Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Porsche creates legalised insanity and a driving experience you'll remember forever
Andrew Frankel Autocar
by Andrew Frankel
20 July 2010

What is it?

Legalised insanity from those wacky folk in Porsche’s Motorsport department or, to put it another way, the maddest production car ever to wear the shield of Stuttgart on its nose. And, no, we haven’t forgotten the Carrera GT. This new GT2 RS is a smidge lighter, a touch more powerful and a vast amount more torquey even than Porsche’s street-spec Le Mans car of 2003.

To achieve that Porsche married the twin turbo 3.6-litre motor from the outgoing GT2 to a substantially modified version of ultra-hardcore chassis of the current GT3 RS. Then, just to make sure the union got off with a bang, it upped the boost of the motor from 1.4 to 1.6bar, neatly liberating another 88bhp to finally gain entry for the 911 to the rather exclusive club of standard production cars with over 600bhp - 611bhp, to be precise.

See the test pics of the 911 GT2 RS

But this gives no impression of the true potential on tap and for two reasons. First, it gives no account of torque which, when 516lb ft of the stuff sits under your right foot at 2250rpm, is kind of hard to ignore. For comparison’s sake, the Ferrari 458 Italia that everyone’s going to compare the GT2 RS with has just 398lb ft, and you have to wait until the engine is spinning at a dizzying 6000rpm before it can be accessed.

The second unavoidable consideration is weight; at 1370kg, the GT2 RS is not only 70kg lighter than the old GT2, it is also 115kg lighter than the 458. Get this for a fact: not even Ferrari’s 599 GTO can get anywhere near the power-to-weight ratio of this Porsche. But the Porsche costs a little over £164,000, the Ferrari a little less than £300,000.

What’s it like?

Rather boring - if you happen to be an astronaut, top fuel dragster driver or land speed record holder. For the rest of us it shouldn’t come with GT2 RS decals down the side but government health warnings. Those of a nervous disposition or in less-than-complete cardiac health really should avoid this car like a seafood stall in downtown Cairo.

The problem is, it actually appears comparatively tame at first. It makes a lot less noise than the standard GT3 you can buy for half the money, and responds to your first tentative prods of the accelerator rather gently. Conceivably this is a car you could use everyday thanks to a firm but supple ride, tolerable noise levels in the cabin (it’s quieter by far than a Boxster Spyder with the roof up) and Porsche’s typically effective driving environment.

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But if you show it the stick you had better had your wits about you. Forget the 3.5sec run to 62mph, because that says everything about the traction limitations of two-wheel drive (a normal Turbo S is quicker over this measure) and nothing about the pulverising acceleration that’s actually available. More meaningful is the 6.8sec it takes to hit 100mph from rest, which puts it within half a second of McLaren F1 pace. If you put your foot down at 100mph, by the time you’ve registered and taken stock of what’s happening you’ll be at or past 130mph.

It asks questions almost any chassis would struggle to answer, but not this one. Although it’s essentially the same as that which underpins the GT3 RS, there are detail differences: rose joints in the suspension for a bit more wheel control, a different compound and construction (though no change in size) for the sticky Michelin Cup tyres.

But for all its speed, neck-snapping grip and improbable poise, the GT2 RS is a less intimate experience than its GT3 RS stablemate. The noise isn’t there which is an inevitable consequence of this kind of forced induction and, for the same reason, nor is the throttle response.

It has the balance of the GT3 RS, thanks to sharing its wider front track, and bites into the apex with the same alacrity as a result, but once there it provides you with fewer options to tune your line through the corner as well as a fairly serious caveat that this is a car you mess with at your peril. The fact that it has almost 200 less easily modulated lb ft of torque, 4500rpm lower down the range, should serve as all the warning you should need.

Should I buy one?

There is nothing like the GT2 RS and that’s an almost entirely good thing. Even so, unless you always dreamed of being a human cannonball, a GT3RS offers a purer driving experience, and the fact that you’ll have to part with around the price of a new standard 911 for the upgrade seems hard to justify at first.

