No matter how much performance Porsche has been able to squeeze out of the 911 over the years, one thing has remained constant all along. The rawest and most thrilling of driving experiences have always come with the RS.
It is little wonder, then, that this new model – the first in over five years – is regarded as one of the most anticipated new car launches of 2022.
For the uninitiated, the RS name is derived from the German word Rennsport, meaning motorsport in English.
It is appropriate, because all 911 RS models since 1972 have been developed by Porsche’s Motorsport division to homologate parts for its global motorsport program.
As anyone with a keen eye on motorsport will attest, Porsche takes its track activities very seriously. This is reflected in the reputation of the 911 RS as being one of the finest driver’s cars money can buy. It has rarely been the most powerful, but it has always been as close to a full-blown Le Mans race car as any 911 you have been able to buy and drive on the road.
In 2003, Porsche added the GT3 designation to the name, in the process homologating two suspension links for its dedicated 911 GT3 R race car. Since then, five new or facelifted 911 GT3 RS models, each all more potent and arguably more thrilling to drive than that which went before it, have found their way to Australia.
The fourth-generation 2023 911 GT3 RS sets out to up the ante again. Priced at a cool $500,200 plus on-road costs, it will set you back $130,600 more than the standard 911 GT3. For anyone planning to head to the track, though, it is set to be money well spent.
In Porsche’s own words, it incorporates more motorsport-inspired developments than ever before, including the most powerful iteration of Porsche’s naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat six-cylinder petrol engine yet.
The reworked dry sump unit, mounted on dynamic engine mounts designed to dampen vibration and reduce load change, develops 386kW at 8500rpm, gaining a subtle 4kW over its predecessor in the process. Torque, meanwhile, is reduced by 5Nm to 465Nm, though it is now developed 300rpm further up the range, hinting at a more potent but peakier delivery than before.
By comparison, the standard 911 GT3 serves up 375kW and 470Nm. So, not the wholesale lift in performance you might expect.
It is essentially a detuned version of the larger 4.2-litre unit used by Porsche in its 911 GT3 R race car, with individual throttle valves operated by rocker arms for each cylinder, together with Porsche’s patented VarioCam variable camshaft control system, and Lambda control. Plus, there's a pair of particulate filters within a new stainless steel exhaust system that is claimed to weigh a significant 10kg less than the more complex titanium exhaust of the previous 911 GT3 RS.
But while the 911 GT3 R revs to a maximum 9250rpm, the 911 GT3 RS is restricted to 9000rpm in the interests of driveability.
The rear-mounted engine drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with a 4.27:1 final drive and its own unique individual ratios, including overdriven sixth and seventh gears. It is paired with an electronically controlled rear differential with a torque-vectoring function that allows a fully variable apportioning of drive between each individual rear wheel.
Our first drive is restricted to the track. Given that Porsche says many owners traditionally participate in track days, it is a fitting way to acquaint ourselves with the new 911 GT3 RS. Unfortunately, though, we’ll have to wait to tell you what it feels like on the road.
The double-wishbone front suspension is largely bespoke. It adopts a 29mm wider front track than that of the standard 911 GT3, along with newly designed front wishbones with drop-shaped profiles that are claimed to contribute to increased downforce on the front axle at speed. The multi-link rear suspension also adopts ball joints derived from those used by the 911 GT3 R, providing it with a stiffer mounting to the body structure than before, according to Porsche.
As with the old 911 GT3 RS, rear-axle steering complements the front steering.
All up, there are three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Track. The driver can also alter the rebound and compression characteristics of the damping both front and rear along with the ride height, locking characteristics of the rear differential, and calibration of the traction control – all via a rotary dial on the steering wheel.
It all works in combination with a heavily revised aerodynamic package that includes active elements for the first time on the 911 GT3 RS.
New developments here include a single centrally angled radiator mounted up in the nose in place of the trio of smaller radiators used before. Similar to that used by the 911 GT3 R, its adoption has freed up space for adjustable winglets operated by electric motors at each side up front. The rear also receives a new swan-neck-style spoiler with a double wing featuring hydraulic adjustment.
