2000 Porsche 911 GT3

While pre-'99 Porsche 911s have been accurately vilified as demanding, confounding, intimidating, punishing, vindictive, even crude, no one claimed they weren't exhilarating. Unlike its predecessors, the new 911-code-named 996-is praised as forgiving, stable, comfortable, sophisticated, cleaner, safer, and even quicker in base form, but few assert it is as all-out exhilarating as 911s of yore. But now, the 996 gets an injection of raw excitement in the form of a Le Mans-bred 360-horsepower powerplant and knife-edged, race-tuned suspension. It's called the 911 GT3 and Americans who want one will need a new suit made of fire-resistant fabric. They'll also need a helmet and a racing license because exclusively for-off-highway-use-only versions will be imported. Though Porsche Cars North America is considering selling similar 911 variants in the future, no street-legal 2000 GT3s will make the boat-or plane-ride here. Damn.

In the tradition of past Carrera RS and RS-R models, the GT3 is a road car for the racetrack, or-if you live in Europe-a race car for the road. Either way this screamer will keep a few lucky Porschephiles entertained while they wait for the 400-plus-horsepower 911 Turbo, which is likely to arrive here as a '01 model. These Porschephiles will need to be wealthy as well as lucky: The GT3's pricetag is roughly the equivalent of $122,500 in England.

The centerpiece of the GT3 is a 3.6-liter version of the DOHC flat-six developed for the Le Mans-winning 911 GT1. Its peaks are 64 horses and 15 pound-feet higher than the 3.4-liter DOHC flat-six in the 996, which is more of a cousin than a sibling. A nitride-hardened crankshaft, titanium connecting rods, and lightweight pistons help raise the GT3's theoretical rev ceiling to an awesome 9000 rpm, but that's for race conditions only: A 7800-rpm redline is enforced for street use. A lofty 11.7:1 compression ratio is instrumental in producing an impressive 100 horsepower per liter. Its six-speed transmission was developed for the 911 GT2 race car and is designed to permit quick disassembly for ratio swaps to adapt the car for individual racetracks.

Porsche claims the 911 GT3 will run 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and top out just shy of 190 mph. Please recall that the fastest production Porsche we've ever tested, a '97 911 Turbo S ran 0-60 in 3.7 seconds and had a top speed of but 184.3 mph. We think Porsche's assertions conservative: With a 296-horse '99 911 Carrera, we recorded a 4.9-second 0-60-mph run and a 174.8-mph top speed. If blessed with a grippy startline, we wouldn't be surprised to see a 0-60-mph time closer to 4.0 seconds.

Enhancements for optimum racetrack handling start with a reinforced chassis and body, bigger front wheel bearings, and stronger rod ends. Like race-car-style coilovers, the GT3's shocks are externally threaded to allow vertical adjustment to the spring plates for quick ride height changes. There are also adjustable anti-roll bars and, of course, stiffer suspension springs and shocks. To deal with racetrack speeds, the GT3 gets huge, red, four-piston calipers and pizza-size 13.0-inch vented, cross-drilled rotors on all four wheels. Front rotor diameter is almost a half-inch greater, while thickness is increased a quarter-inch.

Externally, the GT3 gets an extra lip on the front air dam to reduce lift- and drag-producing air from flowing under the car. Other bodywork changes include an adjustable rear wing and more aggressive side sills and the black GT3 designation on the engine compartment lid.

Hints the GT3 may be more race car than road car: To save weight, rear seats, spare tire, sound deadening, air conditioning, and sound system have been removed, and non-power minimalist front buckets added. Europeans who plan to do their racing on the autobahn can choose to have the air conditioning and tunes reinstalled for no extra charge. These weight-saving measures come within 66 pounds of offsetting the reinforcements on the body, brakes, suspension, and transmission.