Porsche may have suspended deliveries of its new 911 GT3 due to a recent spate of car fires.
In one report, issued by a Swiss police agency, a GT3 driver exited off the highway after hearing strange noises coming from the engine area. He then noticed leaking oil and smoke before the car ignited.
With a total of five or more similar fires occurring in the past few weeks, the company is said to have ordered sales halt for any 2014 911 GT3 cars that are in dealer inventory, unnamed sources have told Axis of Oversteer.
Another report from an Italian Porsche club suggests a brand-new GT3–just 60 kms on the odometer–ignited after the driver observed a low-oil pressure warning light on the dash. A Porsche engineer reportedly arrived from Stuttgart to inspect the burned vehicle.
The 2014 GT3 dropped its predecessor’s “Mezger” racing engine in favor of the 911 Carrera S’ powerplant, heavily modified with upgraded cylinder heads, new pistons, titanium connecting rods and a dry-sump lubrication system, among other changes. The tweaks enable the engine to achieve 475 horsepower, pushing the car to 100 kmph in just 3.3 seconds and topping out at 315 kmph.