The new GT3 RS has the largest rear wing ever fitted to a road-going 911
Priced from £178,500 in the UK, the GT3 RS returns with more downforce and improved dynamics
The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS has been officially revealed as a hardcore, motorsport-inspired range-topper, which, the German car maker says, is the “most track-focused and aerodynamically optimised” 911 ever.
Priced from £178,500 in the UK, the new Porsche 911 flagship is the first GT3 RS model since 2018 and the first to be based on the 992-generation 911.
Behind the driver sits a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six engine. It produces 517bhp and propels the car from 0-62mph in 3.2sec and on to a top speed of 184mph.
All cars are fitted with an enhanced seven-speed PDK transmission, with shorter drive ratios than in the standard 911. There are also three drive modes – Normal, Sport and Track – to choose from.
To improve performance and aerodynamics, the GT3 RS takes mechanical inspiration from the current 911 GT3 R, the firm’s GT customer race car.
Thanks to several changes around the car, the 911 GT3 RS generates twice as much downforce as the 991.2-generation model, and three times as much as the existing 911 GT3. At 124mph, the 911 is capable of producing 409kg of downforce, and 860kg at 177mph.
It’s the first road-going 911 to feature a radiator that has been positioned centrally in the nose of the car, formerly occupied by a small luggage compartment.
First used in the firm’s Le Mans-winning 911 RSR, the new radiator positioning has made room for integrated active aerodynamics on each side of the car in the form of “continuously adjustable wing elements”, Porsche says.
Other technologies include the integration of the largest ‘swan neck’ wing ever fitted to a road-going 911, which measures around six-foot wide and stands taller than the roof. Other changes include new side blades, wing inlets and rear splitter – a modified version of that seen on the standard 911.
The 911 GT3 RS is also equipped with a drag reduction system (DRS) for the first time, which flattens the Mercedes-AMG GT rival’s wings to reduce drag, raises straight-line speed and improves braking.
The new hardcore racer receives larger front brakes, with pistons measuring 36mm thick with a diameter of 32mm. The model’s overall kerb weight now stands at 1450kg, whereas the previous GT3 RS weighed in at 1430kg.
Those who plan on taking the new GT3 RS to the track can take advantage of the firm’s Clubsport package – an optional extra that can be added free of charge. It includes a fire extinguisher, six-point seatbelts and a steel rollover bar.
The £25,739 Weissach pack also returns and bumps up the price of the GT3 RS to over £200,000. It adds a carbon weave to the bonnet, exterior mirrors and rear wing, as well as a roll bar, gearshift paddles with magnet technology and magnesium forged wheels.
Although the GT3 RS commands a higher price than the previous-generation car, it’s only the second most expensive car in the 911 line-up, behind the limited, heritage-design Porsche 911 Sport Classic which comes in at £214,200.
While Porsche is accelerating plans to electrify much of its model line-up, the 911, including the GT3 RS, will retain internal combustion power for the time being. However, the firm has said that hybrid power is on the cards.
According to Porsche, the Aston Martin Vantage rival is garnering previously unseen levels of popularity, having sold a record 38,464 units in 2021 worldwide. It finished the year as the firm’s third most popular car in the UK, ahead of the Porsche Cayenne SUV.
“E-mobility is of the highest priority for us. At the same time, we continue to build modern combustion engines. The 911 is more popular than ever with customers. Over the coming years, we will offer a very sporty hybrid set-up for the 911, as many are familiar with from the motorsport context,” Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said last month.
“These resolute climate protection steps are good. I support the German government’s open approach with regard to the technology and the coalition’s compromise to incorporate e-fuels as part of the solution. Technology bans act as a brake on innovation. Porsche is committed to a double-e path: e-mobility and e-fuels.”
The new 911 GT3 RS is open for order now. Porsche told Autocar deliveries are expected during the first quarter of next year, with the majority of orders anticipated to be fitted with the Weissach pack.
Source: Autocar
