2021 Porsche 992 911 GT3 run at 300km/h non-stop for 5000km

The 2021 Porsche 992 911 GT3 is shaping up to be the fiercest, most performance-oriented model ever to bear the prolific moniker.

First, we heard that it was going to be fitted with double-wishbone front suspension – a first for any road-going 911.

Then we found out about the absurd time it had achieved at the hallowed Nürburgring-Nordschleife – 6:59.927 – was no less than 12 seconds quicker than the car it replaces.

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Now, Porsche is telling us that the screaming naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine found in the back of the GT3, which produces a potent 375kW and 470Nm, was driven non-stop at a speed of 300km/h for 5000 kilometres.

That is one almighty shakedown for an engine, but the absurd-sounding test, which took place at the Nardò Ring in Italy, is just one of the reasons why Porsche GT products are in such perennial demand.

It also probably makes sense for the Stuttgart firm to put the 9000rpm flat-six belter through more than a few paces, considering GT3 engines of old have tended to suffer from some mechanical infidelity in extreme conditions.

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Most notably, the N/A 3.8-litre boxer six found in the 991.1 GT3 had a penchant for catching fire, and the problem became so bad that Porsche had to issue a global recall for every example they had ever produced.

Replacing every single engine you’ve ever made for a sports car that’s meant to be bombproof on track is a costly exercise, so Porsche’s latest gruelling test does seem sensible.

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It’s also a mighty feat in its own right, especially considering the engine has a bunch of technology ripped straight from the 911 GT3 R car.

These mechanical features include; VarioCam technology, wide connecting-rod bearings, plasma-coated cylinder liners, individual throttle bodies and solid lifters in the valve train.

And it turns out the Nardò test wasn’t even the engine's most exhaustive test.

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“In total, the engine in the new GT3 ran for more than 22,000 hours on the test rig. During testing, we repeatedly simulated typical circuit profiles and ran the engine at full throttle for a very high proportion of the time,” Thomas Mader, project manager of GT road car engines, explained.

The 2021 Porsche 992 911 GT3 is expected to go on sale in Australian showrooms from the second half of 2021 priced from $369,700 before on-road costs.

Down Under, the GT3 will additionally be equipped with metallic paint, tinted LED headlights including PDLS Plus, automatically dimming mirrors including rain sensor, ParkAssist (rear only), reversing camera, lifting system for front axle, tyre sealant, electric air compressor and digital radio as standard.

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