KICK IN THE RS

Porsche has gone to town (and the track) on aero and engineering for the new 911 GT3 RS

For the first time in the history of Porsche’s production vehicles, the rear wing of the new 911 GT3 RS is higher than the car’s roof.

That tells you what you need to know about the maker’s latest RennSport creation: Porsche has pushed the boundaries of aero and engineering to make the GT3 RS “uncompromisingly [about] maximum performance”.

The new front and rear wings, both continuously adjustable, provide 409kg of downforce at 200km/h – three times as much as the standard GT3.

At 285km/h, it’s 860kg.

The RS is the first Porsche production car to feature a drag reduction system (DRS), which allows the wings to be flattened out at the touch of a button. An airbrake is also activated during hard braking at high speed.

Even the suspension has been finessed for optimal aerodynamics. Some components in the doublewishbone front axle, with a 29mm-wider track than the GT3, have been redesigned with teardrop-shaped profiles.

Porsche claims a significant performance boost from a central radiator – as used in the Le Manswinning 911 RSR and 911 GT3 R. In place of the 911’s usual threeradiator set-up, the RS has one large angled radiator in the nose, positioned where the luggage compartment is located on other models. This has also liberated more space on either side of the car for extra active aero elements.

The 4.0-litre naturally aspirated engine now produces 386kW (up from 375kW in the GT3) thanks to new camshafts. The intake system and rigid valve drive are derived from motorsport and the sevenspeed PDK gearbox (no manual for the RS) has shorter gearing than the GT3. Zero to 100km/h takes just 3.2 seconds.

Carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) construction for the doors, front wings, roof, bootlid and seats contributes to a kerb weight of just 1450kg.