Porsche and AMG to go to battle with new GT2 RS and GT Black Series

Power will be sent exclusively to the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Torque is expected to exceed comfortably the 590lb ft of today’s 911 Turbo S.

Given the new architecture, it will be heavier than the previous 1470kg GT2 RS. Sources suggest a gain of around 60kg is likely, even with extensive use of carbonfibre, a reduction in sound insulation, the fitment of Perspex windows and the use of other lightweight trim elements.

The aerodynamic package is set to be even more dramatic than that of today’s 911 GT3 RS.

At the centre of that is a more aggressive active rear wing that will build on the naturally aspirated sibling’s 860kg of downforce at 177mph. It will also offer DRS-style rear wing stalling. 

To increase downforce further, the new GT2 RS will also sport a lower front diffuser and a host of air channels, the latter for improved stability at high speeds and inspired by Porsche’s racing efforts.

The ball-jointed suspension will build on the current GT3 RS’s adjustable architecture and is likely to retain the eight-way adjustability of bump, rebound, diff lock and traction settings. Expect reworked calibration, broader track widths, stiffer anti-roll bars and a recalibrated rear-wheel steering system. Braking will be via carbon-ceramic discs as standard.

While we've yet to see the cabin of the new GT2 RS, it will likely shift to the digital cockpit introduced in other newly facelifted 911 models, with options for roll cages, racing harnesses and CFRP-backed bucket seats. Porsche is also expected to continue to offer the Weissach package as part of its track-focused configuration options.

Historically, the GT2 RS has served as the final evolution of each of 911’s model generations and the pinnacle of the nameplate’s performance. 

To hit the feats required by Porsche, the new GT2 RS will need to beat the Mercedes-AMG One’s 6min 29.09sec Nordschleife record. That means shaving almost 10 seconds off the previous GT2 RS’s best time. 

That’s a massive leap in performance, requiring not only substantial gains in power and traction but also aerodynamics and chassis refinement. It also underscores just how serious Porsche’s engineers are about extracting the full potential out of its longest-running production model.

While pricing has yet to be confirmed, the new 911 GT2 RS is expected to exceed the £200,000 base of its predecessor. Porsche has already committed to continuing “low-volume, high-emotion” models as part of the 911 line-up, with production set to be very limited.

Before it arrives, however, Porsche plans to roll out hybrid versions of the 911 Turbo and Turbo S, which will serve as the technical forerunners for the 911 GT2 RS.

BLACK SERIES TO RETURN?

Up against the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS will be Mercedes-AMG’s own track-honed lap-time chaser, which will be powered by a potent turbocharged V8.  

The new challenger will be previewed by the Concept AMG GT Track Sport. Also likely to be revealed at the Munich motor show in September, the concept is based on the second-generation AMG GT coupé that was launched in 2023. 

In its brief announcement, AMG didn’t provide any technical details of the new concept but confirmed it previewed an “expansion of the GT series” that would be powered by a V8. 

The production version of the concept will serve as the new flagship GT model and is likely to be seen as the successor to the AMG GT Black Series of 2022. AMG has said the new car will be designed to achieve lap records. The 2022 GT Black Series produced 730bhp from a highly modified version of AMG’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8. 

That car’s engine is the most powerful series-production V8 the German firm has made, but the showroom version of the new concept is expected to push beyond that output with its own V8. The most powerful variant of the second-generation GT range at present is the 603bhp track-focused Pro.