With a time of 4,2 seconds, the new lightweight RS promises to rank among the best – and purest -road-legal sports cars on the planet!
When CAR road tested the 996-series version of the 911 GT3 RS for the April 2004 issue, editors remarked that the car’s “taut chassis and rapid-fire responses” made the 280 kW beast “the most rewarding of all the 911s to drive” and “a fine instrument for practising the art of driving”. But the 997-series version, which will be introduced in Europe in October and in South Africa a month later, generates 305 kW from its 3,6-liter litre six and revs all the way to 8 400 r/min. Although its engine is similar to that of the GT3, of which a driving impression appeared in CAR’s May issue, the RS weighs a significant 20 kg less than its sibling.
Whereas the previous GT3 RS dispatched the zero to 100 km/h benchmark in 4,57 seconds and reached a top speed of 306 km/h, and current GT3 is said to be capable of achieving the feat in 4,3 seconds and top out at 310 km/h, the latest GT3 RS – fitted with a close-ratio six-speed transmission with a single-mass flywheel – should take 4,2 seconds and another 9,1 seconds to reach 200 km/h before topping out at 310 km/h.
However, performance figures do not encapsulate the purpose of the new RS. As was the case with its legendary predecessors, such as the Carrera RS 2.7 of 1972 and the type 964 911 RS of 1991, the newcomer is a stripped-down homologation special, built to comply with international GT racing rules, and tailor-made for hardcore sports car enthusiasts who like to play on race tracks.
The RS’ cabin is fitted with a pair of lightweight bucket seats made of carbon fibre composite materials, a bolted roll cage, pre-wiring for the battery main switch, a six-point seatbelt for the driver and a fire extinguisher. Interior trims are black, with the roof lining, steering wheel and gear lever trimmed in Alcantara. If you want air-conditioning or a radio/CD, you’ll have to order them.
Compared with the already racy GT3, the RS is 44 mm wider at the rear (a legacy from the Carrera 4 models) and has a wider track, which Porsche claims improves the coupé’s directional stability and increases its “transverse acceleration potential”.
The RS is 20 kg lighter than the GT3 thanks to its adjustable carbon fibre wing, the use of a plastic rear lid and a plastic rear window. In addition to the carbon fibre components used of the RS’s body, there are split wishbones on the rear axle.
The model will be available in Arctic Silver metallic or black, but as an option, the GT3 can also be ordered in orange or green. As is tradition, the renowned GT3 RS side insignias and coloured rims are styled in orange or black to contrast the exterior finish.
Source: Car Today