On the other hand, find another car that goes like this for this kind of money, and combines that with 'drive it any day, park it anywhere' ease of ownership. In fact, don’t bother, because it doesn’t exist. I expect the majority of the 500 lucky people who will get to own a GT2 RS will be Porsche completists, unable to bear the idea that someone other than them is enjoying Stuttgart’s ultimate road car, at least until the 918 comes out. And enjoy it they will, for driving a GT2 RS is one of few experiences you know will lodge in your brain forever. It really is that good.

Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Price: £164,107; Top speed: 205mph; 0-62mph: 3.5sec; Economy: 23.7mpg; CO2: 284g/km; Kerbweight: 1370kg; Engine: 3600cc, twin-turbo, flat-six, petrol; Power: 611bhp at 6500rpm; Torque: 516lb ft at 2250-5500rpm; Gearbox: six-speed manual

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Comments
76

beachland2

21 July 2010

article hasn't been proof read.

carnut

21 July 2010

OHHHH........what a beast!!!!!!!!!!! This will be the last of the breed....if the 918 is gonna be a hybrid...this will be the last of the ultimate Porsche......

Juzoik

21 July 2010

sounds like a riot. i just love this thing. i drove behind an 09 reg GT2 the other day and i was just smiling all the way until he took his exit. docile looking but one twitch of the right and he was gone. i can't afford one but if i could i'd have one without thinking twice. i'm just glad it exists.

CAT3

21 July 2010

Absolutely Incredible, although I anticipate much Porsche drubbing shortly by misguided Porsche haters - just a matter of time.

All this car needs now is some aftermarket exhaust maker (company like Akrapovic) to make this car sound fruitier and you have close to the perfect hypercar. The speed is insane for £165K. I mean it's quicker than everything except Maclaren F1 / Buggatti Veyron/ Fastest Koeniggsegg etc. 0 - 124mph (200kph) in 9.8s is untouchable. Ironic that these are similar figures to MP4-12C. Clearly Porsche's reposte to that car and should make an interesting comparison along with 458Italia.

Having said that, would still take a GT3RS for noise and throttle response.

FriendlyFisherman

21 July 2010

Hats off to Porsche its a very, very good car, stunning performance. To add a little balance it is a track car in reality. It doesn't have the useability of a Ferrari 458 or the MP4 12C so I wouldn't think they are too worried about competing with it. Although the 458 CS has its work cut out.

Sadly it just doesn't do much for me, I will wait until a tuning firm paints it bright blue with a stripe or two and some gold wheels.

Nappeunnom

21 July 2010

[quote CAT3] Clearly Porsche's reposte to that car and should make an interesting comparison along with 458Italia.[/quote]

Maybe against a 458 CS/Scuderia. I think the McLaren MP4-12C is a more direct rival as it also incorporates twin turbos. The Porsche already has the McLaren beaten before it's been released, by 19bhp and 74lbft of torque.

dutchmaestro

21 July 2010

[quote FriendlyFisherman]It doesn't have the useability of a Ferrari 458 or the MP4 12C [/quote]

the old barnacle has just jumped the shark.

the writer, Frankel, went out of his way to emphasise just how inordinately usable this car is and then this tit happens along and states up is down.

if there's one thing you can rely on on Autocar forums it is the bile that seeps out from the inadequates on Germanic products and the converse gushings, like that of teenage girls, on patent tat from certain makers and nations. FFS, grow up or go forth and multiply.

Woigookin

21 July 2010

[quote FriendlyFisherman]some gold wheels[/quote]

Nothing wrong with gold wheels. Some RAYS and Enkeis look great on DC2 Integras and EG/EK Civics, especially 15"/16".

Chrome alloys on the other hand...........

FriendlyFisherman

21 July 2010

[quote Woigookin][quote FriendlyFisherman]some gold wheels[/quote]

Nothing wrong with gold wheels. Some RAYS and Enkeis look great on DC2 Integras and EG/EK Civics, especially 15"/16".

Chrome alloys on the other hand...........

[/quote]

Just a little dig at the odd article we get of some truly hideous German tuning firms. Nothing wrong with a subtle set of wheels that match or bring out the car a little more, but boy some of them are bad!

Woigookin

21 July 2010

[quote FriendlyFisherman]Just a little dig at the odd article we get of some truly hideous German tuning firms. Nothing wrong with a subtle set of wheels that match or bring out the car a little more, but boy some of them are bad![/quote] Fair point ;)

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