additional stabilisation of the car preventing it from “twisting” into bends.
Ensuring a perfect start at all times – the Launch Assistant
Considering that a perfect start may be the decisive factor in motorsport, Porsche’s engineers have developed the Launch Assistant. This assistance system featured for the first time on a Porsche production sports car gives the driver the opportunity to use the full power and acceleration of the Porsche 911 GT2 from a standstill whenever he wishes.
To activate the Launch Assistant, all the driver has to do is give full throttle with the car at a standstill, the appropriate gear in mesh, and the clutch pedal pressed down to the floor. The Motronic engine control unit will then immediately open the throttle butterflies in full, keeping the two exhaust gas turbochargers at a pressure of approximately 0.9 bar by means of the rotor blades. At the same time the ignition control system sets engine speed to 5,000 rpm, so that now all the driver has to do is take his foot off the clutch as quickly as possible in order to accelerate the car all-out with full power.
While the sudden build-up of torque in this process will make the rear wheels spin briefly, the slip control function of PSM Porsche Stability Management will immediately switch to maximum power transmission. The only further requirement is that the TC traction control function of PSM must not be switched off, thus providing the necessary action.
The rapid build-up of power ensured in this way serves, finally, to relieve the clutch of any adverse forces.
For Supreme Dynamics
The chassis and suspension of the new 911 GT2 is based on the chassis of the 911 Turbo, but has been optimised for the race track. In order to achieve this improvement, the entire car has been lowered by approximately 25 millimetres or 1.00″ versus the 911 Carrera and the suspension is even firmer and tauter than usual.
Together with special anti-roll bars on the front and rear axle tailored to the GT2, harder springs ensure very neutral driving behaviour all the way to the absolute limit. Both of the anti-roll bars may be adjusted for sports motoring, again being set individually to the driver’s requirements – the front rollbar may be set to four different levels, the rear bar to three positions.
A further option to adjust the 911 GT2 to motorsport requirements is the adjustable load-bearing springs: Via additional outer threads in the spring struts, the spring plates may be adjusted for height, enabling the driver not just to lower the entire car, but also to fine-tune the individual wheel loads.
To avoid any undesired oversteer right from the start, Porsche’s chassis and suspension specialists have upgraded the geometry and kinematics of the front axle, for example by moving up the pivot points of the tierods on the wheel arms as well as the outer connection of the track control arms by 10 millimetres or 0.39″ versus the former model. This improvement gives the driver even more neutral behaviour in bends, absolutely excellent directional stability, and ensures that the car quite literally hugs the road all the way to its top speed. A new feature on the 911 GT2 is the option to fine-tune wheel camber by means of adjustment plates on the lower track control arms.
To fulfil the specific demands made of the Porsche 911 GT2 with a view to motorsport, the rear axle has been upgraded at several points. The first change is the use of rubber mounts instead of the metal bushes featured on the 911 Turbo, giving the longitudinal arms an even stiffer connection to the body in accordance with the overall character of the car. The result is an improvement of both steering precision and driving stability.
To reduce weight and ensure even better weight distribution front-to-rear, the rear axle subframe is made of aluminium instead of steel. And while, to maintain the same load limits, the aluminium unit takes up a bit more space than the rear axle subframe made of steel, this space is not required, anyway, on the 911 GT2, since this model does not need the extra space for the larger Tiptronic S transmission available as an option on the 911 Turbo, as the 911 GT2 comes exclusively with a manual gearbox.
Also featured as standard, PASM Porsche Active Stability Management has been specifically tailored to the Porsche 911 GT2. Generally choosing the Normal mode with its firm and sporting set-up for “regular” motoring, the driver is able to switch over to an even tauter, racing-type Sports set-up at the touch of a button.
In the Sports mode PASM ensures particularly precise and direct driving behaviour by reducing body movement to a minimum.
Whenever the driver opts for the Sports mode, the dampers first switch over to a sporting and hard control map offering excellent agility on flat surfaces, combined with further enhancement of steering precision.
Then, depending on driving conditions and the road surface, the system will switch over to the control maps required within milliseconds in order to improve road contact and grip to an even higher level.
Agile driving behaviour thanks to variable steering assistance
The 911 GT2 comes with the same steering system as the current generation of 911 models, variable steering transmission improving the car’s agility particularly on winding roads and enhancing driving stability at very high speeds.
