GT3 RS might rev
to the clouds but
it can’t shake off
the 488 Pista116 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2019
torque vectoring, and rear-wheel steering –
which feels surprisingly natural in operation.
Peter notes the ‘incredible’ agility on turn-in,
partly aided by the rear wheels subtly swivelling,
but doesn’t find it intrusive.
As on the McLaren, there are no buttons
to clutter the GT3’s wheel. All three of these
cars have superb steering but the McLaren
has the most detailed feedback. The Pista’s is
remarkable for both its stability and its rate of
response. But the 911 isn’t far behind.
Despite wheels that fill its arches so tightly
you can barely fit your hand between tyre and
bodywork (the Pista’s arches look like those
of an SUV by comparison), and spring rates
not far off those of the GT3 Cup racing car in
Nordschleife set-up, the RS rides relatively
sweetly. There’s more chop to its ride at high
speeds than the other two, but it’s still a
relatively comfortable road car.
‘It’s got that traditional upright 911 driving
position and full-height windscreen – with
the visibility and the low-speed ride, I can
imagine taking it into London if I needed to,’
Bullard says. But he can’t come to terms with
the styling; the Lizard Green paint, decals and
race-car wing are all a bit extreme for him, and
he’d swap the RS’s standard-fit PDK gearbox for
a manual if he could. That sounds very much
like the GT3 Touring he’s describing – also now
sold out...The shortlistshort production run) and values have climbed
to figures comparable to the Pista and 720S.
The RS is missing two cylinders, two
turbochargers and nearly 200bhp compared
to the other cars in this test, and although it
doesn’t have the same ‘Oh my word!’ wallop
of acceleration, you’re unlikely to find yourself
wishing it was faster.
I thought the GT3 RS was burned into my
memory but I’d forgotten just how alive it feels
thanks to the just-so weighting of the controls,
the immediacy of the steering, and the noise.
Shrieking through titanium pipes, the 4.0-litre
flat-six is redlined at 9000rpm and takes on a
hard, metallic edge to its note past 8500rpm
that’s goosebump material time and again.
Bullard agrees: ‘Aurally, it’s the winner. If
you were buying a car on sound alone, it’s what
a modern sports car should sound like. It’s as
intoxicating in its own way as an air-cooled 911.
‘For all its modernity, this absolutely feels
like a 911, which I wasn’t expecting. It’s still got
that bobbing movement to the front end, which
everything I’ve read tells me they’ve engineered
out – but it’s still there.
‘There’s also that intuitive feeling to the
ergonomics and the cockpit’s essential layout –
it could only be a 911.’
Like the other two cars, there’s a host of
active tech in play to keep the RS balanced:
adaptive dampers, dynamic engine mounts,Like the Pista, the 720S manages to combine
its shattering performance with surprisingly
impeccable road manners, only more so. Of
all the cars here, this is the most soothing
and comfortable to drive, its interconnected
hydraulic suspension riding bumps smoothly
while keeping a tight rein on body control. Its
steering, too, is hydraulic, and a marvel: light yet
full of feedback.
I find the 720’s brakes, which need a firm
push like a competition car’s, less responsive at
road speeds compared to the other two cars, but
Bullard notes that they’re far better than the
F40’s, if some way short of the Pista’s.
‘I find this a deeply impressive car,’ says Peter.
‘I felt quite at one with it within a few minutes,
and its overall usability is remarkable. But in no
way is this a substitute for an F40 – it’s for going
blindingly fast with minimal effort.’The used option:
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
GOOs EbUMps ON E vERy jOURNEyIf a £141,346 car could ever be considered
a bargain, the GT3 RS was a bargain when
it was brand new. Subject to the bizarre
phenomenon whereby GT Porsches begin to
appreciate immediately after purchase (supply
and demand, baby), the RS is now sold out
(although Porsche hasn’t ruled out another