Great show from loud, lusty GT3 RS
There’s no such thing as a slow Porsche 911, but in the hierarchy of models there are several levels of charisma. For flat-out distance-crushing performance the GT2 RS is the ultimate 911 with its turbocharged 515kW engine, rendering it nearly powerful enough, it seems, to affect the rotation of the earth.
But it’s the less powerful GT3 RS, now available in SA, that tends to get spoken of more reverently by sports car “purists” who believe there’s more to life than outright power (no, really).
Compared with the steroidstuffed GT2 RS, the normally aspirated GT3 RS sends a milder 383kW to the rear wheels, but it’s actually the more viscerally satisfying car. The sound and fury of the thing makes it the 911 for drivers seeking the most intensive automotive experience for all the senses and in particular the aural receptors.
To hear its 4l flat-six revving at 9,000rpm is a goosebumpinducing thing. As much as they have to give power-wise, turbocharged engines can’t rev as high as naturally aspirated ones nor do they sound as good, and the GT3 uses this to its charisma-enhancing advantage. Revving into the red zone makes you feel as if you’re in the golden circle of a Guns ’n Roses concert, with a loud and lusty wail like Axl Rose in his prime.
There’s more sonic charm in the way the optionally fitted racing roll cage clunks against the inside of the car when driving over bumps. The cage is part of an optional Clubsport package that also includes a battery disconnect switch, six-point racing harness and fire extinguisher.
And, sweet child o’ mine, does it get going in a hurry. The GT3 RS comes out guns-a-blazing when you floor the throttle, quickly turning the scenery into an onrushing blur.
Porsche quotes 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds and a 312km/h top speed with the PDK auto transmission. True purists may clamour for a manual gearbox, but the seven-speed PDK is a quick-shifting example of precision engineering.
Porsche turned a standard GT3 into an RS by upping the power and torque, retuning the rear-axle steering and adding racing-style ball joints for greater driving precision. It put the car on a diet by fitting lighter wheels, a magnesium roof, lightweight door panels and reduced sound absorption.
The optional Weissach package ditches another 30kg by using carbon fibre in the bonnet, roof and antiroll bars, and fitting magnesium wheels.
Even the interior door handles are replaced by fabric hoops, although this probably more for show than weight saving. Carbon bucket seats and an Alcantara-covered steering wheel deliver the sporty showand-tell in the cabin. The two seats have fixed backrests, and only legroom can be adjusted.
The Porsche Track Precision app that comes as standard provides the driver with smartphone telemetry of lap times and other performance data.
RS-specific aerodynamic add-ons underline its status as a driving machine with a clear racing emphasis. The big rear wing and assorted scoops, apart from serving as flamboyant plumage, keep the car pressed into the tar when chasing lap times. There’s 486kg of downforce at its maximum speed.
The result of all these efforts is a machine that’s lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in just 6min56.4s, one of a small handful of road-legal cars to break the mythical seven-minute barrier around the famous circuit.
The PASM active suspension system has two modes: very stiff and ultra stiff, making smooth racetracks the car’s preferred playground. When I