New Porsche 911 GT3RS is the most sporting 911
Motorsports-inspired road car combines more power, electric responsiveness,lower weight and extreme aerodynamics
Porsche AG will send the new 911 GT3 RS to the starting line at the Frankfurt motor show in September. Delivering greater engine power, offering lower weight and featuring shorter transmission ratios as well as further upgraded body and suspension elements, the new 911 GT3 RS continues to be the foundation for homologating the racing version of the 911 GT3. As such, it continues Porsche’s long tradition of absolutely uncompromising, sporting 911s homologated for the road.
At the heart of the GT3 RS is a new engine, based on the flat-six introduced earlier this year in the 911 GT3. Now displacing 3.8 instead of 3.6 litres, it offers even more power and astonishing responsiveness, revving even faster and more dynamically than before. A 15-bhp increase over the regular GT3 results in a maximum output of 450 horsepower and a specific output of more than 118 bhp per litre.
The new 911 GT3 RS comes exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox optimised for short gearshift travel, low weight and high efficiency. To enhance performance throughout the entire range of engine and road speed, the gears are shorter and more aggressive than the 911 GT3.
To further improve its handling, the new 911 GT3 RS comes for the first time with a purpose-built Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, with a wider front and rear tracks. Accordingly, the body of the new 911 GT3 RS is wider not only at the rear, as in the last version, but also at the front through the use of additional wheel arch covers.
Standard dynamic engine mounts also serve to improve the car’s driving dynamics. Depending on conditions, the mounts change in their stiffness and damping effect, improving the connection between the engine and the body when driving aggressively.
The car’s aerodynamics develop even more downforce than on the GT3, again to the benefit of racetrack performance. Track performance is also why Porsche is introducing another new option for 2010, a lithium-ion battery delivered with the car which replaces the conventional lead battery, reducing weight by more than 10 kg.
The new 911 GT3 RS shows its close connection to the track with its low ride height, centre-locking wheels, an extra-large carbon-fibre rear wing with forged aluminum wing supports, the dual tailpipes of the extra-light titanium exhaust, as well as the aggressive front-end design, widened fenders and special graphics.
The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS goes on sale in Canada in March 2010, at a base price of $163,000.