This bewinged beast is Porsche’s new 911 GT3 RS, snapped pounding around the Nurburgring with a huge adjustable rear spoiler and wider rear bodywork.
A new 911 GT3 RS? Haven’t we only just seen the regular Porsche 911 GT3?
We have – the GT3 was only presented at the Geneva motor show in March 2009. But Porsche will present the even more hardcore RS version at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2009.
The differences between the two aren’t immediately obvious, but look closely and you’ll be able to spot deeper side skirts and that huge rear wing. Rather than the standard car’s slightly stylish spoiler with ‘GT3’ etched in the side supports, the RS has an adjustable carbonfibre rear wing. You can see the difference if you compare the car in our shots to the standard new GT3 (the red car in our picture gallery).
The RS is also expected to receive the shell from the four-wheel drive 911s, which features wider rear bodywork to accommodate the wider rear track – the RS is of course built to homologate the RSR track-only race car.
Anything else?
We also expect the RS to have a plastic rear window, a standard-fit roll cage with more cross bracing than in the GT3 (where the scaffolding is optional as part of a Clubsport package). There should also be a single, rather than a dual-mass flywheel, to reduce weight and increase engine response.
It should make up for the RS not having any more power than the regular GT3, though with the 3.8-litre flat-six producing 429bhp (more than the 996-generation Turbo) it’ll be plenty quick enough. Expect sub-four seconds to 60mph.
There will also be the GT3’s extra aero tweaks including the vent ahead of the bonnet, a six-speed manual gearbox, carbon-ceramic brakes and Porsche’s PASM system with switchable dampers so the RS will be able to handle the real world as well as the track.
These tweaks won’t come cheap though – the RS is expected to command at least a £15k premium over the £81,914 GT3. We’ll see the car at the Frankfurt motor show, and drive it in autumn 2009.
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