There were pictures taken at Estoril that surfaced on forums in October that showed a substantially finished white car (perhaps the final glamour shots?), including the CGT-like mirrors. But that car had a much bigger rear wing than in these pics.

Yes that's correct and what i was referring too. My belief is this black car is only partially unveiled (i.e. front and rear bumpers and all hardware - brakes etc). I think for the show they will keep a few surprises (final wheel design, door mirrors, final rear spoiler). I believe too they will need to choose a new "signature color" for this model. It will probably be a new shade of white but would be nice if they added Maritime Blue to the standard color palette again to go with the racing yellow and red they have...

Here's a recent spyshot from Sweden during winter testing: http://bilder4.egmont.se/cache/c3/c3...60396ab2823d4d

Different wheels but mirrors look the same.

Different wheels, rear wing, mirrors etc. I suspect this is an older proto used for tyre testing cold weather...

This new engine the GT3 is getting, do we suspect it's related to the 991 RSR? Maybe that's why we've never heard it before.

If my memory serves me right, Manthey Racing is going to Le Mans with a 991 RSR on behalf of Porsche. Going on sheer speculation here, but if we're talking new motor and a select group of teams getting a 991 RSR, what are the odds they're doing the new motor testing?

The McLaren MP4-12C is the solution to your issues :) Paddles are F1 style and can be operated both-ways, so you can drive with a single hand/paddle only.

thank you john, and mystery insider..., for the reportage!

outside looks ok
interior looks whack
engine sounds good, 9k rev-limit sounds promising.
pdk is ...well, it's the future.
cl's are a joke taken too far
one day i hope to buy a 996 and stay analog.
at least they gave a nod to the 996 by using it's driver's seat.....

Sorry to ask but as an old skool "analogue" airkooled guy whats all this stuff (in a nutshell) that makes people so upset about the CL wheels? Im really perplexed (am I alone or is it only 997.2 GTS+RS owners that are in on the "joke"?). As an olskool 911 owner I look at the CL wheels as being "cool", look the part, save weight etc.

Whats ripping everyone's nightie with CL?

proper centrelocks used on racecars, and maintained by race mechanics are great.
cl's on the last gt3's are not REAL centrelocks. they are a cheap version. like a $50 cordless drill.
haven't you got internet in new zealand, bro? haha
many wheels have fallen off cars, with cars being subsequently damaged.
there is a procedure to it all, and apparently it is a pain in the ass....
that's why a lot of owners who have lived the dream, want to go back to the darling
of home-style reality cooking: 5 bolts.

Sorry Jimmy. I live in Vanuatu and actually the internet here is damn slow and expensive LOL! To be fair I was hoping for a summary like the one you provided instead of trawling through 1000 of threads.

So the wheels fall off Porsches new GT3 cars! Thats not good! Thing is I have three colleagues with 997.2 GT3/RS in NZ and no one has ever mentioned a thing. Maybe NZ mechanics are better at reading the procedure then US mechanics LOL!

Im sure Porsche will have sorted the CLs in the new 991 GT3. Or made the procedure shorter. They look real cool anyhow. I like them even if they do need tightening every now and then...

You learn something every day....thnx

all good!!!!

at least you have magnificent scenery to gaze at there!
better that, than too much internet..

Well, they had a chance to stick it in the new 991 Cup and didn't. Not like they didn't have time to develop it.

Separately:

Alcantara lower dash.

PDK - virtually guarantees you'll have to step up for wart to get launch control, enhanced SPASM, etc.

Would prefer if shift paddles were stationary as on race cars vs moving with steering wheel.

Rumor standard color will be primer. All else will be $9k PTS option....

Actually I don't believe they had time to develop it for the 2013 cup car. Development of the cup car usually starts in August the year prior to the series year (at least it used to with the 993 gen cars). I understood the factory shifted the last of the old blocks to their Motorsports division last year in the understanding they would build a stop gap car for 2013 racing. The speculation these last 3 months has been what would actually end up in the race cars once this supply of the old Metz engine depleted and maybe the beginning of the answer to that question is about to be revealed. To beable to reliably operate to 9000 rpm redline in the production car one assumes this "new variant" engine has some extensive internal modifications and if a new block is its basis then perhaps a whole new engine generation has been born?

Nizer. I love your comment re primer as the signature colour. Too right! Im sure that leaked picture below is in "white primer only colour code "CHEAP#1"