- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 2 seats
- Engine
3.8i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
350kW, 440Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 12.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Porsche 911 GT3 RS first drive review
For most, the Porsche 911 GT3 would surely represent the ultimate road car. Packing a generous 350kW punch and weighing just 1430kg, it will fire you from 0-100km in 3.5sec on the way to a top speed of 315km/h. And that's before you so much as mention its wonderfully direct steering, deliciously responsive handling or its magnificent brakes, which are so powerful they tend to outshine its ferocious accelerative ability. For some hardy souls, though, the 911 GT3 is perhaps a little too cultivated. And these are the admittedly wealthy enthusiast drivers at whom the new and more heavily focused 911 GT3 RS is squarely aimed. To be produced in a limited run of 2000, it is the latest in an illustrious line of Rennsport models developed by Porsche Motorsport to homologate go-fast components for its dedicated race cars, in this case the recently unveiled 911 GT3 R. True to its motorsport roots, the 911 GT3 RS is all about function. Nothing is superfluous. Every development adopted over the 911 GT3 is dedicated to elevating it on to a highest possible performance plane in the search of faster laps times. Like so many of the more memorable road going Porsche models down through the years, it has been conceived first and foremost as a race car, complete with optional roll cage, six-point harnesses and fire extinguisher. And yet it is completely road legal; you can drive it to your race circuit of choice, run hot laps all day long and then head back home in it. Project leader, Andreas Preuninger, tells us the 911 GT3 RS has already lapped the Nurburgring in 7min20sec in the hands of resident Porsche test driver, Timo Kluck. This is a whopping 13sec inside the official time of the latest 911 GT3. It also places it 10sec ahead of the old 911 GT3 RS. However, it 23sec shy of the hi-tech 918 Spyder on the all time hit list for Porsche production models at what is still regarded as the world's most punishing race circuit. Using the latest 911 GT3 as a basis, Porsche has delivered its most determined looking 911 GT3 RS yet. No where is this more apparent than with its wider body. The aluminium structure is based on that used by the 911 Turbo, but it has been heavily massaged in a move aimed at improving downforce, providing the latest Porsche road racer with a wonderfully aggressive race bred appearance. And it's not all for show, either. The new car produces more downforce at 200km/h than its predecessor did at 300km/h! Unique exterior elements include a re-shaped front bumper featuring a larger splitter out on the leading edge for reduced front axle lift and unadorned air ducts for added cooling efficiency. The front wings also gain integrated ducts to help lower pressure build-up within the front wheel houses as well as to provide increased extraction of heat from brakes. The bonnet and roof each feature a 300mm wide indent down their centre line for added aerodynamic efficiency. At the rear, the engine lid receives a ducktail style spoiler and supports a race grade rear wing featuring six different levels of adjustment. All up, the various changes help to deliver 325kg of downforce – some 121kg up front and 224kg at the rear - at 300km/h. A newly developed six-cylinder engine mounted in its traditional position behind the rear axle is just the beginning of an extensive list of mechanical modifications that serve to differentiate the new two-seater. Using a 4mm longer stroke via a new camshaft made of the same exotic high-strength steel employed in its 919 LMP1 race car to up capacity from a regular 3.8 litres to a more muscular 4.0-litres, the naturally-aspirated horizontally opposed engine conjures up an impressive 368kW at a dizzying 8250rpm along with 460Nm of torque at 6250rpm. This endows the 911 GT3 RS with 18kW and 20Nm more than the standard 911 GT3 but no more than its predecessor, which used an older evolution of Porsche's flat six-cylinder. The changes to the engine extend well beyond the subtle bump in overall volume. There are also titanium conrods, newly designed aluminium cylinder heads featuring a completely new valve train, a revised dry sump lubrication system and a heavily reworked induction system that benefits from a ram-air effect at high speeds for added power via the air ducts ahead of the rear wheel arches. It is also equipped with active mounts that vary in stiffness depending on the amount of revs you call up in a move aimed at reducing load changes during all out cornering. In its attempts to bolster performance, Porsche has also invested a great deal of effort and expense in reducing the weight of the 911 GT3 RS. Among the measures that see it achieve a 10kg reduction over the 911 GT3 is a new carbon fibre bonnet, front guards and engine lid. The glass for the rear window has also been