Porsche to replace GT3 engines: report

PORSCHE will replace the engines of all 785 Porsche 911 GT3s in customer hands rather than try to repair them in a global recall initiated after two of the cars suffered engine failures and caught fire, according to Bloomberg.The German company has blamed the fires on faulty connecting rod fasteners which became loose and punched a hole in the crankcase, allowing oil to escape and catch fire.

The fix is expected to cost the Stuttgart-based company millions of dollars, but it will buy peace of mind for some of its most loyal customers.

The company issued a warning to all owners of the new GT3 not to drive their cars pending the investigation into the problem. Five of the cars are in Australia, where a new model costs $294,100 (plus on-road costs).

It is unclear how long it will take to replace the engines which, in the case of the Australian cars, will need to be freighted from Germany and then fitted to the vehicles.

Bloomberg quoted Porsche CEO Mattias Mueller as saying: “We are not taking any risks when it comes to the safety of our customers. We’re acting fast and decisively to fix this.”The track-ready, stripped-out GT3 – launched last year – is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.8-litre flat six producing 350kW of power and 430Nm of torque, placing it second in the 911 pantheon only to the blown 911s, the recently launched Turbo and Turbo S, which pack 383kW and 412kW respectively.

Porsche is offering GT3 owners a temporary loan car pending the replacement of the engine, and also offering to pick up the recalled car for repair.