http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=126540
We're only a few months away from the official launch of the 2009 Porsche 911, but recent spy video from the Nürburgring suggests that a refreshed version of the 911 GT3 will follow for the 2010 model year.
Like the forthcoming 911 Carrera, the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 gets only minor styling changes this time around. The reworked front end has been simplified with only three air inlets instead of five, while the front marker lights have been narrowed slightly. Tape over the taillights indicates a few minor changes to their design along with the switch to full LED illumination. It's hard to tell if the spoiler is full production spec, but it's certainly high enough to carry the GT3 tradition.
Like the Carrera, the 2010 GT3's flat-6 engine will benefit from the addition of direct fuel injection. The new technology will deliver an extra 20 horsepower in the standard Carrera, so expect a similar bump to the GT3's current 415-hp rating. Displacement is expected to remain at 3.6 liters.
Although it's clear from the sound of the gearchanges that this GT3 prototype has a manual transmission, the introduction of the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission in the standard 911 opens the door for inclusion in the GT3 as well. The new PDK transmission is essentially Porsche's version of Volkswagen's DSG, but whether it's up to handling the GT3's additional power remains to be seen.
With deliveries of the 911 Carrera and Carrera S models scheduled to start this fall, sales of the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 probably won't begin until late next spring at the earliest.
