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• A spine-tingling 4.0-litre naturally aspirated engine powers the new GT3 RS.
• 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 296km/h.
• The rear wing incorporates a new Drag Reduction System.
Launching any Porsche GT3 model generally makes the entire motoring world stand up and take notice. When that model happens to carry the iconic RS letters, the anticipation is palpable.
The new model has big shoes to fill; the GT3 RS has earned itself a formidable reputation that goes back nearly twenty years with the erstwhile 996 GT3 RS. For many Porsche connoisseurs, each generation has been considered the ideal track car and one that you can drive home.
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Based on the current 992 shape, this latest GT3 RS introduces a more effective aero package and minor power upgrades. The shape is anything but subtle, thanks to a plethora of wings and vents that will have spent considerable time in a wind tunnel. Even parts of the double wishbone have teardrop-shaped profiles to add around 40 kilograms of downforce at top speed.
The headline news is that the spine-tingling 4.0-litre remains naturally aspirated with revised camshafts raising the power figure to 386kW. Porsche – never overpromising on performance numbers – claims the new GT3 RS can reach 100km/h from standstill in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 296km/h. This is achieved with the help of Porsche's 7-speed PDK gearbox – a manual alternative is not on the cards.
Bold new aero design
The bold new aero design is not for aesthetic reasons, although who could deny the GT3 RS's purposeful presence and attitude is a positive side effect? Every exterior element has been refined and tweaked to result in extreme levels of downforce; 409 kilograms of downforce at 200 km/h is double the amount produced by its predecessor, the 991.2.
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At 285km/h, this figure jumps to 860 kilograms! This is further influenced by a set of active aerodynamics at the front and rear, with the large rear wing coupled to a Drag Reduction System, which a button can activate on the steering wheel.
Those who want to chase the final few tenths of lap time can also adjust the car's rebound and compression ratios from the steering wheel.
The new Porsche GT3 RS is priced from R4 153 000 with the Weissach package (without roll cage), adding R773 250. The Weissach package with a roll cage is priced at R883 960. Customer deliveries are expected to start early next year.
