We tested the Porsche 911 GT3 RS: competition aerodynamics and 525 hp in the Le Mans car you can take home

Over the years, Porsche has been able to refine the most track-friendly version of the Porsche 911 until it becomes the car in front of us. In this new generation of the  Porsche 911 GT3 RS , active aerodynamics arrive to accompany the majestic 525 hp atmospheric engine, resulting in a car that has everything necessary to fly glued to the asphalt, experiencing unique sensations. Can we sum it up to the Le Mans car homologated for road driving? We tested it at Silverstone and we'll tell you about it.

The Porsche GT department, led by Andreas Preuninger, is in charge of  making magic  year after year, model after model, being able to bring pure machines to the market, without electrification, which bring these models closer to the world of competition and of the  most absolute mechanical purity  , something increasingly complicated in the era of electrification and regulatory constraints, which increasingly limit the ability of manufacturers to develop their mechanics without resorting to solutions designed only to reduce CO2 emissions and consumption.

Earlier this year, it was the  Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS  that blew our minds. For the first time, a Cayman mounted the engine of the all-powerful 911 GT3 and  came  dangerously close to the myth without giving up its own personality.

During the month of August, the new Porsche GT artifact was presented. Neither more nor less than the  fourth generation of the 911 GT3 RS, a car that has sparked the craze to the point that  50 units  should arrive in Spain and Portugal for now , and as confirmed by those responsible for the brand in our market , they have  over 150 interested  in placing a firm order.

Thus, we are facing  one of the most anticipated cars by car fans . We were lucky enough to be among the first to take the wheel of this machine, on the spectacular circuit of Silverstone, and now it's time to say what it feels like to drive this beast.

The seven keys to the 911 GT3 RS

But of course, before moving on to the fun part, which consists of shooting on a circuit while making the most of it,  we must not forget the preliminaries . And be careful, there are a lot of them in this car.

Porsche has done a lot of work in the architecture of this car, so important that there are key elements in terms of cooling that make it a very different car from its predecessors, but  very close  to some racing models that we have seen at Le Mans.

1. Central radiator and active aerodynamics

The new GT3 RS sacrifices the trunk to place a central radiator that completely changes its architecture

Directly inspired by the 911 RSR, winner of its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and later the 911 GT3 R, the three front radiators  used by the previous models  have been removed , and have been replaced by a large central radiator inclined in the front, which is where the trunk is usually on Porsche 911s. Yes, this car  doesn't have a trunk , so you'll have the excuse of leaving the house right away with your helmet on.

The space they managed to create on the sides of the front part made it possible to place there, hidden in the lower part of the car,  active aerodynamic elements  in the form of adjustable deflectors that constantly vary their position in combination with the gigantic rear wing, to reach a level of aerodynamic lift never seen before:  860 kg at 285 km/h  .

The level of aerodynamic pressure from the car to the asphalt is such that the aerodynamic developers told us that one of the main elements they had to deal with in the development of the car was the  potential overpressure that the aerodynamic force exerts on the tyres , which causes them to overheat and consequently the risk of bursting.

As they explained to us on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the model that gave birth to this saga, the  Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 , the aerodynamic pressure of the front axle must always be correctly compensated with that of the axle rear, so that the car behaves correctly.

2. DRS and Airbrake

Then we find the other element that stands out the most in the 911 GT3 RS, the rear spoiler. It is the first time that a Porsche has mounted a  spoiler higher than the roof  of the car itself. He is taller seen in person than seen in photos. It's so big I wonder what the cops will think when you drive past them in that car.

But it's not just a gigantic wing with gooseneck mounts, like those first shown on the new GT3. It is made up of two sections, the lower part fixed and the  upper part mobile  by means of a system of hydraulic arms that allow you to actively modify its angle of inclination while driving, or to activate the  DRS  from the steering wheel.

Because the GT3 RS is the first road-going Porsche with DRS, which reduces drag and increases speed on the straights by laying the fenders flat.

The mobile system of the rear spoiler and the  hidden front flaps  also help with braking thanks to the  Airbrake function  : when you press hard on the brake, the spoilers are placed in a very vertical position, almost  perpendicular  to the ground, which generates an effect aerodynamic deceleration effect which considerably helps the braking team.

3. Hot and cold air management

The new 911 GT3 RS now has a  front splitter  , which distributes the air above and below very efficiently, after hours and hours of work in the wind tunnel.

Again, continuing the solution introduced in the previous GT3 RS, we find the louvers in the front wheel arches, the  ventilation gills  which allow the air to dissipate from the wheel arches and the brakes and tires to work at optimum temperature. 

