Porsche911GT3RS_04

The all-new Porsche 911 GT3 RS is truly a racetrack-ready machine. That doesn’t mean you can’t use it as your daily drive; in all honesty, having a car like this as your daily beater would be just absolutely ridiculous, but definitely a hoot to drive. So, here it is in Malaysia, priced at a cool RM1,750,000, inclusive of a four-year warranty.

When it first came out during the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show, it basically transcended the boundary between what was expected between street-legal sports cars and the expectations of what a racecar should be like. Perhaps the most salient point about the 911 GT3 RS is its Nurburgring lap time of seven minutes and 20 seconds, which basically beat the Carrera GT lap time by a full nine seconds. Staggering stuff, really.

The GT street vehicle has never been closer to its Cup and RSR cousins, both visually and functionally. A car like this is designed to be pushed to the very edge, and its 4.0 litre flat six engine delivers 500 hp and a torque of 460 Nm. It comes with Porsche’s seven-speed dual-clutch Doppelkupplung (PDK) gearbox as standard, and blazes through the 100 km/h mark in 3.3 seconds, and to 200 km/h in 10.9 seconds.

Porsche911GT3RS_20

The gear ratios are of course tuned for proper racetrack driving, and a top speed of 310 km/h is on the cards. Its combined NEDC fuel economy is rated at 12.7 litres per 100 km. It has functions such as declutching by ‘paddle neutral’ – which is comparable to pressing the clutch with a conventional manual gearbox and a ‘Pit Speed’ button, which has been customised for pit lane cruising.

The chassis has been tuned for maximum performance with Dynamic Engine mounts and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). Compared to the earlier model, the all-new 911 GT3 RS is 30 mm broader at the rear and 80 mm broader at the front. With rear-axle steering, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus with fully variable rear axle differential lock, this vehicle exhibits even greater turn-in characteristics and higher cornering speeds.

When it comes to aerodynamics, the GT3 RS embraces motorsports derived technology like no other. The front wheelarch air outlets with 12 slats provide an efficient exit for the air drawn into the wheelarches. This reduces overpressure created by the turning wheels and counters lift, akin to designs found on the RS Spyder. Working in conjunction with the aerodynamically styled front end, the result is extra downforce.

Its wider track, a 100 mm-longer wheelbase and rear-axle steering fitted, the 911 GT3 RS redefines driving once again, with increased agility and performance. At the rear, the 21-inch wheels not only improve the footprint, traction and lateral dynamics, but also provide a slight forward pitch.

The 911 GT3 RS is truly a masterpiece of intelligent lightweight design, and it is 10 kg lighter than the GT3. The lightweight magnesium roof and carbon luggage compartment lid are nice touches. The rear carbon wing with forged aluminium uprights is all about weight reduction.

A 30 cm-wide recess extends centrally over the CRFP bonnet and the magnesium roof – a stylistic reference to the recess on the luggage compartment lid of the classic 911 models with air-cooled engines, and today it identifies the two largest lightweight components of the car.

On the inside, Alcantara elements are liberally utilised, and one key new feature is the full bucket seats, which are based on the carbon bucket seats of the 918 Spyder. Other standard features are the ‘Club Sport Package’ with a bolted-on roll cage behind the front seats, preparation for a battery master switch, and separately provided six-point safety harness for the driver and fire extinguisher with mounting bracket.

More good news for potential buyers of this marvellous car, the Sport Chrono Package comes as standard, which features – in addition to its integrated timers – the Porsche Track Precision app for your smartphone.

The app can be used to have lap times automatically measured via GPS, and to log data on for many driving parameters such as vehicle speed, lateral acceleration as well as acceleration or deceleration in the driving direction. It manages this data and lets the driver share and compare it with other drivers.

The All-New Porsche 911 GT3 RS here in Malaysia









Tags: