Ultimate Porsche 911 Might Have a Manual

Porsche plans to bring out an all-new engine when it debuts the 2016 911 GT3 RS and it seems that a manual transmission may be back in the cards for the hardcore sports car. 

“The RS has to be more to the peak,” Porsche’s R&D boss, Wolfgang Hatz told Car and Driver.  “The 991 GT3 was very much a surprise for everybody because it’s really usable for every day; the GT3 RS will be more extreme.”

Hatz says that the GT3 RS will get an all-new flat six engine that will be naturally aspirated. Eventually, this engine will serve as the basis for the turbocharged engine lineup that is coming soon to the entire 911 range, except for the GT3 models.

SEE ALSO: Porsche 911 Lineup to Get Turbo Treatment in 2015

Unlike the 911 GT3, which is automatic only, a manual transmission is under serious consideration for the GT3 RS, though Hatz only confirmed that the car will launch with the seven-speed PDK automatic.

Power for the GT3 RS is sure to be more than the 493 hp made by the current GT3, as Hatz says we can expect the RS to lap the Nurburgring “substantially quicker” than the current car. Weight loss and suspension tuning are the other elements in the RS equation that will help this car net fast lap times.

 [Source: Car and Driver]

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