replaced by plexiglass, as has that for the rear side windows. There is also a lot less sound deadening material within the rear end of the body structure and a lighter wiring harness. They've even substituted the standard door openers within the interior with simple door strap pulls – a measure that's claimed to saved 400g. In a move first adopted on the German car maker's 911 GT3 Hybrid race car, it also receives a magnesium roof. Without any suitable supplier in its home land, the lightweight metal is sourced from South Korea before being shipped to Canada where it is pressed and then sent to the USA for finishing prior to ending up in Germany. The claimed saving over the standard aluminium structure is a mere1.1kg, but as Preuninger points out, it is from the highest point on the car and proves crucial in reducing the centre of gravity. A carbon fibre roof is apparently heavier. The result is a 1420kg kerb weight, which endows it with a power-to-weight ratio of 3.9kW/kg. This compares to the 4.1kW/kg of its standard sibling. Not a big gain, but enough, according to official Porsche figures, to provide the 911 GT3 RS with new levels of straight line acceleration: 0-100km/h in 3.3sec, 0-200km/h in 10.9sec and standing 400 metres in 11.2sec. The 310km/h top speed doesn't quite match that of the 911 GT3 owing to the drag of the rear wing, which is mounted considerably higher than on its successor to reduce turbulence over the rear body work. Predictably, the chassis of the 911 GT3 RS has been widened quite a bit to cope with the added performance potential with wider tracks than the 911 GT3 both front and rear. There are firmer springs and dampers as well as larger diameter anti-roll bars and unique caster settings – all of which help to enhance its stance. It also wears the largest wheel and tyres ever on a 911, providing the latest in a long line of competition inspired Porsche models with a 20 per cent increased in the front contact area up front and 18 per cent more contact area at the rear than the 911 GT3 for greater on-the-limit purchase. Up front there are 20-inch alloys shod with 265/30 profile rubber, while the rear receives the same combination as the 918 Spyder with 21-inch wheels and 325/30 profile Michelin Sport Cup tyres. "Accommodating the rear wheels was one of biggest challenges during the development of the new car," says Preuninger, adding, "We even had to alter the production line so they could be fitted". It was well worth it! Like so much about this car, they look magnificent, leaving precious little clearance within the wheelhouses and providing a super purposeful stance. Inside, Porsche has replaced the 911 GT3's steering wheel with a slightly smaller helm modelled on that from the 918 Spyder. The carbon fibre seats have also been borrowed from the Porsche flagship. The rest is pretty much standard 911 GT3. The 911 GT3 RS has always been about extraordinary performance. However, this latest example is clearly a bigger step up on the standard 911 GT3 than any of its illustrious predecessors. I initially drove it on some lonely country roads before heading to the Bilster Berg circuit, a tricky 4.2km race track that, in parts, is no less challenging than the Nurburgring itself. Despite packing an additional 18kW over the standard 911 GT3, it is not the moderate hike in power that you notice straight away. No, it is the added 20Nm of torque that grabs you attention as you set off down the road for the first time. It provides the 911 GT3 RS with impressive tractability at low-to-middling revs, making it incredibly biddable as you head through town, where you can confidently short shift and rely on the inherent muscle of the engine to carry higher ratios. There's no unruly peakiness, merely a wonderfully linear feel to the delivery. It is on isolated stretches of blacktop where you can extend the new 4.0-litre powerplant for all it is worth that the real action begins, though. With maximum revs pegged at 8800rpm, it actually gives way 200rpm to the smaller 3.8-litre engine upon which it is based. That's no hardship, though. Once you've negotiated the mid-range, the sheer force is mind blowing. Above 5000rpm it begins to feel strong. From 6000rpm it starts to pile on speed at an astonishing rate. At 7000rpm there is a further hardening in resolve. And at 8000rpm it is nothing but spine-tingling in its intensity. The good news is that after a few minutes of familiarisation, the searing performance is approachable. Each exploratory nudge of the throttle in lower gears is an absolute sensory buzz as the rev counter crests the 5000rpm marker. However, any initial intimidation quickly subsides and you instinctively learn to meter out the acceleration in more friendly doses. Such is the speed it attains even on short stabs of full throttle you quickly come to the conclusion that you're never going to get close to its limits on public roads. That's a slight disappointment at first, but it reinforces the fact that this is a car developed foremost for the race track. The way it fires