Matt from Suspension Secrets explains why it’s possible to improve upon the perfection of a Porsche GT car. Written by: Matt Cowley
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The Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 RS are considered some of the apex supercars when it comes to sheer performance and driver engagement out on track. As one of the best handling machines you can buy out of the box, it is no surprise that Porsche have spent countless hours testing these cars in many different environments, tracks and of course, ‘The Green Hell’ aka the Nürburgring, to fine-tune the setup and decrease lap times as much as possible. Unfortunately, all major manufacturers then need to succumb to the wider market, safety regulations and tyre wear regulations, and Porsche is no exception. As well as adhering to the rules, they also need to ensure that people buying the cars will not immediately head out and have a crash which will reflect badly upon the brand.
Usually, at this point, a lot of the suspension development work is reversed. The accounting department gets involved and downgrades the dampers, roll bars and bushes to make the car appeal to the wider market and work on all terrains and in all weathers. For Porsche, this is only partly true with their GT models. Instead of downgrading the components, they left them all in place, with adjustable anti-roll bars, adjustable ride heights and adjustable camber and toe front and rear, so although the geometry and suspension settings are not the same on a car purchased from a dealer as they were on the Nürburgring test cars, the potential is still there beneath the skin to unleash the incredible handling that was designed into the car by Porsche.
