Yahoo Autos Good News: Porsche Can Now Sell Its 2022 911 GT3 with a Manual in California
Porsche can't sell the 2022 911 GT3 with the manual transmission in California because it's too loud, exceeding vehicle noise limits in the state’s Code of Regulations.
The 992-generation 911 GT3 is powered by a 502-hp naturally aspirated flat-six that revs to 9000 rpm.
Those in California who ordered the 911 GT3 with the optional six-speed manual will have the option to switch to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
UPDATE 6/22/21: Porsche has announced that after consulting with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the State Highway Patrol it can now sell the 2022 911 GT3 equipped with the six-speed manual in the state of California.
UPDATE 6/17/21: Our Colleagues at Road & Track have found out why the manual-equipped 911 GT3 fails the SAE J1470 test. The procedure requires the manual 911 GT3 to run closer to redline in third gear, while the test hinders the automatic-equipped cars' acceleration. You can read the story here.
Those in California who want to buy—or have ordered—a 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 with the optional six-speed manual transmission are out of luck. Porsche informed us that, due to the state's sound regulations, it can't sell the manual-equipped cars there, only the ones with the standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The German automaker said that it was just informed of the issue, which includes both the bewinged standard GT3 and the recently announced Touring package cars. Those in California who ordered the 992-generation 911 GT3 with the manual transmission will be contacted by dealers individually and be given the opportunity to switch to the standard PDK dual-clutch automatic.
Porsche tells us that California's Code of Regulations (CCR) 1046 references the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) test procedure J1470 for its exterior-noise criteria, which was last revised in 1998. There's a newer SAE standard for pass-by noise, J2805, which presumably the GT3 was designed to and meets, and Porsche expected California to update its regs to this latest standard before the GT3 went on sale. But, for now, the GT3 is stuck in limbo awaiting that change.
Porsche says that it's working with California State Highway Patrol to come to a solution but has no estimated timeline of when that might happen. Somewhere in the details of those two SAE testing procedures is why the manual fails one but not the other; we're digging into those specifics and will update this story when we have a more complete explanation.
The 911 GT3 is powered by a 502-hp naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six, and it redlines at 9000 rpm. In our test, an example equipped with the standard dual-clutch automatic, which will be available in California, reached 60 mph in 2.7 seconds. Even though California won't help us #SavetheManuals, at least the GT3 isn't banned altogether.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021.
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