2007
For those who felt the 997 Turbo was too take for them, Porsche offered the GT2. This was essentially a Turbo but with rear-wheel-drive rather than four-wheel-drive to give a more track-focused experience.
The original 993 GT2 was very much a track car, that was compromised on the road. Porsche went some way to address this with the 996 GT2, but with the 997 version, here was a car that was just as much at home on the road as the racetrack.
The limited-edition 997 GT2 had more power than the 997 Turbo, at 530bhp, yet was 145kg lighter due mainly to its lack of four-wheel-drive, no rear seats, alloy rear subframe, and a titanium exhaust system.
Unlike earlier GT2, this version was equipped as standard with PSM and PASM. Some say this took away from the rare concept of the car, but most accepted that it made this 997 GT2 far more practical (and safe) for everyday use. PCCB was standard, too.
The practicality was thoughtfully taken inside, too. The race-style bucket seats with carbonfibre backs were cleverly designed with tilting backs to give access to the storage area behind – something that was not possible with the 996 GT2.
For no extra cost, you could opt for the Clubsport package. This gave a bolt-in rear roll cage behind the seats, a bright-red six-point racing harness for the driver, flame-retardant seat coverings, fire extinguisher with mounting bracket and preparation for a battery master switch.
The 997 GT2 was signification in that it was the first production 911 to break the magical 200mph barrier, with a top speed of 204mph.
Specification
Capacity: 3600cc
Compression ratio: 9.0:1
Maximum power: 530bhp at 6500rpm
Maximum torque: 680Nm at 2200-4500rpm
Brakes: Front: 380x34mm discs; rear: 350x28mm discs. Servo assisted with ABS and PSM
Suspension: Front: Lower wishbones and MacPherson struts with combined coil springs and dampers, plus anti-roll bar
Rear: Multilink with combined coil springs and dampers, plus anti-roll bar
PASM
Wheels & tyres: Front: 19×8.5J with 235/35ZR19 tyres. Rear: 19x12J with 325/30ZR19 tyres
Length: 4469mm
Width 1852mm
Weight: 1440kg
0-62mph: 3.7sec
Top speed: 204mph
Did you know?
The GT2 badge first appeared on the 993 version back in 1995.