out of corners and eats up straight sections of blacktop is absolutely colossal. The engine sounds magnificent with a purposeful mechanical rawness and deep throated exhaust note that gradually grow harder and more intense the closer you near the limiter. There is also a severe slug of induction noise from the air intakes within each of the rear wheel arches at various stages within the rev range. For all the high-end ferocity of the engine, though, the 911 GT3 RS is a remarkably straightforward to drive within its limits. Following feedback from its race drivers, Porsche has dropped the traditional six-speed manual gearbox used by its predecessor in favour of an ungraded version of seven-speed dual clutch unit used by the standard 911 GT3, so there is no longer a heavy clutch pedal to juggle, merely a light tap of your fingers on the metal steering wheel mounted shift paddles. It operates with lightening speed, ramming home up-shifts with stupendous precision and providing an electrifying blip of the throttle on downshifts. Having being conceived first and foremost for the race track, you might expect the new Porsche to be utterly uncompromising on the road. But even with a rear suspension that foregoes conventional rubber bushing for competition grade rose joints, its ride is surprisingly compliant. It is undeniably firmer than the standard 911 GT3. However, the largely bespoke underpinnings retain remarkable control, with exemplary spring and damper tuning allowing you to build great momentum and maintain your chosen trajectory even on badly pitted surfaces. But more than its ability to deliver a decent ride, it is the whip crack agility that really sets the 911 GT3 RS apart. Just when you think you have experienced its best, you dare to delve a little deeper and discover a further layer of its astonishing ability. It always feels capable of operating a notch above the standard 911 GT3 – itself highly distinguished in the dynamics department. On the circuit its limits are governed more by the daring of the driver than anything else. After a handful of laps around Bilster Berg I had to go find a quiet place and collect myself for a while, such is the intensity of it all when you are really pushing hard. The electro-mechanical steering, boasting unique mapping characteristics, is nothing short of brilliant, delivering instant response to inputs and providing levels of communication unmatched by any rival. As on the standard 911 GT3, it not only acts on the front wheels but also provides steering angle to the rear wheels. As complex as it sounds, its turn-in characteristics are wonderfully direct. Once committed, there is noticeable increase in the weighting as lock increases, providing a precise indicator to the rise in lateral forces acting on the chassis. As you close down on corners, the new Porsche remains utterly reassuring with a superb feel to the optional carbon ceramic brakes, which provide second-to-none stopping ability even after repeated hammering out on the circuit. It has fantastic roll resistance, too; never do you feel guilty about chopping wildly into a bend. The body always remains determinedly flat, grip levels stunningly high and, with that huge spoiler generating race grade levels of downforce, the rear-end purposefully planted. The speed it manages to sustain through corners without any subtle hint of breakaway is simply sensational. You need to remain committed, though. Back off mid-corner and the 911 GT3 RS can become momentarily unsettled by weight transfer. The better option is to benefit from the inherent balance by remaining on it throughout the corner. This is easier said than done, given the high levels at which it operates. But have faith in the ability of the front end to retain purchase and you discover just how brilliant it really is. It is possible to call on the added reserves of the engine to unsettle the rear in slower corners, with the sport setting sufficiently delaying the intervention of the stability control system to allow a momentary slide before quickly reigning it all in again. What really got my attention on the circuit, though, was the sheer traction the fully variable electronic rear differential lock and those big rear tyres develop. Together, they manage to fling it out of corners at a pace I didn't think imaginable in a road legal car, the rear end squatting as you throw the throttle wide open. And this is exactly what the 911 GT3 RS is all about: being driven hard around a racetrack delivering endless thrills to whoever is lucky enough to be behind the wheel, and then being able to be driven home without any hint of compromise at the end of the day. The problem is that the 2000 cars already confirmed for production don't seem enough. Priced at a cool $387,700, some $50,000 more than its predecessor and $94,1000 more than the standard 911 GT3, Porsche Australia says it is already holding 70 orders for the new car, the first local deliveries of which are expected in August. In truth, there is nothing else quite like it at the money.