Driving a Porsche 911 GT3 RS: The Road to Racetrack Performance
As I step onto the track in my freshly modified Porsche 911 GT3 RS, fresh from competing in the prestigious Porto cars Britain's best drivers car competition, I feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. This car has always been touted as a road-going version of the iconic GT3 Cup race car, but today I have the opportunity to put that theory to the test and see how it stacks up against its racing counterpart.
The Motor: A Shared Powerplant
One thing that's clear from the get-go is that my GT3 RS shares the same 3.8-liter flat-six engine as its racing sibling, the GT3 Cup car. This powerhouse of an engine produces a staggering 450 horsepower, and it's easy to see why Porsche has invested so heavily in this particular motor. However, there are some key differences between the two cars that I'm eager to explore.
Transmission: A Tale of Two Gearboxes
As I fire up the engine, I notice that the transmission sounds very different from what I've come to expect from a GT3 RS. Gone is the satisfying "click-click-click" of a 6-pin manual box, replaced by an ear-piercing whine of a 6-speed sequential transmission. This is a major departure from the racing car's setup, which typically features a 6-speed sequential gearbox with no clutch required. The removal of interior components has also resulted in a significant weight saving for the Cup car, with a dry weight of just 1,170 kilograms.
Performance: A Marginally Faster Experience
While the GT3 RS is not significantly faster than its racing counterpart in terms of outright acceleration, there are some key differences that make it feel distinctly different on the road. The removal of traction control and ABS allows for a more aggressive driving style, which can be both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Additionally, the fitment of slick tires provides an incredible amount of grip and agility, making the car feel like a hoot to drive on the twisty tracks.
Steering and Handling: A Delightful Balance
One of the things that sets the GT3 Cup car apart from its road-going counterpart is its beautifully weighted steering. The feedback and response are sublime, with a subtle amount of understeer at first, followed by a delightful controllability oversteer later on. This is a testament to Porsche's mastery of chassis design and balance. Overall, the GT3 Cup car feels like it was designed for racing, but somehow still retains its connection to the road.
The Verdict: A Fine and Wonderful Road Car
As I drive away from the track, I'm left with a sense of awe and admiration for the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. While it may not be as raw or aggressive as its racing sibling, it's clear that this car has been tuned to perfection. The combination of powerful engine, beautifully weighted steering, and sublime handling makes it an absolute joy to drive on both road and track. And yet, despite its impressive performance capabilities, the GT3 RS still feels like a road car at heart – a testament to Porsche's ability to create vehicles that are both functional and enjoyable to drive.
The Beauty of the 911: A Legacy of Excellence
As I sit here in my GT3 RS, reflecting on my driving experience, it's clear that this car represents something special. For decades, the Porsche 911 has been synonymous with performance, style, and exclusivity – a true icon of the automotive world. The GT3 Cup car is just one part of this storied legacy, but it's a reminder that even in the most extreme forms of motorsport, there's still room for a little bit of road-going magic. As I drive off into the distance, I know that I'll always treasure this experience – and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS will forever hold a special place in my heart.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI am driving a Porsche 911 gt3 RS which fresh from Porto cars Britain's best drivers car competition less than a we do walk stop with the overall gone now a nautical we quite often say that the gt3 RS is something like a road-going version of the gt3 Cup race car good thing is never actually have the opportunity to drive the pair back to back and discover just how true that is till today so find the motor from the gt3 Cup covers unfortunately q4 up in our commentary system to fail but then worry about that you can have this voice over instead of what sort of moving into an appropriate swear now the gt3 Cup car uses the same 3.8 liter flat six as the gt3 RS so it makes 450 horsepower but what you will probably notice is a different noise the transmission makes instead of a 6-pin manual box but most proper pukka racing cars the gt3 Cup cart gets a 6-speed sequential transmission the straight cup incredibly whiny gears and for me that's always the perfect notice from the bring your own car and race car once under way of course you don't have to use the clutch either now with the removal of most of the interior comes a weight saving on the Cup car of course cert weighs just 1170 kilo but it's only marginally faster than the road car with you're familiar with the acceleration of one will be up near home with the other the big difference of course is the fitment of slick tyres which up the agility and overall levels of grip from their already pretty impressive levels outgo traction control and abs of course but that is par for the course on a racecar but what's really terrific about the cut car is that it retains the presence of the roca the steering is beautifully waited in fearsome and the chassis balance has all that lovely 911s as a hint of understeer at first and then controllable oversteer later so does the cut car feel like a race going gt3 RS well yes in as much as any race car can feel like a road products formed but that's the beauty of the 911 nobody else makes such a fine and wonderful ro car and such a competitive race car on the same basis as Porter does that is youI am driving a Porsche 911 gt3 RS which fresh from Porto cars Britain's best drivers car competition less than a we do walk stop with the overall gone now a nautical we quite often say that the gt3 RS is something like a road-going version of the gt3 Cup race car good thing is never actually have the opportunity to drive the pair back to back and discover just how true that is till today so find the motor from the gt3 Cup covers unfortunately q4 up in our commentary system to fail but then worry about that you can have this voice over instead of what sort of moving into an appropriate swear now the gt3 Cup car uses the same 3.8 liter flat six as the gt3 RS so it makes 450 horsepower but what you will probably notice is a different noise the transmission makes instead of a 6-pin manual box but most proper pukka racing cars the gt3 Cup cart gets a 6-speed sequential transmission the straight cup incredibly whiny gears and for me that's always the perfect notice from the bring your own car and race car once under way of course you don't have to use the clutch either now with the removal of most of the interior comes a weight saving on the Cup car of course cert weighs just 1170 kilo but it's only marginally faster than the road car with you're familiar with the acceleration of one will be up near home with the other the big difference of course is the fitment of slick tyres which up the agility and overall levels of grip from their already pretty impressive levels outgo traction control and abs of course but that is par for the course on a racecar but what's really terrific about the cut car is that it retains the presence of the roca the steering is beautifully waited in fearsome and the chassis balance has all that lovely 911s as a hint of understeer at first and then controllable oversteer later so does the cut car feel like a race going gt3 RS well yes in as much as any race car can feel like a road products formed but that's the beauty of the 911 nobody else makes such a fine and wonderful ro car and such a competitive race car on the same basis as Porter does that is you\n"
