The 911 GT2 RS: Is This the Best Porsche Ever?
Any car enthusiast knows that to own a Porsche is a privilege. And sometimes with privilege comes great responsibility.
Like the responsibility of pushing your Porsche to its limits. Because that’s what they were built for. Though, not all Porsche vehicles are created equal.
Some are relatively tame animals that enjoy a jaunt around the city on a sunny day. Others are unbridled steeds waiting to hit the track.
If you’re looking for the ride of a lifetime, you might be asking yourself, “What’s the best Porsche ever”? One of the recent additions to Porsche’s line-up might be the answer you’ve been searching for.
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS isn’t just another rendition of the classic 911 model. It’s the classic, chopped down to the bare essentials and beefed up with performance focused engineering and cutting-edge technology.
In this article, we’ll break down the various reasons why the 911 GT2 RS just might be the best Porsche ever made.
Porsche 911 GT2 RS Specifications
First, let’s make this clear: the 991 GT2 RS is a heavily modified vehicle. This car is not for the faint of heart or the inexperienced. This is a race car engineered for street use.
Unlike the more consumer oriented models in the 911 line-up, this version is built for the track and has less emphasis on creature comforts.
For the purposes of comparison, the Porsche 911 Turbo S has a 3.8 liter flat-six cylinder engine that produces roughly 580 horsepower. It’s also all-wheel-drive, tips the scales at over 3,500 pounds, and has a price tag of around $190,000.
The rear wheel drive 911 GT2 RS, on the other hand, packs more of a punch in all areas.
The GT2 still utilizes 3.8 liters of displacement, but it’s able to churn out up to 700 horsepower at 7,000 revolutions per minute and about 550 foot-pounds of torque.
This version also weighs about 300 pounds less, and costs over $294,000. But is that enough for it to qualify as the best Porsche ever? Perhaps.
The entire car was designed for the track and with performance in mind. No detail was spared. And the end result is an ultra-lightweight, uber-powerful track car. Carbon fiber is strewn about the design, but we’ll touch on other notable features later.
For now, it’s worth mentioning that to date, the 911 GT2 RS is the fastest production Porsche ever made. It boasts a top track speed of 211 miles per hour. It can jump to 60 miles per hour in just 2.7 seconds.
Is it starting to sound like the best Porsche ever yet?
What Sets it Apart
Besides the aggressive styling and the made-for-racing attitude, there’s quite a bit that sets this car apart from the rest of the Porsche fleet.
As previously mentioned, this car was engineered with performance in mind and no detail was overlooked. The engineers went to great lengths to cut weight in every possible way.
To accomplish this, the roof is made of magnesium and the windows are thinner than normal and made from a poly-carbonate material. Both the rear spoiler and front wings are constructed from carbon fiber. Even the headlights were chosen specifically for their low-weight.
The jury might still be out on whether or not this is the best Porsche ever, but the road signs are pointing to yes. Now it’s worth reiterating that this is indeed the fastest Porsche ever manufactured and brought to market.
With a top track speed of 211 miles per hour and precision handling, this car was able to set a record-breaking lap at the Nurburgring testing track. In fact, it broke the previous record held by the Porsche 918 Spyder. And it broke that record by a whopping 10 seconds!
Mastercrafting Details
This car doesn’t come in one standard package or with a variety of trims to choose from. It does, however, have a whole lot of options available.
In other words, this 911 can be as decked out as you want it to be. You can spend a lot of money over and above the sticker price.
For example, is a roof made from magnesium not good enough for you? Well fear not, Porsche enthusiast, you can replace it with a roof made from a lighter weight carbon fiber instead.
If you haven’t noticed a theme yet, saving weight was a huge priority when designing this machine. As a result, weight savings are found in some of the most surprising of places. There’s the muffler made from titanium, carbon fiber hood hinges, and even the interior carpet was designed to be lightweight.
But That’s Not All…
Another common theme we’re finding with this car is that it’s all about options. Trying to shed a few more pounds? Try opting for the magnesium wheels.
For further weight savings (and maybe a bit of saving on the sticker price) you can even buy it without air-conditioning, as well as without the factory navigation system.
There are even some performance specific add-ons that can help lock the 911 GT2 RS as the best Porsche ever. Front sway bars are one of these add-ons. Did we mention they are also made of carbon fiber?
What’s Under the Hood?
The heart of the best Porsche ever looks a lot like what’s found in the 911 Turbo S. It’s the same 3.8 liter flat-six cylinder engine. But like the rest of the car, it has the performance cranked up more than a few notches.
The engine of the GT2 RS features larger turbochargers to give it the extra boost needed to really turn up the power output. The result is an engine that produces a massive 700 horsepower paired with 553 foot-pounds of torque.
This will hurdle you forward from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.7 seconds and leave you stuck to your seat until it tops out at a screaming 211 miles per hour.
To keep things working properly and at a cool temperature, the engine features a cooling system that only uses distilled water. It sprays the intercoolers to keep the air intake temperatures down and the engine healthy.
So how does all that power make it to the pavement? The power is transferred through a specially engineered version of the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission.
But how could the best Porsche ever have an automatic transmission? Well, because Porsche doesn’t think that even the best drivers in the world have the ability to keep up with the rapid acceleration provide by this incredible vehicle.
This transmission ensures that the massive amounts of power make it to the ground as efficiently as possible. The 12.5 inch wide rear wheels help with that, too.
Can’t Drive 55
As you take your new ride out on the street, you might notice how noisy it is. Not just the sweet sound of the tuned exhaust system.
But the noise from the road, from the tires, from outside the windows, from the gearbox, from just about everywhere.
That’s because, in the tireless effort to save weight wherever possible, the Porsche engineers removed as much of the interior sound dampening material as they possibly could.
As a result, you’ll be able to hear road debris hit the bottom of the chassis while you’re trying to keep it under the speed limit. And remember, this car can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in a mere 2.7 seconds.
Chances are you’ll go over the speed limit before you even get off the on-ramp. As such, driving this car on the street requires some self-control and restraint. But it might all be worth the risk when you hear the turbochargers spooling and hurling you through space.
Also, because this car is tuned for the track, the ride is going to be much bumpier than you’re used to. The suspension springs are stiff and the suspension geometry is built for track performance. As a result, you’ll be able to feel every little bump.
But by no means should this discourage you from taking the GT2 out for a cruise through the city. Just be prepared to pay a few speeding tickets.
Taking It to the Track
After you’ve had your fill of tooling around city streets with no opportunities to floor it, you’ll likely be yearning for some track time.
Try taking it to a road course and let the car prove to you that it’s indeed the best Porsche ever. The lap times at Nurburgring are a testament to the prowess of this car on the track. Can your skills measure up and push this car to the edge?
There’s only one way to find out!
So, Is It Really the Best Porsche Ever?
It’s still a bit early to declare the 911 GT2 RS the best Porsche ever.
But even though it was just released, it’s proven its worth on many levels.
Are you ready to find out for yourself? Contact us today to learn about the process for ordering one of these beautiful machines!
Are you looking for more articles to inform your next car purchase? Be sure to dig a little deeper into the Prestige Imports Learning Center!
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