In addition, the shape of the wheel arches at the rear of the fenders is inspired by the style of the 98 911 GT1, the emblematic winner of Le Mans. Thanks to  the marked cuts  they have, they allow the air to escape more quickly and easily from the wheel arch, running along the side of the doors that follow this aerodynamic line. It is the first time that a GT3 RS has specific doors, different from those of the GT3 and the rest of the 911 family.

For its part, the air which emanates from the central radiator from the gigantic openings located in the hood, is channeled through a series of small aerodynamic appendages located at the ends of these openings.

They are responsible for directing the air outwards and the  vertical wings on the roof  ensure that the hot air is directed outwards and therefore the intake air entering the engine at the rear does so at lower temperatures.

For its part, the rear wheel arches also have a  notable cavity  , which in addition to allowing the tires to be easily seen, optimizes the direction of the air and makes it possible to significantly reduce the interior temperature.

The diffuser at the rear is taken from the 911 GT3 and slightly adapted. The exhausts are double and are centrally located. But undoubtedly the fact that the current GT3 RS, like the rest of the 911 family, uses the widebody of the 911 Turbo, plus all that aerodynamic development,  makes it look brutal  from every angle.

4. Chassis with racing trapezes

Chassis-wise, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS lives up to the rest of the package, and after all we've just reviewed, that's saying a lot. How did you get it?

As in the 911 GT3, the front axle has a double wishbone suspension  . These are designed with drop-shaped profiles to improve their aerodynamic effect, so much so that according to Porsche they increase traction on the front axle by around  40 kg when driving at maximum speed .

These solutions are directly derived from Porsche Motorsport, since the 911 RSR and 911 R also use this type of sophisticated elements and in a street model,  only the 918 Spyder had used something similar .

It should also be taken into account that the arms of the front axle with double wishbone suspension are  29 millimeters longer  than those of the 911 GT3, a car that already seemed to us to have an unprecedented level of grip on the axle. before, being in this the element that has improved the most compared to the predecessor.

Work has also been done to minimize the tendency of the front axle to pitch, which is necessary in a car with such braking ability thanks to the specific braking equipment and speedbrake we talked about earlier.

The rear suspensions and the rear axle steering system also have a specific setting, depending on the front axle setting and the aerodynamic load of the assembly.

5. Adjustment from the steering wheel

The steering wheel of the 911 GT3 RS is equipped with four rotary controls located two by two on each side of the lower part of the steering wheel, as well as a button for the DRS system on the left arm, perfectly placed to press with the thumb of the the left hand. 

The car has three driving modes:  Normal ,  Sport  and  Track . It is in the latter that you can configure the settings of the car at all levels as you wish.

Thus, the  compression and rebound damping  of the front and rear axles can be adjusted separately and at different levels. The same goes for the level  of  rear differential lock.

As if that were not enough, depending on the position of the ESC (On, Dynamic, Off), different levels of intervention of the electronics can also be selected, with which the  combinations are adapted  to what the pilot wants every moment.

6. Content Weight

Blue areas are carbon fiber reinforced plastic

Weight control is one of the biggest challenges the Porsche GT department faces with every new model. The Preuninger team is clear that maintaining low weight is essential for their cars to continue to have that special level of precision that sets them apart from potential competitors.

Here is  how the performance, power and weight of the 911 GT3 have evolved over the generations:

The challenge is greater if we take into account that generation after generation, and in particular in this last of the 911 992, the Stuttgart icon has  developed considerably , it is increasingly loaded with electronics and must comply with regulations that assume overweight due to the incorporation of elements such as particulate filters among many other things.

The lightest version of the new 911 GT3 RS weighs only  1,450 kg , although it must be said that this is a bit of an odd configuration as it would be a 911 GT3 RS Weissach pack without the Clubsport pack to remove the roll bars.

To achieve such a contained weight, the key is the use  of carbon fiber reinforced plastic  to manufacture many parts.

The front bonnet, despite its aerodynamic work to extract air from the central radiator, is a kilo lighter than the aluminum one of a normal 911.

For the first time,  the doors  were also made of CFRP, which saves five kilos. In addition, the front fenders, rear spoiler and double rear spoiler are also made of CFRP.

The lenses are now made of thinner  glass . The stainless steel sports exhaust system is also lighter.

In addition, there are two specific equipment packs: Clubsport and Weissach. The first is offered  at no extra cost  and includes a safety cage, six-point seat belt for the driver, pre-installation for a battery switch and a manual fire extinguisher with 2 kg of extinguishing agent.

For its part, the Weissach pack accentuates both aesthetics and performance. Thanks to the front bonnet, vehicle roof and exterior mirror caps in exposed carbon, the appearance of the car changes and becomes  more aggressive , especially from the front view.

