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air onto the broader sill extensions, which
generate maximum downforce immediately
ahead of the rear arches.
The integrated rear spoiler does most of
the aerodynamic donkey work at the back,
kicking inefficient vortices way behind the
car, while the rear wing can be adjusted
through four steps of -1, +1, +3 and +5.
The underbody diffusers help reduce body
pitch at speed, improving stability under
heavy braking.
You feel this on track. The big braking
zones at the end of the straight and
into the Dunlop curve feel rock steady,
and you can even take liberties in trail
braking without setting the tail loose. The
front end is mighty, helped by significant
revisions to the suspension. That old GT3
RS technique of easing the front end into
a corner to feel out its purchase and then
having accomplished that, setting to work
managing the rear grip post-apex is a thing
of the past. This 991.2 feels all of a piece,
with far sharper turn-in and superior grip
allowing you to pick up the throttle earlier
and harder. The GT2 RS in front of us is
driving a 2:18s pace – about what a factory
test driver could manage in a Carrera S
absolutely balls out. On the downhill leg,
the GT3 RS is sauntering. It’s only on
the pull uphill that the turbocharged car
makes its additional 132kW felt.
That said, despite its modest uptick in
horses over the GT3, this is a phenomenal
powerplant. It’s tractable at low revs, but
the careening frenzy of revs stampeding
between 7500 and the 9000rpm redline is
pure racer. The soundtrack builds in layers
to a point where you think it has reached
its crescendo. Keep your foot in. There’s
another level that elevates the GT3 RS
from its lumpenly roadbound rivals to
something that feels as if it’s escaped from
the grid and had number plates hastily
slapped on. It somehow manages to feel
both spiky and fluid at the same time and
the lack of much in the way of discernible
flywheel effect makes it devastatingly
effective on track. You’ll giddily zing it to
each stratospheric upshift in anticipation
of the dual-clutch ’box barking an
electrifying fusillade of downshifts. It gets
my vote as the most thrilling contemporary
production sports car engine.
The keenness of its response has been
echoed in the way that chassis dynamics
have been honed. Porsche has been
through the suspension of this car and
has, as far as it can, gone on a search
and destroy mission for rubber. The
elastomer bushings of the old car have
been replaced by twenty all-metal uniball
bearings, reducing the variables the chassis
engineers have to work with and ceding
responsibility to the damping.
As you’d expect, all of the electronic
systems that control the four-wheel
steering, the stability control, transmission
logic and the torque vectoring have
been recalibrated and optimised toaccommodate the additional effects of
the improved aero package.
In case you really wanted to pare
weight out of the car, the optional $34,390
Weissach pack saves 16.5kg and swaps the
magnesium roof panel for a carbonfibre
reinforced plastic (CFRP) item, while the
bonnet is also CFRP, as are the front and
rear anti-roll bars and coupling rods. You
also get a CFRP rear wing and mirror
shells and six-point harnesses.
Throw another $7600 Porsche’s way and
they’ll take further weight out of it by
swapping out the no-cost option steel roll
cage for a titanium item. Or you could tack
$21,590 to the bill and get the car with
Porsche Carbon Composite Brakes, which
are 50 percent lighter than their steel
equivalents. Optional magnesium wheels
that save 11.5kg are due in February.
In July, an even grippier Michelin Pilot
Sport Cup R tyre will be made available as
an option. As you might well have figured
out by now, there probably won’t be any
Aussie GT3 RS cars leaving the Porsche
dealers at the flat $416,500 price before
on-roads.
Yes, it’s an evolutionary model but, as
we’ve seen, evolution sometimes takes
rapid leaps forward. It’s the product
of incremental gains or, as Andreas
Preuninger says, “11,000 parts made to feel
like one.” If you’re one of the lucky few to
get a slot, you’ll have landed possibly the
finest sports car for sale at any price.Model Porsche 911 GT3 RS (991.2)
Engine 3996cc flat 6, dohc, 24v
Max power 383kW @ 8250rpm
Max torque 470Nm @ 6000rpm
Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch
Weight 1430kg
0-100km/h 3.2sec
Economy 12.8L /100km
Price $416,500
On sale Now, first deliveries Q4 2018