Porsche’s 991 chassis has been taken to the extreme once again–the 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS has officially bowed at the 2015 Geneva Auto Show. An even more track-oriented brother of the standard GT3, this newest iteration of the RS takes its performance, looks, and pure absurdity (look at that rear wing!) to a whole new level.
The 991 GT3 RS sports a 4.o-liter flat-six producing 493 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque–the engine is a bored version of the glorious 3.8-liter flat-six found in 911s from the Carrera S to the Turbo S. Compared to the 997 (previous) iteration of the RS, displacement is up 0.2 liters, while power increases by 39 and torque, most importantly, increases by a whopping 67 lb.-ft. Sadly, as is the case with the current 911 GT3, the GTS RS foregoes its purist 6-speed manual in favor of the infallible 7-speed PDK. However, the dual-clutch allows the newest RS to sprint from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds, so the tradeoff is fair.
The RS treatment also includes significant weight-savings over the standard GT3–the RS car weights 22 lbs. less than the GT3, thanks mostly to its magnesium roof and carbon fiber trunk and hood. The rear wing also grows significantly in size from the GT3 car, while the RS’s fender flares make it significantly wider than the standard car. All of this adds up to create ludicrous amounts of downforce that will be crucial to blistering lap times.
A host of technological improvements grace the GT3 RS in addition. Porsche’s 7-speed PDK receives an even more aggressive software remap, while Porsche’s Active Stability Management, active torque vectoring, and rear-wheel steering will all come standard. Standard too is a “pit speed” setting that measures the car’s speed as it travels in pit lanes, speaking to the car’s racing dedication.
Performance-wise, the new GT3 RS is most comparable to the 997 GT3 RS 4.0, a wild, special-edition version of the GT3 that represented the pinnacle of Porsche’s track acumen. With the bar set for the 991 GT3 RS, it only remains to be seen if Porsche will dial it up one more notch, as they did with the 997 4.0.
Please enjoy this TFLcar.com video review of the 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS.
Frank caught automotive fever early in life. Hailing from a long line of car fanatics, he was able to recite the year and model of every car that passed him by age five. His passion and love for the automobile have only grown since then. When not thinking about cars, he is reading, writing, learning, or dreaming about them. His area of expertise is in the realm of German and Italian cars, of which Porsche is a favorite. Frank currently resides in the heart of NASCAR country in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his family. He enjoys driving exotic cars in the beautiful Carolina weather.
