GT3 RS’s loud and lusty show

drove the GT3 RS on public roads at its SA media launch last week, the super-firm suspension and low-profile tyres (20inch in front and 21-inch rear), on bumpy roads jolted the body like sitting on a rodeo horse.

And the super-direct steering, which makes the car such an apex-clipping joy on a smooth road, jiggles and jives in your hands when driving on lumpy surfaces at high speed. It requires a firm grasp and a steely constitution.

On well-kept roads the traction is flat-out amazing. The speed at which this rear-wheel drive Porsche can be ushered through twisty tar is a physicsbending suspension of disbelief. Understeer is absent from the car’s vocabulary, and is kept at bay by active rear-axle steering which sharpens the turn-in into tight bends, and makes for better stability in faster sections.

The test car was also fitted with ceramic composite brake discs, an option that provides fade-free stopping power even during racetrack punishment.

With the imminent arrival of the next-generation 911, the GT3 RS brings the curtain down on the current series in a car that’s all about lap time-chasing prowess and raw emotion. It’s the most purist and driverfocused of all Porsches, even if it’s not the fastest.

The price is on application, but if you spec it up with all the options don’t expect much change from R5m.