- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 2 seats
- Engine
4.0i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
368kW, 460Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 12.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2015 Porsche 911 GT3 RS review: first drive
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Germany's iconic Nurburgring.
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 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.
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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 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.
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.
Nuts and Bolts
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Price: $387,700 plus on-road costs
On sale: August 2015
Engine: 4.0-litre six-cylinder petrol
Power: 368kW at 8250rpm
Torque: 460Nm at 6250rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto, RWD
Performance: 3.3sec (0-100km/h), 310km/h (top speed)