Production Years: 2018- | Generation: 991.2 | Units built: –
Engine: 4L naturally aspirated flat 6 | Power: 520 hp | 0 – 60 mph: 3.2 s | Top Speed: 193 mph
In February 2018, Porsche revealed a facelifted GT3 RS and the early reviews suggest that while it is clearly an evolution of the previous GT3 RS that Porsche has done enough that the current model gets nod over the previous generation on our list of the best 911s. Does that mean the old 991.1 GT3 RS doesn’t deserve a spot? Of course not, it is still a cracking track car and likely one of the best cars on the planet. We are simply being super picky.
The GT3 RS gets 520 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque from the same flat-six engine in the GT3 (the redline set at 9000 rpm, making it the highest-revving GT3 RS ever). The whole car is heavily based on the GT3 with lots of shared stuff. But it’s the engine that sets the RS apart thanks to an extra 20 horsepower, as well as the fact that you can’t get it with a manual transmission. The chassis setup is also different, so the RS is quicker on the race track. The GT3 RS is 0.1 second quicker than the old GT3 RS to 60 mph, which now happens in just three seconds. The car also gets front brake cooling and new ball joints inspired by the GT2 RS, and a tweaked rear-steering system. If you think of the GT3 RS as a GT3 with more downforce, more power, and more grip then you are pretty close to the money.
The more aggressive aerodynamic features stand out on the GT3 RS with NACA ducts guiding air to cool the brakes and smoother channeling air to a new diffuser. The side sills come straight off the GT2 RS, as does the manually adjustable carbon-fiber wing. The GT3 RS makes a lot more downforce than the GT3—more than double at 124 mph, in fact. It also effectively makes more than the GT2 RS, because while both make the same maximum downforce at top speed—750 lbs with wings in their stock settings, 992 lbs at maximum attack—the top speed of the latter is much higher, 211 mph versus 193 mph. This means the GT3 RS is making more downforce at lower speeds.
You guessed it, the GT3 RS is a race car and doesn’t make much sense on the road. On April, 18 2018 the 991.2 GT3 RS set a lap time of 6:56.4 around the infamous Nürburgring Nordscheleife race track. It is the third Porsche production car to break the 7-minute barrier around the track, the first being the 918 Spyder.
Conclusion
The Porsche 911 is an iconic sports car with lots of history and improvements over fifty plus years. From the current crop of awesome Porsche 911s to classic 911s and limited edition models there are so many special 911s that add to the legend of this model. Here’s to keeping this list alive and continuing to add epic 911s for many years to come.