With the steering wheel turned to an angle of more than 30°, the transmission ratio becomes increasingly direct, offering the driver a significant improvement of agility on winding roads and, in particular, in tight bends.
Yet a further feature carried over from the Carrera models is the adjustment of the steering wheel for height and angle, enabling the driver to move the steering wheel in and out (for optimum reach) and up and down by 40 millimetres or almost 1.6″.
Ceramic brakes featured as standard
The new 911 GT2 is Porsche’s only production sports car fitted as standard with PCCB brakes featuring ceramic brake discs. Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes serve especially to cope with even the highest dynamic loads and demands, above all through their very fast response, supreme resistance to fading, consistent frictional coefficient, and high safety reserves even under extreme loads.
The total reduction of unsprung masses provided by PCCB technology compared with comparable grey-cast-iron brakes is approximately 20 kilos or 44 lb.
The brake discs at the front on the PCCB brakes measure 380 millimetres or 14.96″ in diameter, and are fastened on an aluminium brake carrier. This combination of materials reduces the weight of the entire unit versus conventional grey-cast-iron brake discs to an even greater extent, with the aluminium component weighing some 900 grams less than a steel disc carrier.
The brake discs on the rear axle measure 350 millimetres or 13.78″ in diameter.
The front brake callipers come with six, the rear callipers with four pistons. And when applying the brakes the driver is assisted by a tandem brake servo measuring 9″ in diameter.
High-performance tyres for excellent grip at all times
Porsche’s new supersports model comes on 19-inch GT2 wheels combined with 235/35 tyres at the front and 325/30 tyres at the rear. To capitalise on the car’s lateral acceleration, the rear axle is fitted additionally with spacers measuring 5 millimetres or almost 0.2″ in thickness, thus increasing the car’s track to 1,550 millimetres or 61.02″.
Fitted right from the start at the factory, the sports tyres are specially made for the new Porsche 911 GT2 and were developed from the beginning in close cooperation with Porsche’s suspension specialists. These sports tyres boast a special rubber compound running on a specially prepared carcass or tyre body. The advantages are enormous traction, supreme lateral acceleration and short stopping distances for such a high-performance tyre particularly on dry surfaces. Due to the relatively low tread, on the other hand, there is a greater risk of aquaplaning on wet roads.
Like the 911 Turbo, the new 911 GT2 comes as standard in all markets with a tyre pressure control system permanently monitoring tyres pressure in each individual tyre. Apart from extra safety and protection from possible tyre damage, this tyre pressure control system serves in particular, through the simple option to check the correct tyre pressure, to avoid gradual loss of pressure in individual tyres and, as a result, unequal tyre wear and excessive fuel consumption. And for the event of a puncture, the 911 GT2 comes as standard with a tyre repair system complete with a sealing agent and an air compressor.
Three stability programs available at the driver’s choice
The new 911 GT2 is the first GT model within the 911 series to come as standard with PSM Porsche Stability Management. This gives the new car a superior control system for significant enhancement of active safety and equally important benefits in driving dynamics. Specifically geared to the Porsche 911 GT2, this very special PSM Porsche Stability Management, by deactivating individual function components, meets the requirements of even the extremely sporting driver.
Indeed, the driver is even able to pre-set intervention by PSM in three stages:
In the basic mode all PSM functions including the enhanced brake function remain fully active: These are the SC (Stability Control – dynamic driving control with specific intervention in the brakes to stabilise the car around its vertical axis) and TC (Traction Control – serving to supervise drive forces) functions, as well as the ABS anti-lock brake system for optimum stability when applying the brakes.
In the second SC OFF stage, the Stability Control (SC) lateral dynamic control function is deactivated while Traction Control (TC) continues to mastermind the car’s drive forces.
In the third SC+TC OFF stage, the driver also deactivates the TC (Traction Control) longitudinal dynamics control function. The SC OFF and SC+TC OFF buttons are in the front section of the centre console.
Yet a further unique feature exclusive to PSM in the 911 GT2 is that the various functions, once switched off, are not automatically reactivated even under extreme driving conditions. Rather, they only become active again when the driver presses the respective button, thus following the driver’s express commands.
