Overview
When we think of Porsche 911 GT3 variants, the things which strikes into our mind, its speed, highly aerodynamic body that bumps suddenly to 60 mph. But there is a limit to how much air can any engine move, that means 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS can’t rely on a power increase to rise above its turbocharged version.
Porsche provided a sports look to this GT3 RS, with its powerful 4.0L flat-six engine. Courtesy of this, this sports car produces 518 horsepower on tap, which makes it the most powerful naturally aspirated 911. So it can be predicted that raw power is not a point to watch here, the main focus of Porsche engineers is manipulating the airflow outside of the engine. The result is a flagship where performance is how efficiently the body moves through the air.
Every body panel of the RS is designed to achieve peak aerodynamic performance. Even door skins are carbon fibered, and the air is scooped, split, and spoiled all around the body. The result, many of the aero upgrades contain all the subtlety of an unlicensed / unskilled worker’s work.
Down to Earth
A massive wing tower to the rear of the car, provides a massive surface area enough for a buffet. 902 pounds of downforce at 124 mph and 1896 pounds at 177 mph, these stats were achieved with the help of active unit.
This increased downforce will result in additional drags at higher speed. But Porsche uses a Formula 1 technique viz. drag reduction system (DRS) to counter this situation. In this driver activated DRS stalls the wing to reduce drag at higher speeds. It is only available in seven-speed PDK automatic transmission. Though the top speed gets slightly reduced to 184 mph from 198 mph of standard GT3.
Suspension
The same aero theme continues downwards, where teardrop-shaped control arms on the front axle improve wheel-well airflow. All the loads distributes over a broader axle, thanks to the wider tires and longer control arms. Compression and rebound stages of front and rear dampers can be adjusted individually via steering-wheel controls. It also has a wider front track (up 1.1 inches over the GT3).
Porsche combined three radiators into a single heat exchanger, to make room for the front end’s active aero elements.
Powertrain & Performance
The newly attached camshaft profiles specific to GT3 RS, enabled Porsche to enhance the characteristics of existing 4.0L flat-six. This engine grants an extra 15 horses, whereas its 0-60 mph still figures out to be 3.0 seconds.
The brakes are same as that of standard GT3, while the 16.1 X 1.4-inch iron front discs are 0.1 inch thicker. An option for carbon ceramics also available. Standard forged aluminium wheels are present, wearing 275/35-20 rubber at front and steamroller 335/30-21 at back. The Weissach package opens up magnesium wheels option.
The cost of Weissach package separately will bee around $33,250. Porsche released a separate configurator for GT3 RS where you can personalize one for yourself and see all the options. After implementing all the RS model’s enhancements, it would cost around $225,250 viz. about $63,000 more than a GT3.