Porsche 911 GT3 launched in Malaysia

By topgear ,

Porsche 911 GT3 1

The Porsche 911 GT3 has made its Southeast Asian debut right here in Malaysia, and it packs a massive price tag to match its massive performance.

For RM1.7mil after duties minus on-the-road fees, Porsche will deliver a 500bhp RWD coupe that will do 0-100kph in just 3.4 seconds all the way to 318kph right to your doorstep. These numbers are generated by a naturally-aspirated four-litre flat-six engine mated to a seven-speed PDK (dual-clutch gearbox), and helped by the fact that the GT3 only weighs 1,430kg, full tank of petrol included.

Porsche 911 GT3 5

But no GT3 model feels complete without the option of rowing your own gears, which Porsche happily provides with the new model. A six-speed sports manual gearbox is part of the options list. Having to work three pedals will delay your century sprint to 3.9 seconds, but the manual tops out marginally quicker at 320kph.

Porsche 911 GT3 12

The GT3’s chassis has some unique qualities as well. For starters, its two seats – that’s all you get in fact – sit 25mm closer to the ground than in the 911 Carrera S. This is also the first GT3 to have rear-axle steering which is said to add to the GT3’s ‘superior handling characteristics’. Special engine mounts and a rear differential lock are additional differentiators that add to the GT3’s overall driving dynamics.

Bolted onto the familiar 911 chassis are GT3-exclusive bits such as redesigned, lightweight bumpers, an airflow-optimising front spoiler and a carbon rear wing bolted on a rear panel that’s made out of the same weight-saving material as well.

Porsche 911 GT3 9

Despite the strict diet imposed upon the new GT3, Porsche has still managed to squeeze in sports bucket seats which adjust 18 ways electrically and house an integrated thorax airbag, plus the full Porsche Communication Management (PCM) suite which includes the Connect Plus module and Track Precision app for recording driving data. Then again, those seats are made from light carbon fibre-reinforced plastic.

Porsche 911 GT3 2

So while the new GT3 as an end product is still an unadulterated driving machine for the purest of Porsche enthusiasts, you still get plenty of tech and modern-day finesse in the package to justify the RM1.7mil asking price.