Porsche claims up to 860kg of downforce at 285km/h – a remarkable doubling of downforce over the old 911 GT3 RS and up to three times as much as that of the existing 911 GT3, no less. As well as providing a drag reduction system function, the rear wing is also programmed to act as an air brake to improve stability under hard braking. It is Formula One aerodynamic technology applied to a road car. One that is heavily track-focused, but also one that will also take you down to the local shops with little trouble as well.
Beyond the engine, suspension and aerodynamics, there are also plenty of other motorsport-inspired parts – many of them aimed at weight reduction. The body, for one, is largely unique. Yes, it possesses characteristic visual links with other 911 models, but look carefully and you notice every panel save for the roof is reserved for 911 GT3 RS, giving it a wonderfully purposeful look even when it is standing still.
The bonnet, with a large duct to feed the centrally mounted radiator, is made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic. It is claimed to be 1.0kg lighter than the standard aluminium bonnet.
The uniquely styled doors with a scalloped out front lower section designed to help extract air from the front wheel wells are also made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic for the first time. They’re claimed to be 2.5kg lighter than the aluminium doors of other current 911 models.
There’s more! The front wings, rear spoiler, rear wing and seat frames are also made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic. Again, they’re all unique to the 911 GT3 RS.
Porsche’s new road racer also gets lightweight glazing with thinner glass all round. There’s also a specially developed stainless steel exhaust system and forged 20-inch front and 21-inch rear magnesium wheels – the latter weighing a good 2kg less per corner than the standard aluminium 911 wheels for a substantial reduction in unsprung masses.
Specify the right options, including those wonderfully flamboyant wheels, which wear 275/35 profile front and 335/30 profile rear Michelin Cup tyres, and the 911 GT3 RS can weigh as little as 1450kg, or some 15kg more than its dual-clutch-equipped predecessor, giving it a weight-to-power ratio of 3.7kg/kW.
Inside, there’s a new cockpit based heavily on that of the standard 911 GT3. It is brilliantly effective, with a driving position that allows your line of sight to skim the centre marker of the Alcantara-clad steering wheel and faultless ergonomics.
We’re in the standard 911 GT3 RS, so it is relatively straightforward. There are no rear seats. They’ve been ditched in the name of weight saving. For those really serious about track driving, there’s a so-called Weissach Package, which adds a bolt-in roll cage, six-point seatbelts and a fire-extinguisher.
So what’s it like to drive Porsche’s most advanced motorsport-inspired 911 model yet? One with as much downforce as a true Le Mans race car and a whole armada of systems allowing you to alter its driving characteristics?
Exciting and, initially at least, just a little nerve-wracking given the number of Porsche Motorsport employees occupying the wind-swept Silverstone pit lane as I belt up and attach my helmet to the intercom, before reaching over to the left-hand side of the dashboard to turn the key in the ignition. But with a dual-clutch gearbox that allows you to get underway smoothly, it proves wonderfully straightforward once underway.
And that is exactly how Porsche wants the new 911 GT3 RS to be. Behind the dramatic race car appearance, it should be accessible. And it is. Despite being even more heavily related to the dedicated 911 GTR R race car than ever before, it is not daunting. Yes, you treat it with respect, as you would any car with such performance potential. But it is nevertheless remarkably obliging.
In a straight line, the 911 GT3 RS feels and sounds very fast. The relatively short first and second gears are gone in a blur. At Silverstone, it is only really in third and beyond where you begin to appreciate the full unrelenting force and hard-edged mechanical note of the engine. It is arguably the finest flat six to ever wear the Porsche name, picking up cleanly with razor-like response, punching hard and devouring revs at a voracious rate.
Peak torque arrives at 6300rpm, so you have to work it harder and more resolutely than any other 911 before you begin to unlock its full potential. From thereon, it is intensely strong and wonderfully determined all the way up to the 9000rpm cut-out, at which its newly developed stainless steel exhaust wails with great intent.
