What's the news?
Following on from an initial preview at the E3 gaming expo in the USA, Porsche reveals the new 911 GT2 RS today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, and with it the full technical specification. We've already had a passenger ride in the new 911 range flagship so it's no surprise to discover it's now officially the fastest and most powerful road-going Porsche 911 yet.
Exterior
In case you thought Porsche couldn't make the 911 any wilder looking than the GT3 RS, take a good browse through the 911 GT2 RS gallery. It gets enlarged air intakes, new front and rear bumpers and a new ducted bonnet, plus huge alloy wheels and 'UHP' (Ultra High Performance) tyres measuring 265/35 ZR20 up front and 325/30 ZR21 at the back. A lot of what you're looking at has been constructed out of CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic), including the bonnet, front wings, wheel housing vents, door mirror shells, the air intakes ahead of the rear wheels and other components at the rear. As in the 911 GT3 RS, the standard roof is made from ultra-thin magnesium.
However, buyers can upgrade further to the Weissach package. This reduces mass by another 30kg and includes a carbon roof (with a body-coloured central strip) and the same material used in the anti-roll bars and coupling rods in the suspension, front and rear. On top of that is a set of magnesium wheels.
Interior
Inside, it's a black and red orgy of leather, Alcantara and carbon-weave, not to mention the half-cage in the back instead of seating. However, the GT2 RS is not stripped of all luxuries in the pursuit of weight reduction. Hence, the Porsche Communication Management system (i.e. 'touchscreen infotainment') is standard, as is the Connect Plus module and Porsche Track Precision app. The Chrono Package is optional and adds a big stop watch on the dashboard, plus the ability to accurately record lap times automatically. The deliciously simple steering wheel is trimmed in two-tone Alcantara, while the leather upholstered bucket seats have carbon fibre shells.
Mechanicals
Out back is a significant development of the 911 Turbo S's twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre flat-six petrol engine. It produces 700hp and 750Nm of torque thanks to changes to the turbocharging system that extend to spraying the charge air cooler with water when needed. A seven-speed, dual-clutch PDK transmission is standard, featuring an electronically controlled limited slip differential, and power goes to the rear wheels only. Porsche quotes a 0-100km/h time of 2.8 seconds, which, incredibly, is 0.1 seconds faster than the four-wheel-drive 911 Turbo S model. Top speed is quoted as 340km/h.
Anything else?
Rather bizarrely, Porsche Design is launching a watch to coincide with the introduction of the GT2 RS and it'll only be available to buyers of the car. It's imaginatively called the '911 GT2 RS'... Given that the car is likely to come in at close to €400,000 imported into Ireland, the €9,450 watch seems a bit of a bargain.