Porsche 911 GT2 RS
The latest and greatest incarnation of Porsche's rear-engined supercar has arrived - with more power than ever before - but what's it like to drive?
Is the GT2 RS really worth £59,266 more than the already brilliant GT3 RS? We think so. The 611bhp turbocharged flat-six cylinder engine easily makes this the fastest production 911 ever – even eclipsing the Carrera GT supercar. On full-boost in third gear, only a Bugatti Veyron feels quicker. But it’s also so easy to drive. Ignore the RS badges; you could use it every day if you wanted. Plus, only 500 will be built, ensuring they'll be a very rare sight, too.
Meet the maddest Porsche for many a day! The new 911 GT2 RS is faster than Ferrari’s 599 GTO, and is capable of matching or improving on figures posted by the German company’s own legendary Carrera GT.
With 611bhp and a lightweight body, it sprints from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds, 0-100mph in only 6.8 seconds and 0-124mph in 9.8 seconds. The listed top speed is a conservative 205mph. And all of this is achieved using a regular manual transmission – there’s no twin-clutch PDK option.
To extract such performance from a standard GT2, the RS uses new intercoolers, pistons, as well as a revamped engine management system – which gives extra turbo boost – and a new exhaust. The chassis is very similar to the GT3 RS’s, sharing its wider tracks and huge tyres.
Aerodynamic modifications include a new front splitter, an aggressive-looking diffuser and a larger rear wing. The result is nearly as much downforce as the GT3 RS offers.
This couldn’t be an RS without some weight savings, so there’s a carbon bonnet, ultra-light front wings, carbon mirrors and carbon diffusers. In all, 70kg has been shaved from the previous GT2, leaving a kerbweight of 1,370kg.
It looks outrageous, with its naked carbon bonnet and vast wings, but when you get inside, the drama disappears. Apart from the snug carbon bucket seat, it feels much like any other 911.
In fact, at low speed you could be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss was about. The RS rides as well as a Carrera on sports suspension, the steering is no heavier and the car we drove featured air-con (a no-cost option) and sat-nav.
Find an open road, though, and it comes alive: the steering is superb, the damping exceptional and the engine just keeps pulling. The manual gearbox has a short throw and requires positive inputs.
In the past, the GT2 has been labelled the faster, less enjoyable relative of the GT3. Not any more: the new GT2 RS serves up all the chassis talents of the latest GT3 RS, and adds hypercar levels of speed. It’s addictive stuff.
