Road-legal, that was the first term in Porsche's press release announcing the debut of the 992-Generation 911 GT3 RS, and aptly so, because at a first glance the new GT3 RS looks like a track-only monster from all perceivable angles. It looks unmistakably 911, but almost every little detail about its exterior screams excess. The first and the biggest visual differentiator of the 911 GT3 RS from the other mere mortal 911s has been the rear wing, and in this generation the wing has grown significantly in dimensions, making it the largest one to be put on a 911.
The rear wing of the new 911 GT3 RS is the largest one on a 911 yet, and it also gets DRS.
There is a lot of aero trickery happening on the RS. Porsche has removed the 3 radiators from the car and replaced them with a single large tilted radiator, which now sits under the hood, nullifying luggage space. This has added a unique look to the hood of the 992-gen 911 GT3 RS, and the car now gets huge nostrils. This has freed up a lot of real-estate along the sides of the car, allowing space for active aero bits, which all contribute in adding overall downforce and enhancing cornering ability. And since that was obviously not enough for Porsche, they have also designed the wishbone suspensions to have a teardrop-like shape since a lot of air flows through the wheel arches, and according to Porsche, this alone has added as much as 40 kgs of downforce.
The GT3 RS has a radiator under the hood, giving it large nostrils and creating a unique look.
Speaking of the rear wing, it is a ground breaking unit. For the first time in the history of Porsche, it has fitted a rear wing on a production car which is even taller than the roof of the car itself! The large wing adds a lot of downforce, and takes the total downforce figure of the GT3 RS up to 409 kg at 200 kmph, and a whopping 860 kg at a full chat of 285 kmph. At these speeds in straight line, the wing is more of a hinderance than of aid, which is why Porsche has equipped the rear wing with a Formula 1 style DRS (Drag Reduction System). For all the non-F1 fans, what this does is it flattens the rear wing at the push of a button with the top movable element opening up, allowing air to pass through the wing and reducing drag.
The GT3 RS generates upto 409 kg downforce at 200 kmph & 860 kg downforce at 285 kmph.
Under hard braking, the wing automatically closes creating an airbrake of sorts, similar to what an airplane does when it lands. Not that the 408 mm diameter front brakes and the 380 mm rear brakes aren't potent on their own. Additionally, Porsche also sells Ceramic brakes as an option, which are also larger in diameter (410 mm front & 390 mm rear).
Under hard braking, the DRS automatically closes, creating an air brake.
Pushing the 1,450 kg carbon-fibre cladded vehicle is a 4.0-litre six-cylinder naturally aspirated boxer engine which spools up to 9,000 rpm, and develops 518 bhp in the process. It is mated to Porsche's PDK dual-clutch seven-speed auto gearbox. A manual gearbox is not on offer on the GT3 RS, as the track tool is all about lap times and a manual would just slow it down. The gear ratios have also been shortened on the RS as compared to the standard 911 GT3 to aid acceleration in all 7 gears. This helps propel the car to a 100 kmph from standstill in just 3.2 seconds, and to a top speed of 296 kmph, with DRS open.
The GT3 RS can go from 0-100 kmph in 3.2 seconds, and has a claimed top speed of 296 kmph.
If you look closely at the steering wheel of the new GT3 RS, you'll notice that it has four rotary dials. These include switches to adjust the car's electronically adjustable suspension, which can be done on the go. Among other settings, the rebound and compression damping of the front and rear axles can be adjusted separately and in several stages. The driver can also adjust the rear differential using one of these dials, and the final rotary switch is to select the drive mode, which includes Normal, Sport, & Track, but we are sure that the sports car will barely be ‘normal’ in the Normal mode.
The new GT3 RS' suspension is electronically adjustable on the go, and can be controlled using the rotary dials on the steering wheel.
The 992-generation 911 GT3 RS is expected to launch soon in India, and the prices for the car will start upwards of Rs. 3 crore (Ex-showroom). The car also gets an optional Weissach package, which includes a carbon-weave finish on front lid, roof, parts of the rear wing, & upper shell of the exterior mirrors. The front and rear anti-roll bars, the rear coupling rods and the shear panel on the rear axle are also made of Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRP), which shaves 6 kilograms of weight. The paddle shifters with the PDK gearbox also get a magnet technology, and Porsche also offers optional Magnesium wheels with the Weissach package, which shave another 8 kgs.
