Overview
RESPLENDENT – or, to some, repulsive – in $32,440 price of Ruby Star paintwork with massive decals (one other $1590), loads of contrasting bare carbon-fibre weave (a part of the $76,420 Weissach bundle) and the sheer variety of conspicuous aerodynamic accoutrements, this Porsche GT3 RS is a automobile that wears its intentions on its sleeve.
These intentions is likely to be Lambo-levels of flamboyance or projecting the picture that this can be a barely road-legal race automobile. On this color scheme, it definitely has a foot in each camps.
It’s tempting to nerd out over the technical particulars of this automobile so quite a few as to warrant their very own encyclopedia or philosophise concerning the equity of how Porsche and its sellers allocate a worldwide manufacturing run of round 5000 models.
However there’s a pinkish-purplish Porsche on the driveway and I’ve the colour-matched key.
Our Opinion
Regardless of its wild seems to be, a downright intimidating naturally aspirated 386kW/465Nm and the prospect of a $670,660 insurance coverage declare (together with a heady $133,060 price of choices) if the unthinkable had been to occur, the primary shock – as soon as I’d settled behind the bamboozling steering wheel into barely adjustable carbon-fibre bucket seats with full race harnesses – was how docile this automobile felt to drive round city and straightforward to get together with on the motorway.
I had current expertise of the Boxster-based 718 Spyder RS, which felt really hardcore and cantankerous at low pace, so for the larger sibling to really feel so user-friendly and able to longer journeys took some psychological recalibration. You would nearly each day this factor.
Virtually. For starters, the RS loses the common GT3’s frunk to aerodynamic aids and the roll cage makes it tough to load something behind the seats. Good job I had a Mitsubishi Triton to function tender throughout a weekend away with this explicit Porsche.
Porsche gives 4 – sure 4 – dials for dynamic setup together with suspension (9 phases for compression and rebound with separate adjustment for entrance and rear), stability management (three settings plus off), traction management (eight settings plus off), differential lock (9 steps for throttle off and one other 9 for throttle on) together with three pre-set drive modes.
At their default settings (additional tweaks can be found via touchscreen menus), the GT3 RS is compliant sufficient for Australian fundamental roads. May very well be the helper springs which are unique to the RS suspension setup.
To present you an thought of how proper the manufacturing facility suspension settings are, Jorg Bergmeister set a 6:49:3 time across the Nurburgring Nordschliefe with entrance rebound dialled up by two clicks and rear rebound up by three.
I informed you it’s simple to get nerdy about this automobile. That stated, for all its adjustability the GT3 RS was something however comfy on components of our street check route in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland, the place a Noosa resident named Mark Webber is understood to take his Porsches and bikes for a fang.
I’m positive he’d reserve GT3 RS seat time for the observe and right here’s why.
No quantity of knob-twirling might overcome the GT3 RS wheel and tyre bundle – 275/30/20 up entrance and 335/30/21 on the rear – which I think had been chargeable for making it a camber-following, bump-steering handful that fought again arduous sufficient that I used to be compelled to decelerate significantly on roads the 718 Spyder RS and 911 S/T demolished.
Regardless of downforce not likely coming into its personal till license-jeopardising velocities – 409kg on the double ton and 860kg at 285km/h – the veritable suite of intelligent aerodynamic concepts on this automobile appeared to be doing their factor on sweeping sections of smoother, sooner roads.
You see, in contrast with different high-end Porsches on the identical roads, within the GT3 RS I might sense an nearly supernatural stability whereas carrying excessive nook speeds, the place I caught myself muttering “I don’t have to decelerate for this one, or this one…”
It was at full odds with the edgy behaviour on some tighter twisties, the place poor nook surfaces elicited some un-Porsche-like abrupt interventions from the steadiness and traction management techniques even though to me it felt as if there was greater than sufficient grip and traction for the steering and throttle inputs.
However, with some surfaces the juddering was such that sustaining accuracy of stress on that oh-so-responsive proper pedal turned a problem.
This was the one state of affairs through which I felt not fairly in command of the in any other case collaborative GT3 RS – a reminder that this can be a automobile that calls for respect.
Whereas these foibles might most likely be dialled out by discovering the precise mixture of settings and method, I’d be tempted to only keep away from a handful of roads the GT3 RS isn’t suitable with.
All a part of the bundle when driving a razor-sharp thoroughbred, proper?
Positive, however aside from these few notable exceptions, the GT3 RS felt scalpel-accurate, even whereas exhibiting the benign persona that pervades when simply driving from A to B, making you always conscious of the Jeckyll-and-Hyde potential on supply (if the visible and audible cues weren’t sufficient of a continuing reminder).
The steering is responsive and communicative with out being exhaustingly chattery and regardless of revving to 9000rpm and the PDK automated transmission’s instantaneous progress via its seven ratios – in both course – there’s a predictable linearity to the facility and torque supply (sturdy all over the place and instantaneously ballistic when mashing the accelerator from wherever above 2800 revs).
Even the immense normal brakes that take loads of public street punishment of their stride have loads of pedal really feel.
On the centre of all of it is that 4.0-litre flat-six engine, an absolute standout. At full throttle, it seems like no different, it pulls arduous to 9000rpm (though that’s tough to realize legally on the general public street) and the induction noise makes the expertise even higher.
This alone is sufficient to justify Porshe’s funding in carbon-neutral artificial petrol.
How such a high-revving, excessive specific-output naturally aspirated engine does all this with out feeling lumpy at low revs or missing in torque is a miracle of contemporary engineering. It’s responsive just about all over the place, and predictable with it.
Together with tractability, refinement is one other surprising bonus. This isn’t a quiet automobile by any stretch, however surprisingly, it’s not as tough as you’d count on.
The Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Weissach Pack just isn’t as uncompromising because it seems to be however really shines on the precise floor, the place it feels invincible, rewarding exact driving and placing you on the centre of the motion.
I didn’t drive it on observe however it was clear on many ranges {that a} circuit could be its joyful place – but I’d little doubt have an honest time driving it there and again too.
Extra stunning is how first rate this automobile is for extra mundane journeys, whereas delivering loads of theatre and sense of event alongside for the trip. As you’d count on for the funding.
Speaking of investments, your detailer can have fairly the time taking care of a GT3 RS – its quite a few air vents and channels don’t half unfold street grime into fascinating patterns and locations.
