997.2 GT3 RS
4,150cc 13.1:1
540hp @ 7,950rpm 542Nm @ 5,300rpm Six-speed manual gearbox
Independent; RSS inner monoballs and adjustable thrust arm bushings; Bilstein Clubsport coilovers; anti-roll bar Independent; RSS/ Sharkwerks rear adjustable links; RSS/ Sharkwerks bump steer/toe steer kit and lock-out plates; Bilstein Clubsport coilovers; anti-roll bar
about to disagree. From there you can pick a spot on its torque curve between 2,900 to 5,300rpm and you’ll have anywhere up to 120Nm more at your disposal than the factory 3.8, and 80Nm more than even the RS 4.0. Usually regarded as something of a dead zone in a peaky Porsche GT3 Mezger, here the RS 4.1 is full of energy. And that doesn’t mean ‘Bluefin’ has been robbed of any drama at the top end, either. Peak horsepower is realised at 7,950rpm, but let it rev all the way out to 8,800rpm and you’ll still find yourself with a superiority of 60Nm torque over a factory equivalent. A regearing with a longer first and shorter second to fourth ratios adds to the drama, the RS 4.1 here rivalling the fluidity of the 911 R.
Its chassis, too, is excellent, particularly at the rear, that bump steer kit keeping the back axle settled over the impurities of the road beneath us. Combined with stellar brakes and the usual Rennsport recipe of fast, feelsome steering, this is a masterpiece in engineering – if its twin wasn’t patiently waiting for its own appraisal, we simply wouldn’t want to swap out this seat for anything.
Sharkwerks’ GT3 4.1 is dominated from the outside by that frankly outrageous aerodynamic aid above its decklid. Sitting tall on extensively adjustable struts, the Cup wing with delicate Gurney flap on its trailing edge is monstrous even compared to the raised wing of the RS 4.1, the chunky end plates at either extremity almost usurping the width of the GT3’S arches.
Inside, the differences between the two cars are subtle, these mainly down to the generational change in buttons and switchgear on the centre consoles, while the GT3 obviously has proper door handles rather than pull straps. If the worn Alcantara around the head of the shifter isn’t a good enough indication as to how hard Jackson drives this thing, the fact he’s swapped the driver’s Sport seat out for a folding Recaro bucket surely is. There’s an Alcantara Techart steering wheel in here too, and we quite like its chunkier grip.
Seat and mirrors adjusted, we’d better get moving. From the outset this GT3 feels every bit as on par with its 4.1-litre forebear. To our ears it sounds slightly different to the RS, its tone a speck more sonorous, and it’s also running a more aggressive geo setup, just how Jackson likes it, which helps give its nose a slight edge in terms of its directness into a turn. As a result the GT3 better highlights the supremacy of the job done by the Bilstein Clubsports and Rss/sharkwerks chassis setup because in this state the nose should be tramlining all over the place, but it isn’t, the wheels staying loyal and true to where they are pointed. It’s just a ridiculously well-balanced car overall, possibly even more so than the RS.
The engine is, again, sublime. I can’t get past the intensity of its rush right to the redline, which surely won’t ever be beaten by anything out of the factory. It’s unlike any other 911 out there. However, it’s the relationship between the pedals and shifter which we find most outstanding in the 4.1. It’s the lightness of the car through the accelerator, the confidence exerted by the middle pedal, and the deftness of the clutch. This, mixed with that fluidity of the gearbox to let you shift quickly and precisely, is what makes the 4.1 so responsive, so visceral to drive. If the R was the factory benchmark in terms of precision in this area, the GT3 4.1 usurps it. There’s nothing about either 4.1 I find a dislike to, including the price, which Ross says starts at $59,000 for the upgrade to include all of the necessary engine parts as well as the tuning, exhaust and upgraded clutch/pressure plate, lightweight flywheel, plus installation and break-in.
Since our first test drive of Sharkwerks’ 4.1-litre 997.2 GT3 RS, nothing from the factory or otherwise has really gotten near it. However, this thrilling Rennsport is finally joined on its pedestal by its brother in arms, the 4.1-litre 997.1 GT3. We depart by telling Jackson we think his is the best 911 we’ve driven, ever, but he already knows it. A long-time Porsche owner, he says it’s his best and therefore last 911. Talk about bowing out at the top.
Thanks to Sharkwerks and the legendary Ralph Jackson for use of their 997s in our test.