Inside The Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 (992)

Paul Onorato June 30, 2023 Stories

About The Real Porsche 911 GT3 (992)

The real Porsche 911 GT3 (992) is absolutely stunning and is clearly meant for hardcore performance. Tucked away under the rear of this 911 variant is a 4-liter naturally aspirated flat-six engine that boasts and impressive 503bhp and 347lb ft of torque. This allows it to hit 62mph in an astonishing 3.4 seconds and able to reach a top speed of 198mph. Porsche gives you the choice of either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed PDK (Porsche-Doppelkupplung), which is essentially a double clutch transmission.

Additionally, the 911 GT3 was given some weight savings by fabricating the roof out of carbon fiber, utilizing full bucket carbon seats and the removal of some of the sound deadening material. You will also find it is loaded with special aerodynamic features including a four-stage adjustable front splitter, fully paneled underbody, an all-business rear diffuser and elaborate handing-type rear racing wing.

Inside The Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 (992) — Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 (992) – item #58712

This is one of those cars that only a very few will ever have an opportunity to get behind the wheel of, so this 1/10-scale version from Tamiya is a very enticing option for the rest of us. In characteristic Tamiya fashion, they did a magnificent job at capturing the unmistakable Porsche styling in 1/10-scale polycarbonate. Their bodies prove to be durable yet lightweight while still well detailed to make it look realistic.

At the rear is a separate polycarbonate rear wing supported by molded plastic wings stays. There are also polycarbonate light buckets with plastic side view mirrors. Completing the look of the Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 (992) is a full set of dark gun metal color plastic spoke wheels that are paired with a set of racing radial tires.

About The Tamiya TT-02 Chassis

Underneath the spectacular looking Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 (992) polycarbonate body is the proven Tamiya TT-02 chassis. Tamiya created this shaft-driven 4WD touring car platform to be very well-rounded. Meaning it is very easy to build, even for a newcomer, there is a plethora of Tamiya Hop-Up Option parts available to boost performance, durability and appearance and performs great at the track or parking lot.

Correctly building the Tamiya TT-02 chassis is a breeze and that is no accident. Tamiya incorporated many features to help ensure the chassis ends up being built properly like keeping the assemblies uncomplicated. For example, the left and right suspension arms and uprights are identical and the friction shocks are simple to build and maintain. The overall chassis layout makes maintenance easy and has features like easy to access front and rear gearboxes. You will also find it is plenty adjustable. The chassis offers two different wheelbases, two ground clearance settings and two tread setups in addition to a range of ten possible gear ratios.

As the TT-02 designation implies, this is a new updated version of a previous chassis named the TT-01. Two key improvements is the vastly enhanced cornering speed and overall speed. Running down the centerline is a plastic propeller shaft that is spun by an included 540-size brushed motor. It spins the front and rear gearboxes to give the TT-02 full-time four-wheel-drive. An ABS plastic tub chassis acts as the base for all the components with the battery set along the left side while the right side is home to the motor, receiver box, steering servo and included electronic speed control.

SPECS

Item #: 58712
Scale: 1/10
Type: Build-up kit
Length: 18.39 in. (467mm)
Width: 7.40 in. (188mm)
Height: 5.16 in. (131mm)
Wheelbase: 9.88 in. (251mm)
Chassis: Molded ABS plastic tub
Drivetrain: Enclosed 4WD gearbox
Differential: Bevel gear diffs
Bearings: Metal and plastic bushings
Suspension (F/R): Lower A-arm w/ fixed upper / Lower H-arm w/ fixed upper
Shocks: Molded plastic, friction type
Motor: 540-brushed type
Speed control: Electronic speed control

Required To Complete

2-channel radio system
Steering servo
Battery pack
Battery charger
Polycarbonate & ABS Plastic Paint

8 Hop-Up Option Parts To Consider First

Another appealing feature of this car and one of the reasons why we are going inside of the Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 (992) is the huge selection of Tamiya Hop-Up Option parts that are available. Below are 8 option parts that we recommend being among the first ones you add onto this versatile car kit.

