Porsche 996 GT3 RS

The vehicle in detail

The Carrera RS 2.7 from 1973 is widely regarded as one of the greatest 911s of all time. Its was conceived to homologate the 911 for competition use, but was so well received by the public that Porsche ended up building (and selling) 1,580 instead of the 500 required. The model is revered today by collectors of all ages and prices for top examples can exceed $1,000,000. Twenty years later a roadworthy track oriented 911 was offered to the public this time on the 964 platform, this time called the 911 Carrera 2 RS. While never offered in the USA, many are here now as they are older than twenty-five years and can be imported, titled and registered in states that don’t require stringent smog testing. For the 996 model, the Carrera name was exchanged for GT3 after the FIA racing class where the 911 would compete. Once again, Porsche offered a very limited number of GT3 RS examples to its best customers who wanted a very high performance street car that was very capable on the track as well.

Horsepower remained the same as the GT3, and the GT3 RS’s increased performance was due to a handful of other alterations. Wider tires were fitted with a revised suspension for track use, and a large rear spoiler was fitted to help increase downforce. It was lightened through the reduction of interior sound deadening, air conditioning, rear seats, and a Perspex rear window instead of glass. These changes meant that the GT3 RS tipped the scales at just 1,360 kilograms, 50 kilograms lighter than the standard GT3. With a 0–60 mph time of 4.2 seconds leading to a top speed of 190 mph, the GT3 RS certainly was worthy of the RS name.