Whenever the car is started anew, on the other hand, the system automatically returns to its Normal mode with the SC, TC, and ABS functions all fully active.
PSM with individual adjustment
The three-stage PSM program enables the driver to adjust the various control functions individually to his particular profile and requirements. Pressing the SC OFF button, for example, the driver deactivates lateral dynamic control, with an acoustic signal as well as an indicator light in the display confirming that the system has indeed been switched off. Now, therefore, there is no intervention in the individual wheel brakes in the case over- or understeer, and under load change.
TC Traction Control, that is the longitudinal control function for enhanced dynamics, nevertheless remains active in this mode, with TC helping to keep the car firmly on track and ensuring stable driving behaviour by appropriate control of drive forces.
The Launch Assistant featured in the new 911 GT2 as an acceleration control function also intervenes in the TC control unit as required.
With the drive wheels spinning, TC reduces power individually on each wheel as required, first by reducing engine power through a reduction of the ignition angle, until both wheels have re-gained their traction. The second feature of TC is engine drag force control with engine brake forces being used specifically to stabilise the car.
The SC+TC OFF button deactivates both functions and thus allows individual driving manoeuvres, operation of this particular control mode being presented to the driver by an acoustic signal as well as a warning light in the display.
Using this particularly dynamic option, the driver is able, for example on the race track, to move the entire car to an appropriate angle when entering a bend, thus completing the entire bend in a controlled power slide.
Design and Aerodynamics
The new 911 GT2 clearly shows the beholder right from the start that this is a thoroughbred sports car and, at the same time, the top model in Porsche’s current range of sports cars: At very first sight, the striking design of the car with its large air intake scoops at the front and the characteristic rear wing bears clear testimony to the performance potential the new Porsche 911 GT2 has to offer.
The new front end takes up the design language of the current 911 Turbo and integrates a number of further enhanced features of the GT2, such as the extra-large air scoops as well as the additional air outlets. As a result, the 911 GT2 intentionally does not come with the foglamps standard on the 911 Turbo, which in this case must make way for extra-wide outer cooling air intakes providing additional cooling air to the heat exchangers.
Horizontal crossbars integrated in the air intakes further enhance the unique looks and appearance of the new 911 GT2. Bi-xenon headlights complete with a headlight cleaning system are likewise standard, in this case without dynamic headlight range control, since, on account of the extra-firm suspension, any spring action caused by vehicle load is reduced to a minimum. The tolerance limits for any change in the position of the headlight beam required by law are therefore maintained consistently in the new 911 GT2 even without headlight range control.
Another striking design feature is the additional air intake scoop upfront of the luggage compartment lid guiding up the air coming out of the central radiator. This not only improves the flow of air through the radiator, but also supports aerodynamic downforce on the front axle. And last but not least on this part of the car, a wide spoiler lip forms the lower edge at the front.
Large wheels and striking rear wing
Through its classic silhouette, the new Porsche 911 GT2 is clearly recognisable at first sight as a member of the 911 model series. A clear distinction from the side is nevertheless provided, above all versus the 911 Carrera, by the lowered position of the body down by approximately 25 millimetres or 1.00″, the muscular rear wing, and the special design of the GT2 wheels. The shape and design of the side air intakes behind the doors, in turn, is the same as on the current 911 Turbo, ensuring an efficient supply of air to the intercoolers.
The horizontal crossbar integrated in the air intakes gives the side view of the car a particularly dynamic look and again takes up the design language of the bar-shaped LED direction indicators at the front of the car.
A special side cover made of black plastic developed specifically for the new 911 GT2 protects the lower flanks of the car from stone-throw and again gives the side view a particularly muscular look. The openings for the intercooler outlet ducts, in turn, integrated in the rear engine cover, come in special gill-like design specific to the new 911 GT2, rounding off the overall dynamic look of the car from the side and supporting the efficient flow of air through the intercoolers.
Through their special design with ten spokes and larger opening cross-sections between the individual wheel spokes, the wheels of the GT2 not only ensure efficient cooling of the brakes, but also provide an unobstructed view of the PCCB brake system featured as standard, with their extra-large ceramic brake discs and brake callipers finished in yellow.
