Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to go automatic-transmission-only with the 911 GT3, the version of the 911 that, above all other, embodies the traditional essence of the iconic model: lightweight technology and ultimate driving pleasure. While the current GT3 is available solely with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, Porsche aims to offer its successor with both types of transmissions: country and western manual and automatic.
Despite a weight penalty of around 45 pounds, the automatic PDK (Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe) certainly enables quicker laps, as its shift times are significantly quicker than those achievable by any driver using a traditional manual. And so, with the PDK, Porsche caters to the racers and track-day enthusiasts among it customers.
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Yet the auto-only strategy has been a tough pill to swallow for purists, a particular and important set of buyers for Porsche that relishes in the direct connection between car and driver. This vocal group of customers—who have our full backing, of course—wants a manual gearbox back on the GT3 menu. “The GT3 is full of systems that make sense on the track, but for the purist, there may be something lost,” Andreas Preuninger, head of Porsche’s GT program, told us. Indeed, to cater to them, Porsche is planning a limited-edition model called the 911 R that will have a version of the GT3’s engine and a manual gearbox.
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But down the road, Porsche will adjust its strategy. Having neglected the purists in favor of the racers is a mistake Porsche doesn’t want to repeat, and therefore, the next generation of the GT3 almost certainly will be offered with both a six-speed manual and a seven-speed PDK. Note that the seven-speed manual of the entry-level Carrera models won’t be used in the GT3. Says Preuninger: “It is our long-term goal to have the customer decide between the two approaches.” Hear, hear.
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