German Car Zone

Porsche will add direct-fuel-injection technology to its high-performance Turbo and GT3 and GT2 variants of the 911 Coupe as part of the mid-cycle update planned for the cars over the next 12 months. Porsche first applied direct injection technology to the 4.8L V8 Cayenne SUV but has since implemented the technology on the flat-six engines found in the recently revealed 2009 911 Carrera, Carrera 4, Targa, and their respective S performance variants.

The introduction of direct-injection technology has seen greater power and torque levels for the 911 but also improved fuel-efficiency and reduced emissions. According to Autocar, the legendary M97 flat-six engine in the current Turbo and GT2 will be replaced by the new A91 direct-injection powerplant. The A91 displaces 3.6L and features a 97mm bore and 81.5mm stroke (the previous engine used a 100m bore and 76.4mm stroke).
While no power figures have been revealed, the updated Carrera models saw an increase in output of 20hp (15kW) with the new engine update, and a similar bump in power can be expected for the performance variants. This means the facelifted 911 Turbo could churn out as much as 500hp (373kW) and the GT2 rate in at 550hp (410kW).
The updated GT3, meanwhile, will be powered by a naturally-aspirated 3.8L version of the A91 engine. Unique to the GT3 will be a set of lightweight pistons and a 102mm bore and 77.5mm stroke.
Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo Cabrio facelift spy shots



motorauthority

Very interesting little snippet. I find Porsche purportedly making the engine in the GT3 more oversquare with the increase in displacement most intriguing. The short-stroke, lightweight pistons etc combo should yield some pretty high rpm - can we expect even higher rpm than the current GT3?

Also interesting is the move to less oversquare configuration in the turbo'd engines. We all know that Porsche's turbo engines don't rev nearly as high as the NA examples in the GT3 and so this minor adjustment in the bore / stroke ratio should better suit the delivery of improved low-end engine response without incurring concessions on top-end power output.

The GT3 could go from 8400 to 9100rpm...mmhhhh

The Turbo will fall from 3500 to 1500rpm redline... it will have a 18 speeds gerarbox because you have to upshift as soon as the motor is not idling any more... broo-pfiou-broo-pfiou-broo-pfiou broo-pfiuou brooo, hopla it's over!

It's a smart move, they will say: look, the Cayenne diesel is very good, okay it only has 120hp for 8.5tons, but it revvs higher than the 911 Turbo and GT2!! (yes, it's slower than a 924 trailing your house, but it's a SUV not a sportcar! And it has a low mpg.)

Just kidding of course... but I'd love to see the Turbo revving a little bit higher, maybe 7.000rpm would be good. And I hate the Cayenne diesel (and the V6, too). I'm quite upset with Porsche currently.

The GT3 is still the 8th marvel of the world though. And the Carrera one of the very best sportscar money can buy.

Good thing I didn't just buy a 911 Turbo Cabriolet!

M

Good points and less oversquare will also lead to better fuel economy and emissions which is quite important these days.

It's sad to see the M97 GT1 derived engine go. Although it might be a dinosaur no the engine on the market has gone through the same amount of the testing and development. What makes the engine so fantastic is it's tuning capabilities, we've all seen what tuners can do with the engine cranking the power up to 600-800hp which is a quality no other engine on the market has. Very impressive for a 3.6L engine.

Secondly the engine is race derived and can stand getting over revved quite a handful of times without sustaining any damage, very strong and reliable engine.

Taking it off the market is a cost saving measure by Porsche to maximize profits. The A91 cost about €2 500 to manufacture while M97 is more expensive at the manufacturing price of €8 000.

Although the new A91 features direct injection it's a very difficult engine to tune, TechArt and RUF won't be very happy. So those with a 997GT3 should feel honored since their car has a very special engine, like Raoul put it "8th marvel of the world". On the other hand Porsche never goes backwards and all their new cars and better than the predecessor therefor it would be pessimistic to expect the facelifted GT3 to be less racy than the current one. Some custom work to the A91 should enable a high rev racing character.

I think that is possibly the differential between the standard A91 in lesser Carrera models vs. the M96/97 in the current GT3. We both know that it's not just the engine block that differentiates the M97; titanium con-rods, forged pistons, exotic materials and so on also contribute to the much higher price of the race-ready M97 engine. Similarly we ought to expect that the componentry required to up the ante of the A91 to competition levels will undergo the same precision (and hence expensive) engineering.

Many questions:
When will this happen? Or rather, when can we buy?
How do you know the GT2 gets it and is even produced?
Is there a post or press release on this subject?

These are a few, and I know they may be old, but was wondering what members knew beyond this thread.

The GT2 will probably be facelifted a few months before the new Porsche 991 hits the market in. So you don't have to worry about your GT2 getting made obsolete quickly.

That's good news. I have that kind of luck. Dealer in Dallas is claiming their 3rd GT2 allotment is an 09 model. I was wondering if it got the DI or not. Along with the new touch screen, etc. I'll sell it before then anyway. Have been stewing over that now, which is stupid.

DI and LED tail lights will at the earliest be late MY2011.