A rear wing fitted firmly in position is a traditional feature on Porsche’s GT models within the 911 series, standing out together with the front body design as one of the most striking highlights in the design of the new 911 GT2.
Apart from its functional design, the rear wing of the new Porsche 911 GT2 gives the car its particularly powerful and muscular appearance. New features are the specific configuration and position of the ram air intakes supplying the engine with combustion air and integrated at the side in the wing supports.
The rear body cover with its integrated individual tailpipes is another special development tailor-made to the 911 GT2. The entire area at the bottom is finished in black, merging into a spoiler lip integrated at the rear.
Yet another characteristic design feature is the additional, gill-shaped intake air openings around the tailpipes enhancing the dissipation of heat from the engine compartment and the rear silencers.
Exemplary drag coefficient
The specific design and styling features on the Porsche 911 GT2 serve primarily to optimise the car’s aerodynamics and thermodynamics. Indeed, the improvements ensured in this way are all the more impressive, since both the front and rear axle benefit from significant downforce helping to keep the car firm and stable even at very high speeds.
Elaborate fine-tuning in the wind tunnel and specific use of the experience gained in motorsport serve furthermore to keep the drag coefficient at a very low 0.32 despite the significant demands for cooling air as well as the front spoiler and rear wing generating extra downforce. Just for comparison, the drag coefficient on the former model was 0.34, clearly confirming once again that the new 911 GT2 comes right at the top in this respect, too.
Particular features contributing to this good result are the design of the front end, the wheelhouse shells, the specific shape of the rear lid, the rear wing and the entire rear section, as well as the underfloor design. The new front panel with its separate spoiler lip and the upper outlet air guide on the centre radiator significantly reduce the amount of air flowing beneath the car. Cooling air openings, finally, serve to guide the air coming out of the radiators at the side directly to the brakes.
The new, fixed-position rear wing in unique design is one of the most striking features of the new 911 GT2 highly distinctive at very first sight. Through its dimensions and shape, the rear wing plays a significant role in building up aerodynamic downforce on the rear axle. Proceeding from the rear wing on the former model with its characteristic ends at either side – the so-called sideplates – the complete wing contour has been upgraded on the new 911 GT2 and replaced at the rear by an integrated spoiler lip.
Lowering the entire car by approximately 25 millimetres or 1.00″ serves not only to lower the centre of gravity compared with the current 911 Carrera, but also to improve the aerodynamic qualities of the Porsche 911 GT2, this particular improvement reducing the frontal area of the car as well as the flow of air beneath the 911 GT2 with its usual build-up of lift forces.
Like on the 911 Turbo, the underfloor of the new 911 GT2 comes with a large, all-round cover from front to rear and from one side to the other, integrated air openings for additional cooling of the brakes at the rear serving to improve brake behaviour under heavy loads.
Robust, Safe, and Light
The wide body of the new 911 GT2 is based primarily on the current 911 Turbo. The main changes result from the introduction of rear-wheel drive and the improvement of aerodynamics, as well as the reduction of weight.
As an example, both the luggage compartment lid and the doors of the new Porsche 911 GT2 are made of aluminium, consistent enhancement of the car’s material concept serving furthermore to reduce the weight of the rear lid and the rear wing even further than before: On the former model the rear lid and the rear wing were both made of glass-fibre-reinforced plastic (GFP). While on the new model the rear lid is also made of GFP, the rear wing uses an efficient mix of materials combining glass-fibre-reinforced and carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics (CFP) in sandwich construction. In detail, the core of the rear wing is made of GFP, with an additional, stabilising and strength-increasing outer layer made of CFP. This construction principle combines low weight with a very high level of stiffness all round.
Given the high torque of the engine and the car’s supreme driving dynamics, the mounts connecting the power unit to the body have been further reinforced on the 911 GT2. The support points for the engine on the rear subframe, for example, are further stiffened by sleeves welded into the structure, spreading out the forces coming from the engine and gearbox more smoothly and consistently via the mounts on to the body.
High standard of all-round safety
Like all models in the 911 models series, the new 911 GT2 offers its occupants a very high standard of all-round safety. In a collision energy is absorbed at the front end of the car initially by longitudinal arms resting on the bulkhead crossbar made of ultra-high-strength steel and thus reducing intrusion into the footwells.
Being positioned behind the deformation zone, the fuel tank is protected additionally by the front axle subframe, and the fuel pipes are all positioned outside of the deformation zone.
For the purposes of motorsport, this body structure may be supplemented additionally by a roll cage, with the body of the new 911 GT2 being prepared from the start for this purpose, complete with all the fastening points required.
In addition to the safety features provided on the bodyshell as such, the new 911 GT2, like the 911 Turbo, comes complete with six airbags: The airbag system is made up of two-stage full-size frontal airbags for the driver and passenger, thorax airbags integrated in the seats at the side to protect the upper body in a side-on collision, and, finally, head airbags housed in the upper section of the door lining.
Interior
The interior of the Porsche 911 GT2 leaves absolutely no doubt that this new model was conceived, designed and built from the start for sporting performance of the highest calibre: This is Porsche’s first production car ever to feature sports bucket seats fitted right from the start at the factory. The seat buckets are made of a combination of glass- and carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics (GFP/CFP), with the surface made of visible carbon.
This high-tech mix of materials reduces the weight of the seats quite significantly versus the sports seats featured as standard in the 911 Carrera. The seat covers on the new 911 GT2, in turn, are made of black leather, the seat centre section is in alcantara. And like on the 911 GT3, there are no rear seats.
One of the most outstanding function elements on the new sports bucket seats is the innovative construction of the folding backrests: On conventional sports seats with a folding backrest, the backrest pivot points are in the rear section of the seat bottom. To provide the desired backrest folding function, therefore, the side sections on the backrest and in the seat bottom require an appropriate inward contour at this point – with the disadvantage that the side support around the hips so characteristic of bucket seats used in racing is weakened and impaired.
To avoid precisely this weakness, the pivot points on the sports bucket seats of the 911 GT2 are integrated into the side supports in the upper hip area. For the first time this enhanced construction ensures very good side stability throughout the entire seat area together with an optimum folding function of the backrests.
A thorax airbag has been integrated additionally in the new sports bucket seats, coming in the same design and size as the thorax airbags in the current 911 model series. The thorax airbags form part of the POSIP Porsche Side Impact Protection System, for the first time offering enhanced side impact protection also in combination with sports bucket seats.
The new 911 GT2 is available as an option with adaptive sports seats. Over and above electrical adjustment of all seat functions including the memory function, these seats provide individual side support and lumbar adjustment for both the driver and front passenger. And like on the “regular” seats, the adaptive sports seats in the Porsche 911 GT2 also come with the centre section made of alcantara.
High-quality features and equipment
The padded steering wheel with its alcantara cover is the same as the steering wheel in the 911 GT3. In addition, the 911 GT2 features alcantara also on the gearshift and handbrake lever handle, on the centre seat sections of the sports bucket seats, on the roof lining, the door handles, on the covers of the door storage boxes, and on the cover in the centre console.
This special materials concept bridges the gap to motorsport not only in terms of looks, but also ensures better grip especially on the steering wheel and the gearshift/handbrake levers, thanks to the special qualities of alcantara.
Further features coming as standard in the new 911 GT2 are PCM Porsche Communication Management with its 5.8-inch colour screen, a double tuner, a terminal amplifier with overall output of 2 x 25 W, as well as four loudspeakers. And to provide the utmost in audio and information quality, Porsche’s new top-of-the-range sports car is also available with Porsche’s Sound Package Plus at no extra cost.
As an option, the 911 GT2 may be fitted with BOSE Surround Sound and various modules for PCM control, such as a navigation system, a telephone module, or an electronic trip recorder.
Yet a further option is Porsche’s Chrono Package Plus. This very sporting feature includes an analogue stop-watch on the dashboard, a digital stop-watch in the instrument cluster, a performance gauge in the PCM Porsche Communication Management unit, as well as an individual data storage unit accessible via PCM.
Like the former model, the new Porsche 911 GT2 is available as an option with a Clubsport Package at no extra cost. This special feature comprises a rear rollover cage bolted into position, a red six-point seat belt on the driver’s side, a fire extinguisher mounted on its own support, as well as a preparation kit for the main battery switch.
On cars featuring the Clubsport Package the sports bucket seats come with a special flame-resistant cover replacing the usual combination of leather and alcantara.
