2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The GT3 RS gets the same multimedia setup as the other models of the 911 Carrera range.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The 911 GT3 RS cars sit in the pits of the Nurburgring Formula One track, bright-coloured wild beasts waiting under an overcast sky.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - I get into one of them and start adjusting the seat, steering wheel and mirrors before I buckle up. Everything is right where it should be and, if you are familiar with 911 Carreras, the view up front is the same, save for the ducting on the front fenders and the coloured stripe at the 12 o’clock position on the steering wheel.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Everything is right where it should be and, if you are familiar with 911 Carreras, the view up front is the same, save for the ducting on the front fenders and the coloured stripe at the 12 o’clock position on the steering wheel.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - When you fire up the 4.0-litre, normally aspirated, race-derived flat-six that is shared with every 911 racing car developed by Porsche’s motorsport division, you are instantly reminded that this is no run-of-the-mill 911, but a rather special beast indeed.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The engine comes to life with a level of noise that immediately focuses your attention on the task ahead, which for today means keeping the shiny side up and the rubber side down as I run laps on the Formula One Grand Prix track at the Nurburgring. Yes, it will be a fun day…
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - At Porsche, the track-focused GT series 911s are a breed apart, and the new GT3 RS is no exception. A few days before, Porsche factory driver Kevin Estre, who is currently racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, set a new lap record of 6 minutes 56 seconds and four tenths of a second on the Nurburgring’s famed Nordschleife, a 73-corner, 20.8-kilometre track known as the “Green Hell.” This is a significant achievement, as the new GT3 RS is the first road-approved sports car to break the seven-minute barrier at the Nordschleife. To go this fast on such a daunting track, both car and driver have to be razor-sharp.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - At Porsche, the track-focused GT series 911s are a breed apart, and the new GT3 RS is no exception. A few days before, Porsche factory driver Kevin Estre, who is currently racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, set a new lap record of 6 minutes 56 seconds and four tenths of a second on the Nurburgring’s famed Nordschleife, a 73-corner, 20.8-kilometre track known as the “Green Hell.” This is a significant achievement, as the new GT3 RS is the first road-approved sports car to break the seven-minute barrier at the Nordschleife. To go this fast on such a daunting track, both car and driver have to be razor-sharp.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - What sets the GT3 RS apart is an almost obsessive level of attention to detail that permeates the entire car. The engine is a screamer. Peak output, 513 horsepower (SAE) arrives at 8250 rpm and the cut-off is set at a mind-bending 9000 rpm, while maximum torque is delivered at 6000 rpm.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The sound at mid-range is quite deep, but it’s the scream between 8000 and 9000 rpm that quickly becomes addictive and the throttle control is incredibly sharp.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The seven-speed, double-clutch PDK is the only gearbox available on the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and it is absolutely spectacular with short gaps between ratios and lightning-quick shifts, which keep the engine revving in that sweet spot that is so satisfying on every level.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Mad brilliance is what this drivetrain is all about. Running at full power exiting the Bilstein corner and through the Advan arch, before going uphill on the way to the Veedol chicane, will make you a believer.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The chassis of the 911 GT3 RS has been tuned like the chassis on the Porsche Cup racing car in that the spring rates have been increased by 50%, while the anti-roll bars are more compliant, enabling more independent control of each wheel.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The 911 GT3 RS gets uniball bearing ball joints on all suspension arms (bottom on this photo) as opposed to conventional elastokinematic bearings (second from bottom on this photo).
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The GT3 RS tips the scales at only 1430 kilograms, thanks to its magnesium roof and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic body parts.
2019 Porsche 911 GT RS - On the track, the front end of the GT3 RS does not move up and down while at speed, and the car remains unflappable even while riding high on the apex curb of the Ravenol Corner. Just brilliant. Also brilliant is the steering of the GT3 RS, which is razor-sharp and massively communicative.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The GT3 RS is equipped with an active rear-wheel steering system that ensures greater agility in tight corners and makes the car more stable in high-speed transitions. Also part of standard equipment is a torque vectoring system that has been tailored to the GT3 RS and features an electronically controlled, fully variable rear differential lock.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - There is a level of immediacy and directness to this car that is simply amazing. It just feels so much more like a racing car than any other 911, and it is perfectly at home on the Nurburgring’s Grand Prix track.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The GT3 RS also looks the part with its myriad of aerodynamic elements.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The GT3 RS also looks the part with its myriad of aerodynamic elements and the massive rear wing, adjustable on three settings, is hard to miss...
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Smaller details like the NACA ducts cut into the front hood contribute by directing cooling to the front brakes, reducing the coefficient of drag and increasing downforce on the front axle.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The air intakes in the rear fenders channel air to the engine and generate a ram-air effect at high speeds, which increases the flow rate, while the Sport exhaust made of titanium reduces backpressure and increases performance.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - According to Porsche engineers, the 911 GT3 RS will generate 144 kilograms of downforce at 200 km/h and close to 500 kilos of downforce at a top speed of 312 kilometers per hour.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The GT3 RS will make its way to Canada in the third quarter of 2018 with a base price set at CAD$213,400, and is sure to become a collectible as it will most probably be the last normally aspirated GT3 RS. I just hope that the buyers of this exceptional car will not garage them to keep mileage low and values up, but will rather use them to their full potential on track days and appreciate the intense level of engagement that the GT3 RS delivers.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The driver's view. Coloured stripe at the 12 o'clock position on the steering wheel, tachometer front and center with 9000-rpm redline.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The roll cage is part of the Club Sport option package which will not be offered in Canada.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The seats are very supportive and also comfortable.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - The GT3 RS gets the same multimedia setup as the other models of the 911 Carrera range.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Centre-lock wheels and PCCB brakes (Porsche Carbon Composite Brakes).
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - A fabulous day on the Nurburgring's F1 track...
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - A fabulous day on the Nurburgring's F1 track...
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Shown here in Guards Red.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Shown here in Racing Yellow.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Shown here in Silver.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Shown here in Chalk.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS - Shown here in Lizard Green.