As an option on this pack, you can also order the  forged magnesium wheels  with thinner, more open spokes, which save  8 kilos  in total (2 kilos less per wheel) than the base aluminum wheels.

Inside, the customer who chooses the Weissach package can also opt for  carbon fiber roll bars.

7. Naturally aspirated boxer engine

This is the last of the key elements listed here, but not the least important. Yes, it is perhaps  the least innovative  of all, since the new GT3 RS mounts the same atmospheric 4.0 boxer block that we know from the 718 Cayman GT4 RS and 911 GT3, increased to 525 hp.

Now compliant with Euro 6d-ISC-FCM (EU6 AP) exhaust regulations, this engineering marvel achieves  525hp at 8,500rpm  but ramps up to a top speed of 9,000rpm. The maximum torque of 465 Nm is reached at 6300 RPM. Yes, if you like to look closely at the data, you will see that they  have reduced the torque figure slightly , but they assure that it was necessary to make it more practical in real use.

The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Driving the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS at Silverstone

After this necessary appetizer, essential to understand why this car  is much more  than a larger wing and 15 additional hp compared to a GT3, the most awaited moment finally arrives: the outing on the track with the new machine.

Porsche has chosen the  Silverstone Grand Prix track  for a select group of journalists from around the world to test its new toy. It is no coincidence that the British circuit was chosen. As well as having a Porsche Experience Center, Silverstone is a very fast track, perfect for getting the most out of this car and its advanced aerodynamics.

The typical British weather had set in during the previous night, with incessant rain day and night, and although the day set for testing dawned with blue skies and bright sunshine the likes of which are rarely seen in Great Britain -Brittany, the truth is that at  the start in the morning the track was still tricky , with a lot of humidity and quite low temperatures that limited grip.

After a brief briefing on the track rules, he was helmeted and ready to hit the track in a Porsche 911 GT3 RS fitted with the Weissach package. The challenge was to follow the always impetuous Porsche monitors, who were ahead with a 911 GT3 Manthey Racing. Almost nothing.

I adjust the position of the standard backet, which is perfectly finished in carbon fiber. I am told over the radio to select  Track mode  from the rotary knob on the steering wheel. We go out on the track. I use the first laps to warm up the mechanics and try to know where the curves of this track go, very wide and terribly fast, but difficult to memorize because it has several sections very similar to each other.

The instructor knows the circuit well, it is not in vain that he has been around it for more than a week, and he goes at a steady pace from the middle of the first lap to this long track of almost six kilometers. But it is enough to force the situation a little under braking or acceleration to feel how  difficult the car is with so little grip  on the track  .

It's not a problem with the car, which is docile at normal speed, the problem is that the temperature of the asphalt and the tires of the circuit without the right temperature, do not allow us to enjoy such a car. In support, it tends to  slide outwards from the four wheels  and in the hardest braking, it is easy to go nose to the outside.

None of this had anything to do with what Porsche promised us in terms of their car's handling, but I'm somewhat comforted to see that it's not something that happens exclusively to my car. The monitor ahead of me is having serious trouble getting the car through the dark , so we entered the pits. Everything is too delicate to force more.

Fortunately, the sun was starting to rise and the temperature with it. The impact of the sun's rays on the asphalt allowed him to quickly gain degrees and around  15 minutes after  entering the pits he was back on the track driving the same 911 GT3 Weissach Package.

Nothing to do with what we had before. Contrary to what one might expect from its overwhelming cover letter, from the first moments the GT3 RS shows me  total nobility .

After doing a few laps I already have the circuit moderately memorized, the most critical humidity points are already only at the ends of the track, those where you shouldn't walk on them, so  I pick up the pace  and j trying to stick to the GT3 ahead of me.

The level of confidence this generates is huge, which means that I always go one point faster than I had in mind coming out of the previous corner. It pulls  with absolute force and those 525 hp do not choke at all when it comes to transferring them to the asphalt thanks to those gigantic  335 millimeter section rear tires  .

You can hit the gas  very early  in the turns, since the set takes care of modulating them and pushing you forward with considerable force and enviable progressiveness.

Only in areas that were still a bit wet where I found myself guilty of giving gas too early, the rear  moved a little  . Nothing serious, there is always the electronics to avoid the drama, unless you disconnect it completely, which is also possible.

Whether it's fast corners or slower chicanes, the GT3 RS makes you feel like you're  driving your car forever , the one you have in your hands and play with to your heart's content.

That in a car of this level says a lot. You do  n't feel like you're going against the grain at any point , but it does make you feel like one more part of the car, conveying a level of information and connection with the mechanics that makes it unique in the world.

The body of the car behaves very  neutrally . The nose doesn't dig in at all under braking, and in the hardest downforce it doesn't tilt either thanks to fairly stiff suspension settings that I don't know how they'll hold up with a bumpy road. I won't know either because today we are only going to test it on the perfect asphalt of Silverstone.

