The Lemon Index
Porsche's 3.6 to 4.0 L naturally aspirated (GT3) or twin-turbo (GT2 RS) flat-6 in the 911 Turbo / GT3, model years 2010–2011. YouTube likes the 2010 best.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 60/100, #4 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 5 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 2010–2011, about any part of the car. Supercars sell in small numbers, so we show YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes instead.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2010 (62) and least about the 2011 (58); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 911 Turbo / GT3 | 3 | 62 (54 videos) | 0 |
| 2011 | 911 Turbo / GT3 | 2 | 58 (70 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine
No NHTSA recalls we can tie to this engine's cars.
Engine problems Porsche told dealers about
Porsche sent dealers 98 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- After witching engine off, this cause oil pressure warning light to be unnecessarily activated, in instrument…
- A plug, pressed and sealed into crankcase, was not securely sealed enough and this resulted in plug becoming…
- Center intake-air distributor Information: This is to inform you of a voluntary Workshop Campaign on the…
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Porsche 911 Turbo / GT3 911 GT2 RS, 911 GT3, 911 GT3 RS | 2010–11 |
Engine codes: M97.77 (GT3, GT3 RS 3.8), M97.74 (GT3 RS 4.0), M97.70 (GT2 RS). Power: 612 hp, factory figures (GT2 RS; the GT3 figures aren't in our sources). Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Porsche 911 GT3 · Porsche 911 GT2 · Porsche 997.
Quick answers
What cars have the Porsche M97 (Mezger) engine?
In the US: the Porsche 911 Turbo / GT3, model years 2010–2011. See the version table for each one.
Is the Porsche M97 (Mezger) reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 60/100, #4 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: supercars sell in small numbers. Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Porsche M97 (Mezger) make?
612 hp in factory figures, depending on the car (GT2 RS; the GT3 figures aren't in our sources).