TT-02 Steering Upgrade Kit (#54752)

The Tamiya TT-02 Steering Upgrade Parts Set is a super useful and super convenient hop-up option for the TT-02 chassis. It includes a bunch of option parts to replace the stock plastic steering parts found on the chassis. The aluminum construction of these parts will give greater precision and toughness in the steering system that will therefor generate more precise handling. Here are the items included in this upgrade set:

>> Aluminum Steering Arms x2 (item 54574)
>> Aluminum Steering Posts x2
>> Aluminum Steering Bridge x2 (item 54575)
>> Hi-Torque Servo Saver (black) x1 (item 51000)
>> TT-02 Hit-Torque Servo Saver Horn x1
>> Plus many other metal parts for attachment and setup adjustment

High Speed Gear Set (#54500)

Tweaking the gearing is a great way to get more performance out of any car, especially the Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 (992) with TT-02 chassis. The Tamiya High Speed Gear Set features a newly-designed aluminum spur gear mount and spacer. This allows you to have gear ratio options from 9.82:1 to 6.55:1. Then you can fine tune the gearing to match the motor system you are using as well as the type of track you are racing on. This set can also be used with separately sold 64-tooth spur gears that will open the door to lower gear ratios.

TRF Special Damper Set (#42102)

One of the big benefits of the TT-02 chassis is its low price point and one of the cost saving methods used on this chassis is to spec friction type dampers instead of oil-filled units. By upgrading to a high-quality oil-filled shock like the Tamiya TRF Special Damper Set, you will find that the suspension operates lightyears better than the stock setup. Each of the shock cylinders feature a newly developed black-colored fluorine coating for even less internal friction compared to other oil-filled shocks. Titanium-coated piston rods, together with the shock body coating, contribute to the shocks more efficient and silky smooth performance. The smoother shock travel matched to more consistent handling traits are great benefits for a car that you want to boost its performance. Striking blue anodizing on the damper cap, O-ring cap and spring retainer add some vivid chassis highlights that will make the chassis to your Porsche 911 GT3 (992) stand out.

Aluminum Propeller Shaft (#54501)

Making RC cars faster is a common goal and there are some parts that should be swapped out to handle the new demands that come with more speed and power. The propeller shaft that comes with the 992 is made of plastic resin which can twist and flex thus hindering the full transfer of power to the wheels. Install this Tamiya Aluminum Propeller Shaft as a replacement. Its aluminum construction will allow it to have more stable rotation at higher speeds and reduces power loss from the transmission. Like most of Tamiya’s aluminum hop-up option parts, the propeller shaft comes anodized a bright blue which nicely dresses up the looks of the chassis.

Aluminum Propeller Joint (#54502)

These Aluminum Propeller Joints are used in conjunction with the Propeller Shaft mentioned above. These also replace the plastic resin units and offer the same performance enhancement that the hop-up shaft does.

Aluminum Motor Mount (#54558)

Scrap the stock plastic motor mount for the Tamiya TT-02 Aluminum Motor Mount. The aluminum construction provides a more secure mounting structure for the motor, improves the power transfer efficiency and lessens the likelihood of the motor overheating. (It acts like a heat sink to draw heat away from the motor.) Additionally, there are a total of 10 pinion gear attachment positions, 5 on each side, for numerous gear ratio options. Each hole in the motor mount has the pinion tooth count conveniently laser engraved next to it and it includes screws to install the mount onto the tube of the chassis.

TT-02 Aluminum Motor Heat Sink (#54571)

When you upgrade the motor on the Porsche 911 GT3 (992), get yourself this heatsink. Before you install the new motor into the chassis, slide on the Tamiya TT-02 Aluminum Motor Heat Sink. It is worth adding the heat sink to help dissipate the heat generated by a more powerful motor. Cooler running electronics are happy electronics. Allowing the motor to work under less stress will also extend the amount of time it can be used and its overall lifespan. We also like the added advantage of dressing up the chassis with the heat sink’s great looking blue anodized finish.

TT-02 Ball Bearing Set (#54476)

Adding a full set of ball bearings is something that is worthwhile doing when you first build the TT-02 chassis since there are bearings throughout the drivetrain. This way you won’t have to do a complete tear down later. Ball bearings are much better components than the stock plastic and metal bushings that come with the TT-02. Installing the Tamiya TT-02 Ball Bearing Set (#54476) makes the drivetrain more efficient thus improving overall performance enabling faster speeds and higher durability within the drivetrain.