Porsche 911 GT3 RS – performance and 0-60mph time
Absolute straight-line speed has been sacrificed in the pursuit of downforce, but the RS is still ballistic off the line
That scintillating 9000rpm engine and super-sharp seven-speed PDK ’box (now with shortened ratios and final drive for added in-gear snap) is one of the all-time great partnerships. Though not night-and-day different to the GT3, there’s a definite uptick in urgency and intensity. Against the clock 0-60mph arrives in 3.0sec, 100mph in 6.9. Top speed is 184mph, some 14mph down on the GT3 despite DRS.
Perhaps surprisingly, the engine performance is one of the more timid aspects of the RS. Yes, the wonderful, howling, naturally aspirated flat-six that revs to 9000rpm. It sounds so crisp and pure even at low speeds but somehow the low- and mid-range performance seems at odds with what your eyes are relaying and the tense, sinewy responses of the chassis. It’s no coincidence that the 5000rpm marker is located at 12 o’clock on the rev counter. That’s about where things get going.
Even at the glorious, shrieking top end, the 4-litre flat-six is no match for the grip and traction on offer, which might be a frustration for some. Certainly, the needle is swung much further in the direction of grip than power, which is unusual in this world of the 454bhp BMW M2 or an 819bhp ‘baby’ mid-engined Ferrari. With that said, on the road you’ll be gathering speed at quite a rate if you wring the engine all the way out, and the intensity of the delivery more than makes up for what it lacks in outright gut-punch.
