GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Manual for Porsche 911 GT3

Porsche has unleashed an upgraded 911 GT3 at the Geneva motor show today, ahead of first Australian deliveries very late this year at a price of $327,100 plus on-road costs.

That makes it significantly more expensive than the model it replaces, which cost just under $300,000. The upside is the high torque rated six-speed manual transmission from the very collectable 911 R is now available as a no-cost option alongside the standard seven-speed PDK dual-clutch auto.

Both gearboxes direct the 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated boxer six's 368kW (500hp) to the rear wheels, making this racer-for-the-road even more powerful than the otherwise identical engine in the 911 GT3 Cup racers that compete in the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship.

Weighing in at 1430kg, the upgraded 911 GT3 two-seater, which is built on the same production line as the 911 GT3 Cup racers, presents a weight-to-power ratio of just 3.88kg per kW.

The PDK version is good for 0-100km/h acceleration of just 3.4sec. While the manual is half a second slower at 3.9sec, its 320km/h top speed is 2km/h faster than the auto's. Fuel consumption is listed at 12.9L/100km, if anyone cares.

Riding 24mm lower than the 911 Carrera S, key upgrades for the latest GT3 include a redesigned chassis with rear-axle steering, dynamic engine mounts and a rear diff lock.

Visually, a massive new carbon-fibre rear wing with curvaceous central mounts is the biggest change, along with an optimised front spoiler and rear air diffuser.

Inside, there's a 360mm steering wheel from the limited-edition 918 Spyder hypercar and Porsche Sports Seats Plus featuring extra side bolstering and power recline and height adjustment.

Three other seat options will be available: Adaptive Sports Seats Plus with 18-way power adjustment, sports bucket seats with a folding backrest, integrated thorax airbags and manual fore/aft adjustment, and full carbon fibre reinforced plastic racing bucket seats with carbon weave trim.

Standard cabin equipment extends to Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment, Connect Plus connectivity including LTE phone module, SIM reader, WiFi hotspot and the Porsche Connect App, and a new Track Precision app that enables drivers to "display, record and analyse detailed driving data" on their smartphone.

The 2017 GT3 completes the rollout of Porsche's upgraded '991.2-series' 911 models, except for the return of a wild new rear-drive turbocharged GT2 hero car.