New Porsche 911 GT2

The GT2 will be a lightweight hotrod based on the 911 Turbo. It will be rear-drive only, and will be about 220 pounds (100 kg) lighter than the Turbo, with an extra 42 horsepower. That's 462 hp, which makes the GT2 the most powerful series-produced Porsche ever built. The car will be 0.78 in. (20 mm) lower than the Turbo; and, as would be expected, it will sport specific suspension improvements and aerodynamic tweaks.

The Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system, introduced as an option for the 2001 911 Turbo, will be standard on the 2002 911 GT2. Thee PCCB system is the first ceramic composite brake disc on a production car. Not only does the PCCB system set new standards for brake response, fade resistance and service life, but the ceramic composite discs weigh about 50 percent less than conventional cast iron discs. The lower weight reduces unsprung mass and improves suspension response.

The aerodynamic bits include a new-design adjustable rear spoiler and a revised front end. The new nose sports massive air intakes at each side, plus another large opening stretching across the front below the bumper. The combination gives the front end a familiar, sort of 959-ish look. One other visual change up front is a narrow air exhaust slot located between the bumper and the front of the trunk.

Porsche says that changes made to produce the GT2 from the 911 Turbo are philosophically very similar to those that were made to produce the GT3 from the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera. They say that they wanted to end up with maximum performance while maintaining the ability to function well in everyday use.

You might want to think more along the lines of a street-going race car, though. With a weight of roughly 3168 pounds (1440 kg), 462 horsepower and Porsche's ceramic composite brakes, this is going to be a very quick, responsive car. The 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time is said to be just 4.1 seconds, with a top speed just shy of 200 mph, at 196 mph (315 km/h). Naturally, the wheels and tires also have been upgraded to handle the extra performance, with 235/40ZR18s on 8.5-inch rims up front and 315/30ZR18s on 12-inch rims at the rear.

The GT2 will go on sale in Germany in May. The price there will be about 339,000 deutsche marks. That's just over $154,000 at today's exchange rate. Figure on a US price somewhere just under $180,000.

Power to burn...rubber, that is!