Porsche has fitted its new 911 GT3 RS with a 4.0-litre version
of its naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine boasting the same 493bhp
as the similarly configured unit used by its predecessor, but with an
additional 15lb ft at 384lb ft.
Unveiled at the 2015 Geneva
motor show the pared-down road racer is based on the latest 911 GT3.
The GT3 RS is clothed in a
modified aluminium body borrowed from the 911 Turbo. In order to save weight
and lower the centre of gravity, it has a new magnesium roof structure and a
bonnet and engine lid fashioned from carbonfibre-reinforced plastic.
The hood
and roof each feature a 30cm-wide indent down their centre line in a look
reminiscent of that seen on earlier air-cooled 911s. The engine lid has
additional cooling elements and an integrated ducktail-style spoiler aimed at
increasing downforce at speed.
The
aerodynamic package also includes a prominent splitter element, modified front
wings with integrated air ducts to lower the pressure in the wheel house and
reduce front axle lift, and a large, adjustable rear wing.
Despite
the adoption of the wider 911 Turbo’s bodyshell, the 911 GT3 RS’s kerb weight
of 1420kg — 10kg under that of the standard 911 GT3 — endows it with a
power-to-weight ratio of 347bhp per tonne. This gives it a claimed 0-100 (62mph)
time of 3.3sec — 0.6sec faster than the old 911 GT3 RS — and a 0-200km/h (124mph)
time of 10.9sec.
Top speed varies according to
the amount of downforce dialled into the rear wing, although Porsche officials
suggest it will crack 320km/h in low-downforce guise.
Details
of the extent of the changes made to the 4.0-litre engine used by 911 GT3 RS
remain under wraps, although its 493bhp and 384lb ft are 25bhp and 60lb ft more
than that produced by the 3.8-litre powerplant found in its standard sibling,
making it the most powerful naturally aspirated engine yet to be fitted to a
road-going version of the iconic 911.
Drive
is sent to the rear wheels through a reworked seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
gearbox and fully variable locking differential with an integrated torque
vectoring function.
Porsche
claims the new 911 GT3 RS is capable of lapping the Nürburgring in just 7min
20sec.
In the meantime, Porsche is
also working on a brand-new supercar to compete with the likes of the Ferrari
488 GTB and McLaren 675LT.
Wolfgang Hatz, head of research and development at Porsche, has
said it will be ready by the end of the decade “at the latest”.
Details are patchy, but the
car is believed to feature the brand-new V8 motor already in development for
the new Panamera, its 928-replacing two-door variant and the next Cayenne.
Mounted
amidships behind the driver, the engine is likely to follow current thinking
and derive its power as much from turbocharging as from its displacement.
It is
not yet known whether the car will feature any degree of hybridisation.
However, it is clear that this is not a replacement for the 918 Spyder hypercar
but a standard, production model. Hatz has, however, also confirmed that a new
918 will eventually be built.
