2015 Porsche 911 GT3 RS revealed

Here is the all-new Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It’s the most extreme factory road-going 911 you can buy. It’s powered by a 368kW/480Nm 4.0 litre flat-six and has, audible groan, a 7-speed PDK transmission.

Porsche say it can lap the Nürburgring in 7 minutes 20 seconds, comfortably quicker than the V10 Carerra GT. More usefully, the GT3 RS can reach 100km/h in 3.3 seconds and 200km/h in just 10.9 seconds. Its top speed is 310km/h.

Featuring model specific body panels the sculpted roof on the RS is made from magnesium. The rear decklid and bonnet are made from carbon fibre. It’s not much, but these changes save 10kg compared with the regular 911 GT3. Unladen weight for the new RS is 1420kg.

Those hungry rear intakes look familiar because we’ve seen them on the 911 Turbo. While the GT3 RS boasts more aggressive front and rear spoilers to aid aerodynamics.

You can order a 911 GT3 RS from your local Australian Porsche Centre right now and the man in the tie will expect you to part with $387,700. You’ll be able to collect your new toy in the third quarter of 2015.

More photos and information await below, including full specifications.

New high-performance sports car celebrates world premiere at Geneva International Motor Show

Porsche 911 GT3 RS: the race car for the circuit racetrack and everyday driving

Australia. Porsche has once again broken down the barrier between sports cars and race cars. The 911 GT3 RS is loaded with the maximum amount of motorsport technology that is currently possible in a street-legal 911, a car that is also suitable for everyday driving.

Extensive modifications to the drivetrain, aerodynamics and lightweight design enhance performance even more than in the 911 GT3. With a lap time of 7 min 20 secs, the new 911 GT3 RS even beats the lap time of the iconic Carrera GT which holds a 7 min 29 secs time for the North Loop of the Nürburgring.

Motorsport expertise is the reason for this superior performance. The 911 GT3 RS is powered by a four-litre six-cylinder engine with 368 kW (500 hp) of power and 480 Nm of torque, combined with a specially developed PDK transmission. The engine, which has the largest displacement and most power of any naturally aspirated engine with direct fuel injection in the 911 family, accelerates the high-performance sports car from zero to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and to 200 km/h in 10.9 seconds. Its combined NEDC fuel consumption is 12.7 l/100 km.

Functions such as declutching by “paddle neutral” – which is comparable to pressing the clutch with a conventional manual gearbox – and speed limiting by the Pit Speed button have been customised for motorsport use. They give drivers more freedom in terms of driving dynamics, while also providing them with more assistance when driving on a circuit.

The 911 GT3 RS is a masterpiece of intelligent lightweight design. For the first time, the roof is made of magnesium; carbon fibre is used for the engine and luggage compartment lids, and other lightweight components are made of alternative materials. This makes the RS model around 10 kg lighter than the 911 GT3. In addition, the lightweight roof lowers the sports car’s centre of gravity which improves its excellent lateral dynamics. The body comes from the 911 Turbo, and it signifies its status as nearly a race car driving machine with its RS-specific aerodynamic add-on items. The front spoiler lip, which extends nearly to the road, and the large rear wing reinforce the dominant look.

A 30 cm wide recess extends centrally over the CRFP bonnet and the magnesium roof. This feature is a stylistic reference to the recess on the luggage compartment lid of the classic 911 models with air-cooled engines, and today it identifies the two largest lightweight components in the 911 GT3 RS. Another characteristic is the unique front wheel arch air vents that extend into the upper section of the wings – just as in pure-bred motorsport cars. They increase downforce at the front axle.

The chassis of the 911 GT3 RS has been tuned for maximum driving dynamics and precision. Rear-axle steering and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus with fully variable rear axle differential lock increase agility and dynamics, and the wider front and rear track widths enable even better roll stability than in the 911 GT3. In addition, the 911 GT3 RS comes with the widest tyres of any 911 model as standard. The results: even more agile turn-in characteristics and even higher cornering speeds.

