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0-60 mph: 3.9
0-100 mph: 9.2
Slalom: 73.2 mph

Many have experienced this. That feeling from an external stimulus — a chance encounter with a drop-dead-gorgeous woman, the terrorizing "grand finale" to the latest roller coaster ride, the accidental consumption of a Habanero chile — overriding your senses and causing a total system meltdown for a brief moment. I've admittedly had my share of these, but none quite like the day I stepped into the driver's seat of the 911 GT3 RS.
Inside the RS, practically every tactile interface — the steering wheel, the shift knob, the seats, even the handbrake lever — is covered in finely stiched Alcantara. I'm appreciative of leather interiors, but when your hands start to sweat as mine did the very instant I strapped in and cocked the left-handed ignition key, you'll be thankful for the functional grip-enhancing properties this synthetic material offers.



Testing the pedal arrangement, I found everything seems a natural fit. The clutch pedal requires about twice the effort of a more pedestrian car, but becomes easily forgettable over the course of a weekend. While at idle, let out the clutch in neutral and you'll just be able to make out the harmonic vibrations emitted from the single-mass flywheel retrofitted just for the engines in RS-model GT3s. Next, the throttle. A few blips (whomp, whomp, whoooomp) tell immediately of its responsiveness as the tach needle drops nearly as quickly as it rises — nice!

Taking off from a standstill for the first time can lead to embarrassment if you're too careful; so ditch the finesse as the clutch engagement is naturally more aggressive than usual. The bottom line is the RS hates going slow, as do most drivers behind its wheel, and this compounds aggravation should you get stuck in any sort of traffic.

As a clear stretch of road presents itself, the time has come to explore the RS's power. Stand on the throttle and prepare yourself for one of the most haunting exhaust notes you'll hear out of a modern-day engine. Gear changes come quickly and crisply with the 6-speed manual, thanks to gearing lower than its predecessor's, but the ratios are proper for rocketing out of corners and exploiting the engine's higher rev limits. The same 3.6-liter naturally aspirated flat-6 that resides in the 997 GT3 powers this RS, with 415 bhp at 7600 rpm and 300 lb.-ft. of torque at 5500 rpm, but it achieves quicker acceleration times (0–60 mph in 3.9 seconds) due to the RS's weight-saving construction (44 lb. lighter).

The flat-6 utilizes a variable-length intake manifold that tunes resonance via two aluminum flaps. At low to medium operating rpm, the flaps stay closed to maximize low-end torque. As revs climb past 5400 rpm, it feels as if the engine has come "on cam" as the smaller of the two flaps opens to expose a connection pipe, shortening intake length. Climb farther up the tach face and get ready for glory as the second larger flap opens while the first one closes around 6350 rpm, just a few tenths before you reach peak horsepower output at 7600 rpm. The RS commands an upshift by flashing a small yellow triangular icon within the tachometer as you approach its 8400-rpm ceiling — and I only do as I'm told.

Should you possess the ability to hear a passing freight train, you'll also notice a transition in exhaust tone from growl to thundering roar, but this has very little, if anything, to do with the action on the intake side. Within the exhaust system lies a set of pre-silencer bypass-valves that open depending on load and engine speed, reducing system backpressure while simultaneously raising every hair on the back of your neck. Depressing the Sport button activates a more aggressive throttle map and presets the bypass valves to open sooner, freeing up 11 lb.-ft. from 3000–4250 rpm along with an extra 14 bhp.

Differences between the GT3 and GT3 RS aren't extreme, but enough to earn you a couple of tenths in a straight line and possibly a few more as the road or track starts to bend — and this, Porsche knows, makes it worth every single penny. The RS's track has been widened 1.4 in. and with it, overall body width has grown to 72.9 in. or 1.7 in. wider. The RS also uses a slightly different rear subframe (which increases wheelbase by a scant 0.2 in.) and has a longer nose (+ 0.6 in.) designed to increase downforce without significantly affecting its coefficient of drag (up to 0.30 from 0.29). Other differences include a lighter rear window, a lighter adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing and split rear track- control arms providing another level of camber tuning over the GT3's existing adjustable setup.

Both the GT3 and RS benefit from Porsche's Active Suspension Management (PASM), which delivers suspension damping adjustment on the fly and provides the driver with two predetermined settings for both street and track conditions. Switching from Normal to Sport, the ride stiffens up quite noticeably, though on less favorable roads the system will automatically toggle to a softer setting if it deems it appropriate. Attempting to catch a few Zs on the way up to our photo location, photographer John Lamm quickly discovered how difficult it is to sleep with one's head rebounding off the headrest. This may be an indication that Normal is still not quite normal enough for road trips or everyday commuting, though I prefer interacting with my passengers anyway.

The rubber that glues the RS to nearly any surface falls properly in line with the character of the rest of the car. Michelin Pilot Sport Cups specifically tuned to the chassis dynamics of the GT3 negotiate sharp directional change with little drama and boast grip that borders on excessive for the street. Bringing everything to a standstill are 6-piston front and 4-piston rear monobloc calipers, which clamp down on large carbon-ceramic brake rotors. Extremely resistant to fade and shaving quite a bit of weight over their cast-iron counterparts (44 lb. less total), these optional brakes are recognizable from afar by the yellow calipers floating within the 19-in. alloy wheels.

Few cars can pull off a color this audacious — a lime green more befitting a pint of Ben & Jerry's "Mutant Sorbet Wonderland," yet the GT3 is one of them and, oddly enough, it's my favorite of the four color choices. And any hint of an identity crisis is erased with "GT3 RS" negative-image stripes flowing across the bottoms of each aluminum door. For those who are curious, "RS" stands for "Renn-sport," which translates from German to mean "Motorsport" — something Porsche has dabbled in since the 1950s, in case you hadn't noticed.

>> - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

thanks for posting the link!

I love the car, but I hate that Hideous green. This color even makes the Hulk sad.

green is my favorite now- its also the rarest according to the rs registry, even rarer than white
my 998 rs will be green