Porsche claims 0–100km/h and 0–200km/h in 3.0sec and 10.6sec, which is 0.5sec and 0.3sec inside those achieved by the old 911 GT RS, while top speed, aided by the drag-reduction function integrated into the new swan-neck-style rear spoiler, is put at 296km/h, or some 22km/h less than before.
But forget the bald performance figures and outright speed. It is the adjustable chassis and newly developed aero package that make the new 911 GT3 RS so memorable. Remember, this is effectively a race car that has been made fit for the road.
The remarkable thing is that despite all the myriad settings for the ride height, camber and anti-roll bar stiffness put at your disposal, as well as the doubling in downforce over the old model, it remains astonishingly approachable with an outstanding balance. You aim it into corners and it goes, with just a hint of understeer and a very slight hint of body roll in tighter corners in the settings Porsche has chosen for my first run. But feeling absolutely neutral and resolutely flat in more open sections of the Silverstone Circuit.
After a couple of laps, it feels no more intimidating than a regular 911 GT3. And yet, Porsche’s data logger shows it is faster, more agile, and a good deal more composed everywhere.
The combination of front and rear steering, with typically brilliant weighting, is perfectly geared. It also delivers astonishing levels of feedback from both the front and rear. It all makes for terrific response, allowing you to turn into corners and choose your line with great confidence.
With all that downforce, there is huge stability even at seemingly impossible cornering speeds. Before you’ve even reached the apex, you can open up the throttle, relying on the breathtaking adhesion for a rousingly fast exit before powering up the circuit in anticipation of the next corner.
Of course, it will spin its rear wheels and drift if you’re particularly lead-footed with the traction-control system switched off, but there’s so much feel from the chassis and outright downforce that it proves easy to catch.
The changes to the aerodynamics make it easier to delve deep into the dynamics and seek out the limits than with the old model. There is familiarity in the overall driving characteristics, but with a lot less pitch up front and a noticeably more stable rear end, the 911 GT3 RS now operates on a higher performance plane than ever before. The outright purchase, a result of all that downforce acting on the chassis during corning, is quite stunning.
The same can be said of the brakes, which with the aid of the air brake function incorporated into the rear wing are now more effective than ever before. The standard steel discs measure 408mm in diameter up front and 380mm at the rear. However, Porsche expects most buyers will fit the car with the optional 410mm and 390mm carbon-ceramic discs fitted to our test car.
They’re grabbed by upgraded six-piston callipers up front and four-piston callipers at the rear. They lack some initial feel and bite until heat is introduced into them, but in terms of pure stopping performance, they’re the best brakes you’re ever likely to encounter on a road-legal car.
Caveats? As mentioned, we’ve only driven the 911 GT3 RS on-track, so for the time being we’ll have to take Porsche’s word for it that the newly engineered suspension delivers greater levels of compliance in comfort mode than with the old model. It is clearly going to be purposeful, and it felt it over some of Silverstone's more challenging kerbs. Anyone who buys this car, though, is surely not going to expect luxury car levels of ride refinement on the road.
For 50 years, the very reason for the 911 RS's existence has centred around racetrack performance, and this is fully reflected in this new model’s straight-line performance, cornering finesse and overall deftness of control. All of which set new levels of excellence for the Porsche’s original road racer.
Raw and thrilling, the 2023 model-year 911 GT RS is a race car made fit for the road, more than a road car made fit for the track. The price sounds steep, even in this rarefied part of the market. To be honest, though, the driving experience is priceless.
Kable is one of Europe's leading automotive journalists. The Aussie expat lives in Germany and has some of the world's most powerful executives on speed dial.
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Copyright Drive.com.au 2022ABN: 84 116 608 158
Copyright Drive.com.au 2022ABN: 84 116 608 158
DAP Pricing– Unless otherwise stated, all prices are shown as Manufacturer's Recommended List Price (MRLP) inclusive of GST, exclusive of options and on road costs.