The front axle is the most precise thing I have ever had in my hands. The  level of connection and communication  in this part of the car is such that you can feel with surgical precision the grip level of the front tyres.

It allows you to carve turns at an absolutely infernal pace, to cross many curves that only one lap in advance you would not have thought you could pass at this speed and  encourages you to always go faster and faster .

This second stint was five laps, which allowed me to confirm two things: I think Porsche has created a machine that will go down in history and secondly, how this car should run in the dry and with a little more temperature.

The 911 GT3 on dry asphalt, quite an experience

In the afternoon we had the opportunity to get back on track for another set of laps, and by then the conditions had changed dramatically. The asphalt was already completely dry and the ambient temperature with its  21 degrees  was perfect for what we had to do: get the most out of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

I return to the track with the monitor in mind in the GT3 Manthey Racing. As soon as he crossed the line that marks the pit lane speed limit  , he started pulling like crazy, so much so that at the second corner he was already a few meters in front of me. This  is going to be fun  .

The sound of the naturally aspirated boxer engine is one of the highlights of these cars. Its high-revving tune and squeak as you approach 9,000 rpm are unique, but in this one I find it  doesn't sound as much  as you'd expect from an RS.

The sound is remarkable, but it doesn't stick to my ears like it does in other models. I don't think it sounds any better than the GT3. I admit that it may be a false impression due to the fact that we wear a helmet with intercoms  and that limits the sound waves that reach the ears, but I am clear that it is not a sound comparable to that of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, which with its air intakes behind the head, is undoubtedly one of the most addictive pieces of car today.

I find it difficult to follow the car in front of me, so I focus on driving. The GT3 RS responds with dynamic performance that  leaves me speechless . In just half a turn, I was able to recover the lost meters, and the best part is that I did it without ever feeling like I was touching the limits.

The towing capacity of this car is endless. You come out of the middle corners, slam your right foot in and the boxer engine starts revving with a   unique  docile force . Soon, as the engine stretches and passes the 8,500 rpm where it gives maximum power, blue lights come on in the box indicating that it needs to change gears.

The new gearshift paddles, fixed to the steering wheel and now  magnetic  , take the already excellent ones from the previous GT3 RS to the old one. Upshifting and downshifting with absolute precision and speed. Rather, instantaneous.

As the speed increases, you feel more and more glued to the asphalt. Through the rearview mirror I can see how  the rear wing  is constantly working, moving its angle of inclination with movements that take place in 0.3 seconds thanks to the hydraulics it incorporates.

In the straight line as I exceed 180 km/h I try to press the DRS button located on the left side of the steering wheel and there I have the impression  that the ship's anchor is being lifted  . The car moves more easily and in just two seconds I am at 245 km/h when approaching a right-hand corner.

Then I press the brake pedal hard, like I would in a race car, and my body  inevitably moves forward in the seat  . The braking ability is so beastly with the oversized braking equipment and the airbrake, that I dare say that conventional seat belts are insufficient for use on the circuit, since the body can move forward a few centimeters.

We arrive at the slowest part of the circuit, a chicane connecting left and right which is done in second gear. I approach the first corner with the brakes on, the steering wheel turned and the car stays in place, without any tendency to understeer. I turn the steering wheel more and more and the level of grip on the front end seems infinite.

In the change of direction, it is perceived as  agile and quick , with a neutral change in weight and as if you were driving a compact car of only 1,100 kilos. I don't understand how they achieved this level of communication that makes you feel like just another part of the car.

Conclusions of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS

After this dry run, whose pace was worthy of a race car, one thing is clear to me. Never, ever in my life have I driven a road car that takes you into a  dimension so close  to that of a track race car.

I've driven other cars that are more powerful and maybe faster, but never  as pure and authentic  as this one. Porsche has done it again, it has given a new twist to its circuit weapon and brought it closer than ever to its motorsport cars.

Jörg Bergmeister, former official Porsche driver and one of the drivers who worked the most on the development of the RS, told me that he estimated that this car with  slick tires  would remain less than 4 seconds  at Silverstone from the time of a competition 911 R, which is nothing on such a fast circuit almost six kilometers long.

In fact, on the day we were able to test the car,  they had yet to achieve the fastest lap at the Nürburgring Nordschleife  in which they managed to  reduce the time achieved by the 911 GT3 by 10.6  seconds, demonstrating that all this aerodynamic development work, weight control and tuning is enough to make the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS the ultimate car for those who want to race on the circuit and return home without changing cars.

The price in Europe of the  Porsche 911 GT3 RS  is 265,404 euros. Not expensive it seems.