Safety upgrade in line to save Porsche 911 GT3 in Australia

27/03/2024 01:40

Key advanced safety technology available on sub-$20,000 cars for more than a decade looks finally set to be added to the Porsche 911 GT3 sports car in Australia.

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – which can slam the brakes on to prevent rear-end collisions – appears in line to be added to the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS before the technology becomes mandatory for all new passenger vehicles on sale from 1 March 2025.

AEB is standard on cheaper Porsche 911s but the system has not yet been developed to work with the GT models – nor the manual version of the middle-of-the-range 911 GTS.

Also without AEB in the Porsche line-up are manual-transmission versions of the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman – as well as the Spyder RS and Cayman GT4 RS track editions – but these will end production for Australia before the rule comes into force.

“We will definitely do everything possible to keep selling 911s,” Daniel Schmollinger, CEO of Porsche Cars Australia, told local media when asked by Drive if AEB will be added to the 911 GT3.

“[The] 911 is our icon and the next generation will of course comply with local standards.”

The ‘next generation’ is likely to refer to the updated 911 range, due to be unveiled mid-year – though if past model roll-outs are a guide, the GT3 is not expected to follow until sometime in 2025.

Mr Schmollinger did not specifically name the GT3 in his comment – only the 911 range – so the company could technically keep selling 911s without a GT version in the line-up.

And when asked by Drive to confirm the GT3 is not going anywhere from local showrooms, the executive did not answer directly, and instead joked the GT3 is “going everywhere in Australia”.

However later in the interview with media at the Australian Grand Prix, Mr Schmollinger spoke highly of the demand for GT-badged Porsches in the local market.

“Australia is an enthusiast market … Australian customers are very much into high-end cars, GT cars, top models, and based on this we have a very high share of top-end models,” he said.

“And based on this we always manage to convince [Porsche head office] a fair share to Australia of GT cars. I’m fighting hard to get as many as possible.

“GT cars are for us very important to shape the brand, especially with the 911. That’s why we will keep pushing for a solid [allocation] for GT cars.”

Matthias Becker, Vice President Region Overseas and Emerging Markets for Porsche, added: “That’s the reason why we are here. Not everything will be electrified [yet], so for some GT models, this is what we want to do for a long, long time.”

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