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PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS 4.0

Since its launch the Porsche 911 GT3 has been the benchmark against which every other track-focused car has been rated. There are more powerful, more expensive 911s, but the GT3 represents the sports car at its purest and most intense. In fact, all generation­s of GT3 arguably rank alongside 1973's legendary 911 Carrera 2.7 RS in the annals of greatest 911s.

Intended primarily for racing, though still road legal, the Porsche 911 GT3 – first introduced almost 20 years ago – can trace its ancestry all the way back through a succession of high performanc­e models to the legendary 911 Carrera RS of 1973. The car takes its name from the FIA'S “GT3” category of production sports car racing, and has been produced in a variety of versions since its introducti­on on the 996type iteration of the perennial 911.

For 2006 the GT3, by now based on the 997 platform, was extensivel­y redesigned and improved on, and by the end of that year there was also an RS “homologati­on special” version. Weight-saving measures similar to those seen on the 996 GT3 RS were applied, while the body was wider than that of the existing 997 GT3, accommodat­ing an increase in rear track.

Unveiled in April 2011, the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 was the final evolution of the 997 GT3. Only 600 cars were built, with a before-extras list price of £124,466 in the UK, £18,000 more than a 911 Turbo of the time. All sold out immediatel­y, this being number 534.

As its nomenclatu­re suggests, this ultimate model was powered by a 4.0-litre engine, the largest ever in a road-going 911, which incorporat­ed the longer stroke crankshaft from the RSR. Maximum power increased by 43bhp over the 3.8-litre GT3 RS to 493bhp at 8250rpm and torque rose 22lb ft to 339lb ft at 5750rpm, the chassis and running gear further developed to cope. On the road this translated into a 0–62mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 193mph, while the benchmark Nürburgrin­g Nordschlei­fe lap time was cut to 7min 27sec.

Finished in white with metallic grey/red stripes and black interior with red inserts, as were all 600 cars, this pristine GT3 RS was delivered new in Germany and under two owners has covered approximat­ely 7700 kilometres (4800 miles) since delivery. It was offered for sale freshly serviced and benefiting from new tyres (fitted May 2018).

The extensive list of equipment includes the Club Sport package, 90-litre fuel tank, GT wheels, Porsche Communicat­ion Management including satellite navigation, windscreen with tinted filter, roll bar in black, telephone module, front axle lift system, black instrument­s and floor mats. Presented in “like new” condition, this stunning, little used and ultra rare Porsche GT was offered with German registrati­on documents and all books and service records.

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