The GT3 is a higher-performance version of the classic 911 sports car. It is just the latest in a very long line of performance automobiles; a line which began with the 1973 Porsche 911 RS. The GT3 was named after the Formula 1 class in which it was intended to race, and its 3.6L, V6 engine is based on the one used in the 911 GT1 and 962 cars.
Since it was launched in 1999, there have been a number of variations on the 911 GT3. The current line includes three racing and two street models; Porsche is also developing a hybrid model that uses a kinetic energy recovery system and two electric motors. The GT3 had a successful run in the Carrera Cup series (the Porsche Supercup), and it also won many endurance and championship races- even the GT class of the Le Mans Series, the 24 Hours at Daytona, and the 24-hour race at Nurburgring.
The Porsche team did not have an official presence at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the outdated 993 GT2s weren't expected to put up much of a fight against the Vipers for the GTS class win. Two private teams entered racing versions of the 996 GT3R, and the Manthey-sponsored entry posted a 13th place finish overall.
The 996 GT3R was then made available to all privateers. In the 2000 Nurburgring 24-hour race, a factory team beat the Zakspeed-sponsored Viper. The improved version of the 996 GT3 entered in many races in subsequent years, winning many class victories as well as overalls at Spa and Daytona. In 2004, the 996 RSR was released, with many improvements such as sequential shifting.
The 997 GT3 RSR has a curb weight of 2,690 pounds, and puts out 450hp. For 2007, Porsche installed front air dams that push air into the radiators and out through the hood. For 2011, the marque added a front splitter and wider tires, which helped with the understeer issues. As yet, the GT3 RSR is the most successful GT car in history.