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Giving us all a little break from the green car parade at the LA Auto show, Porsche gave North America it’s first look at the 2008 911 GT2. Based on the current 911 Turbo, the 911 GT2 is a beast, not designed for your average LA attorney. We had a few minutes with David Pryor, Vice President of Marketing of Porsche Cars North America. David, a 911 driver, summed it up like this, “The GT2 is the perfect blend between the Porsche Turbo and the GT3. The GT3, at 415 horsepower, is the most powerful naturally aspirated six cylinder engine in any production car. The twin turbo GT2 has ONLY 530 horsepower.

Visually, the GT2 may be easy to mistake for other 911 Turbos at the mall. The differences are subtle, which is refreshing on a world of super cars with penis-envy styling. Up front, larger intakes on the front valence give the vehicle an aggressive, low, look. Unlike the 911 turbo, there are no fog lights. (Which makes one wonder who would drive a 911 turbo in the fog at speed?) The rear wing incorporates 2 small air intakes on either side of the vehicle. Inside, the vehicle has carbon fiber seats, which are usually made of a single piece configuration. However, US laws require that the seat backs fold down, regardless of whether or not the vehicle actually has a rear seat. To meet the US regulation, Porsche designers created unique two-piece carbon fiber seats for the GT2, illustrating Porsche’s desire to use the weight saving material. The GT2 comes with 19-inch light-alloy wheels and 235/35 ZR 19 front sport tires and 325/30 ZR 19 rear sport tires.
530-Horsepower Twin-Turbo Engine
Getting to court on time will likely be no problem. While we have not yet had the chance to drive the GT2, we expect quite a thrill. With rear-wheel drive and manual six-speed gearbox, the GT2 accelerates to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and reaches a top track speed of 204 mph, making this the fastest 911 ever.
The excitement comes from the 3.6-liter, six-cylinder boxer engine of the 911 Turbo, with two exhaust gas turbochargers. Larger compressor wheels and a flow-optimized turbine housing raising turbocharger pressure achieve 530 horsepower, an increase of 50 horsepower from the previous 911 GT2. To make sure owners don’t blow right past the courthouse, the GT2 comes with brake discs made of a composite carbon fiber/ceramic compound. Also standard is the electronically controlled Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system.
Decreased Fuel Consumption
More green. Oh well. In a unique innovation to turbocharged power units, the new 911 GT2’s expansion intake manifold uses oscillating air in the intake, lowering the temperature of the fuel/air mixture. This results in an increased efficiency, and a decrease in fuel consumption by up to 15 percent under full load despite the increase in engine output. Careful drivers might get a combined 22 miles per gallon.
Start Saving Now
The GT2 is scheduled to make its North American debut in early 2008 at a US price of $191,700. If it’s a bit late to start a savings program, consider your 401K.