Naturally aspirated engines are an extinct species, especially in Europe – and this is not necessarily because the manufacturers would like it to be. The EU's constant pressure towards vehicles with lower fuel consumption and lower CO emissions2 directly affects the availability of production models with a naturally aspirated engine.
Only a handful of cars are still turbocharged – and with even stricter legislation, this list will be even shorter. This is not just about the upcoming introduction of the Euro 7 standard. Manufacturers operating in Europe must reduce their fleet emissions by 90 percent by 2035 compared to 2021 levels. An interim target already applies for 2030: at that time, car manufacturers must reduce fleet emissions by 55 percent compared to 2021. If the target is exceeded in one year, companies can make up for it in another year – provided that the target is met in total for the period from 2030 to 2032.
These stricter regulations are putting pressure on Porsche. In Zuffenhausen, they are one of the few remaining brands that still offer naturally aspirated engines. Car and Driver magazine spoke to GT director Andreas Preuninger about what the future could hold for racetrack vehicles. When asked whether the 911 GT3 could be converted to turbocharging, Preuninger did not rule it out: “Maybe.”
He said that the 4,0-liter six-cylinder boxer engine is on the verge of being phased out in Europe – there it will “probably only be able to operate for a few more years without major changes”. But this problem is already having an impact today. Remember: the transition from the 992.1 GT3 to the 992.2 GT3 was the first time in the car’s more than 25-year history that there was no increase in power. Despite the engineers’ extraordinary efforts, the improvements are barely noticeable. The iconic sports car looks worn out. Porsche is having trouble explaining the significant price increase even to its most loyal fans. The result is a reluctance to buy. New to the GT3.
At least in the US, the situation is different: less stringent regulations there allow Porsche to keep the naturally aspirated engine “for a while longer.” While the 992.2 911 GT3 could remain on offer in the US for longer than in Europe, the situation after the end of the current generation is unclear. Realistically, it would probably be difficult for Porsche to develop separate GT3 versions for different regions – this would require significantly higher investments.
There is already a lot of work in Zuffenhausen: the 718 series models with six-cylinder engines will return, although the Boxster and Cayman were originally planned to be replaced by electric cars. In addition, Porsche is investing in another model that was not initially planned: the direct successor to the first-generation Macan with internal combustion. They are also developing a flagship SUV with three rows of seats. The budget of the currently financially weak sports car manufacturer is therefore likely to be used quite a bit.