23 years ago Porsche decided the already uber-popular 911 wasn’t enough. They released the 911 GT3. Then, in 2003 the Germans one upped themselves again by unleashing the even crazier GT3 RS. The RS meaning RennSport which translates in English to “Racing Sport” which is exactly what the new 911 GT3 RS is about.
Present day, 2022, the folks at Stuttgart have done it again. The 992 reiteration of the track monster reemerges out of the shadows of the Black Forest. Fitted with a rear wing that looks like Bigfoot’s dinner table, the new GT3 RS trades in power for downforce. We’ve seen this gargantuan wing before, but now it receives a cool upgrade, the wing is active. Using actuators, the wing on the new RS can adapt and be adjusted to various driving environments.
While the wing receives a big upgrade, the engine laying in the back receives rather a measly one. Keeping the same 4.0 liter flat-6 engine found in the GT3, the engine gets a little bump in power from 502 to 518. While the added ponies are nice and all, Porsche made it adamant that the piece de resistance isn’t the engine at all, it’s what surrounds it.
The engineering behind the aerodynamics of the GT3 RS are something to gawk at. Porsche says that the GT3 RS generates 900 lbs of downforce at 124 mph and 1,895 lbs at 177 mph. If the claims are true, this would be twice as much as its subordinate GT3. The iconic 911 GT3 RS vents from previous generations also make an appearance as well as two massive holes sawed into the hood… I’m not kidding, it actually looks like someone took a hacksaw and went to work on the front of the car. Porsche also went to great lengths to make the GT3 RS as light as humanly possible. By creating most of the body panels out of what they call a mix of carbon fiber and plastic– what Porsche calls CFRP, the body of the 911 only grazes the scale at 3,268 lbs… in a car with over 500 horsepower.
The Weissach Package also can come tacked on to the new GT3 RS, that is for a price. The package MSRPs at $33,250, a whole brand new Toyota Corolla, but if you didn’t want to go fast you should’ve bought a Mitsubishi Mirage. The package includes magnesium wheels, new end-links, anti roll bars, and the substitution of more carbon fiber pieces in the roof, hood, and parts of the rear wing.
In a world where a sub-7 minute Nurburgring lap time flies over people’s heads, the GT3 RS needed to impress. So, they pulled the rabbit out of the hat and went to F1 for the answer. The new 911 GT3 RS features an impressive and unique drag reduction system (DRS). Keep the car straight (good luck) and the driver-activated DRS stalls the wing to reduce drag at higher speeds, a cool touch to an already track-built race car.
Porsche continues to tout the GT3 RS as the most aerodynamically advanced road vehicle ever, and that theme carries on to the underbelly of the RS. New teardrop shaped control arms improve airflow, getting rid of the old double wishbone setup that the 911 GT3 had. The ability to control the suspension on the fly and within the car also appear, with a dial in the interior being the brains of it all.
The 911 GT3 RS charges a $63,000 premium over the regular 911 GT3, with the aforementioned Weissach Package taxing the buyer $33,250 on top of that. In total the damage is $225,250, that is if you can even manage to find one at sticker.
