The 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Photo Credit: Porsche
Following Porsche’s ethos of constant innovation, the improvements made between the GT3 and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS for sale may not sound like much on their own, but the overall effect is worth more than the sum of its parts. With hints from the GT3 Cup racing car integrated into the already impressive bodywork of the standard Porsche 911 GT3 for sale, a more aggressive-looking car couldn’t be had if you raised it on concentrated nitroglycerin.
With a front splitter fitting for a GT racer, a huge rear wing and huge vents on the top of the front fenders, there is not a single question in anyone’s mind that this car is meant to do business – and this comes from a company, which is traditionally conservative in its presentation. They’re also famously cautious when naming their performance figures. Speaking of which, this car will give their owners plenty to boast about at the local watering hole. With 500 normally aspirated horsepower from a 4-liter flat six, this car pushes the boundaries of what a daily-driven, atmospheric car can produce in terms of power per liter. Porsche modestly mentions a quarter mile time of 11.2 seconds, which was achieved with the regular GT3 when tested by the Car and Driver team. This bodes well for a lighter, more powerful car with 25 horsepower over the standard – if you can really use that term – GT3.
The rear haunches are strikingly wide and house 21-inch rims. The educated observer will notice that these fenders are borrowed from the 911 Turbo. While this was ultimately a decision to keep costs low by avoiding a completely redesigned rear end, it helps keep the engine cool and gives the car a sporting, hunkered-down and menacing look. Notably, the air induction ducts, which once fed the intercoolers on the Turbo, are fitted to the normally aspirated GT3, and who doesn’t appreciate an extra set of ducts?
Perhaps the more controversial point with the 991-generation car is that it comes with the option of a PDK or nothing else. That said, 0-60 times have been estimated in the 3.0 second range, which should be fast enough for even the most discerning enthusiasts. Unfortunately for some purists, the PDK is a step towards digitally enhanced, dulled and uninvolving driving. Though anyone who has driven a PDK will quickly attest to the lightning-quick shifts and crisp down-changes it provides, there is still a contingent that feels they had things better in their day. Porsche’s take on this dispute seems to be: “Get on with it, Grandpa”.
Another newfound technological feature this car offers is its rear-wheel steering setup, which helps compensate for the lengthened wheelbase over the previous 911s. While a longer wheelbase provides a better handling balance in faster corners, it can make a responsive car lethargic and unwilling to rotate into tighter bends. The rear-wheel steering setup counteracts this hindrance by steering the rear wheels away from the corner below a certain speed, effectively shortening the wheelbase and giving the car an increased maneuverability in hairpin corners.
With an effectively-adjustable wheelbase, massive aerodynamic and mechanical grip, near-instantaneous shift speeds and a howling engine which revs to nearly 9,000 rpm, there’s no doubt this car brings a lot to the table. Whether that makes up for the fact that it’s a departure from a conventional stick-and-clutch setup, this car retains enough feel and driver involvement that is necessary to lap the Nurburgring in 7 minutes and 20 seconds. While this purist’s dream car is not as bare bones as its predecessors were, it remains a thrilling testament to Porsche’s ability to innovate and create a faster, more competent and still a very involving car to drive.
The 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Is a True Race Car