The interior design of the 911 GT3 RS with Alcantara elements is based on the current 911 GT3. One key new feature is the full bucket seats, which are based on the carbon bucket seats of the 918 Spyder. Other standard features are the Club Sport Package with a bolted-in roll cage behind the front seats, preparation for a battery master switch, and separately provided six-point safety harness for the driver and fire extinguisher with mounting bracket.

The 911 GT3 RS is now on sale in Australia priced from $387,700 with deliveries beginning in the third quarter of the year.

Specifications Porsche 911 GT3 RS*

Body

Two seat coupé; lightweight body in intelligent aluminium-steel construction with wings, boot and bonnet lids made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP); two-stage driver and front passenger airbags; side and head airbags for driver and front passenger.

Aerodynamics

Drag coefficient cd: 0.33
Frontal area A: 2.03 m2
cd x A: 0.672

Engine

Water-cooled flat-six engine; aluminium engine block and cylinder heads; four overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing (VarioCam); hydraulic valve clearance adjustment; direct petrol injection; one three-way catalytic converter per cylinder bank, each with two oxygen sensors; electronic ignition with solid-state ignition distribution (six active ignition modules).

Bore: 102.0 mm
Stroke: 81.5 mm
Displacement: 3,996 cc
Compression ratio: 12.9:1
Engine power: 500 hp (368 kW) at 8,250 rpm
Max. torque: 460 Nm at 6,250 rpm
Power output per litre: 125 hp/l (92.1 kW/l)
Max. engine speed: 8,800 rpm
Fuel type: Super plus

Electrical

12 Volt; alternator 2,100 W; battery 95 Ah/520 A.

Power transmission

Engine and transmission bolted to form one drive unit; seven speed dual clutch transmission (PDK) with controlled rear locking differential and PTV Plus.

Gear ratios
1st gear: 3.75
2nd gear: 2.38
3rd gear: 1.72
4th gear: 1.34
5th gear: 1.11
6th gear: 0.96
7th gear: 0.84
Reverse gear: 3.42
Final drive ratio: 4.19
Clutch diameter: 202 mm/153 mm

Suspension

Front axle: strut suspension (MacPherson type, Porsche optimised) with wheels independently suspended by transverse links, longitudinal links and struts; cylindrical coil springs with internal dampers; electromechanical power steering.

Rear axle: multi-link suspension with wheels independently suspended on five links; cylindrical coil springs with coaxial internal dampers; active rear-wheel steering.

Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with electronically controlled dampers; two manually selectable maps.

Brakes

Dual-circuit brake system with separate circuits for front and rear axles.

Front: six-piston aluminium monobloc brake callipers, perforated and internally ventilated brake discs with 380 mm diameter and
34 mm thickness.

Rear: four-piston aluminium monobloc brake callipers, perforated and internally ventilated brake discs with 380 mm diameter and 30 mm thickness.

Porsche Stability Management (PSM); vacuum brake booster; electric dual servo parking brake; automatic hold function.

Wheels and tyres

Front: 9.5 J x 20 with 265/35 ZR 20
Rear: 12.5 J x 21 with 325/30 ZR 21

Weights

Unladen weight DIN 1,420 kg
Permissible gross weight 1,720 kg

Dimensions

Length: 4,545 mm
Width: 1,880 mm
Width with door mirrors: 1,978 mm
Height: 1,291 mm
Wheelbase: 2,457 mm
Track widths: front 1,587 mm; rear 1,557 mm
Luggage comp. capacit:y front 125 l; rear 260 l
Fuel tank capacity: 64 l (optional: 90 l)

Performance

Top speed 310 km/h; 193 mph

Acceleration
0 – 100 km/h 3.3 s
0 – 60 mph 3.1 s
0 – 160 km/h 7.1 s
0 – 200 km/h 10.9 s
0 – 400 m (1/4 mile) 11.2 s

Fuel consumption

Combined: 12.7 l/100 km
(NEDC) Urban: 19.2 l/100 km
Extra-urban: 8.9 l/100 km
CO2 emissions: Combined 296 g/km
Emissions class: Euro 6

* Specifications may vary according to markets; February 2015.