SUMMARY CONDITION
- The condition of the car is outstanding and largely ‘as new’.
- I cannot fault it in any way save for:
- A few tiny stone-chips on the original paint nose (touched in).
- some touched-in paint to the rims of the rear wheels where the tyres were changed.
- a little lacquer loss on the brake callipers around the fluid nipples.
- the front spoiler is inevitably scuffed. A new OEM spare is supplied with the car, but fitment not necessary. It looks perfectly attractive as is.
- Underneath Porsche Portsmouth found no leaks or wear issues of any kind (report 25 July 2025). All underpans, cooling ducts and aero items are good.
- Car is all original – and retains original parts – save for its exhaust system.
- Interior is unmarked and in beautiful condition, reflecting careful ownership over its commensurate mileage.
- No over-revs in any category. Tested June 25 2025.
- Maintained by Porsche and the best independent specialists.
- Videos: a 9min walkround video by me and an underside video made by Porsche Portsmouth in July are available.
BACKGROUND and CONTEXT
In issue 200 of Evo magazine (October 2014) the main feature was a group test of the greatest cars they’d ever driven – a group that included McLaren P1 and Porsche 918. It was won by the Porsche 997.2 3.8 GT3 RS. In 2024 Magneto magazine identified the 997.2 GT3 RS as the epitome of the analogue supercar – an ultimate, end-of-era icon, never bettered.
It is a different proposition to the earlier 997.1 GT3 3.6 RS (engine, power, track, suspension, gearing, body etc), and it is much leaner, agile and more visceral than the later GT3 RS models.
(The new-for-2011 991 and later 992 are more powerful and faster in a straight line but also fatter, heavier, showier, with compromised electric steering, rear wheel steering, and usually PDK gearbox architecture. To most afficionados the later cars are considered too big: more ‘AMG’ than ‘RS’. They are also exclusively track-orientated, whereas I drove this car back from Italy when I bought it and it was extremely comfortable).
Made for just 18 months, only x1619 examples of the 997.2 GT3 RS were built. (991s and especially 992s are built in much greater numbers – x4750 991 GT3 RS and over x6000 992 GT3 RS projected estimated).
Only the 4.0-litre version of the 997.2 GT3 RS (x600 built) is considered more collectable but that is more down to rarity than outright drivability and desirability. The 4.0-litre is a bit quicker but is more track-focused with a much harsher ride and less attractive aero and graphics. It is also much more expensive.
UNIQUE SPECIFICATION and HISTORY
This is a unique specification car with exceptional history. Delivered new to the Crown Prince of Bahrain (who has a superb collection of beautifully maintained cars). There are various key areas that make the car so special:
- Essentially, four owners from new, three of them significant, well-known ‘car guys’ in the industry, all with excellent and well known reputations. Details on request.
- Spec’d from new with virtually every lightweight option (less air con delete – which is no bad thing, and lithium battery, which wasn’t very good at that time). These specs, together with one or two extra OEM additions (see below) and an extremely rare and costly full titanium Akrapovic Evo Raceline exhaust system make this example an estimated 70 kilos lighter than a standard Gen 2 GT3 RS. See weight notes below.
- Every trip since around 1660 recorded miles has been logged in a little black book and/or on a continuation Excel spreadsheet and prior to that the car was in Bahrain. It can therefore be stated with confidence that car has probably not been in the rain more than three times in its life and it has certainly never been on a salted road. Outstanding condition reflects this. Full spreadsheet history (which reflects the little black book and adds all known detail) available on request.
- The interior is particularly attractive, having been tastefully spec’d with the most desirable carbon and Alcantara options, the Carrera GT carbon bucket seats, and ClubSport roll bar. It also has a gloss back centre console which complements the whole. Most RSs have the cheap-looking grey plastic air vent surrounds, but this one has the rare and very expensive genuine carbon options which in my opinion makes a big difference to the detail ambiance of the interior. It also has a super-rare Porsche factory-supplied Moto Cup (by Momo) steering wheel which makes an extraordinary difference to the responsive driving experience.
- It has a full service history, either with official Porsche service centres or the best independent specialists.
- It underwent a 111-Point official Porsche inspection check at Porsche Portsmouth on 28 June 2025 (12,000 miles) which it passed with flying colours (no advisories relevant). This included a rev check run-time report which showed exceptionally low high rev usage and nothing at all in any cautionary zones.
- The car passed its MoT with no advisories on 15 July 2025.
- Tyres all have lots of tread – rear Pilot 2s are new (under 300 miles).
- The car has never been tracked, at least since its change of ownership from Bahrain. Use there unknown.
- Ceramic brakes are very lightly worn (and last for ages in this spec, unlike the earlier 996 types).
- Deliberately discreet, the car has GT3 RS graphics deleted, probably at delivery PDI. These are inexpensive to re-apply if desired.
- Originally supplied with silver wheels, they were stove enamelled black in 2013 with other details (wing mirrors, front grille surround, spoiler ends) all colour-coded to match.
- The car’s original steering wheel (no discernible Alcantara wear) and Sat Nav/Audio module are supplied with the car.
- Supplied with 2 keys, all service books and supporting documentation/folder.
- Custom car cover and tracker included.
Date of production: 21.06.2010.
SERVICE HISTORY
Service history as documented in official Porsche stamped Service Book and/or as evidenced in data (including run time) and analogue records.
- Sept 2011 – 597kms (331 miles) – Porsche Bahrain
- April 2013 – 855.6kms* (531.6 miles*) – Porsche Bahrain
- August 2015 – 1,433 miles Porsche Portsmouth UK
- Sept 2017 – 1,729 miles Wolfe Racing UK/Italy
- Sept 2019 – 4,798 miles Wolfe Racing UK/Italy
- July 2022 – 6,140 miles Carrozzeria Museti Italy
- Dec 2022 – 7,874miles Bahnsport UK
- Jul 2023 – 9,199miles Bahnsport UK
- Jul 2024 – 11,360miles Bahnsport UK
Note*: the Bahrain services are recorded on Porsche’s confidential internal database with the April 2013 service also appearing on a Maintenance Record sheet. They do not appear in the car’s original service book which may not have been with the car when it was part of the royal collection. The April 2013 service mileage has possibly been recorded there incorrectly where it states 8556kms, rather than 855.6miles. We know the car was very little used. This is supported by the car’s run-time reports (if adding the implied extra miles, the calculated run-time speeds are far too high to be credible). Porsche and independent specialist Bahnsport – who know the car intimately – suspect it might have been a trip-counter reading (which gives the extra decimal point). And at such a low mileage the trip may never have been ‘zeroed’ from new.
When I bought the car I commissioned the excellent Porsche specialists, Bahnsport of Blandford, who have looked after the car since, to assess the car’s condition and history. That report is available on request and states:
“The vehicle mileage does not appear to have been tampered with in any way and appears genuine. There is no physical evidence to this RS that indicate tampering of the mileage.
“The DME control units total run time is displayed as 216.6 hours with its current displayed mileage of 7897miles resulting in the vehicle’s average speed over its lifetime of 36.5mph which is as expected.
“The IXFJ white instrument cluster internal mileage displays correct of 7896miles (x1 mile out). The chassis numbers written into the control units A and B locations also all tally with the vehicle’s chassis number with no suspicious behaviour evident. The vehicle’s data logged on the PIWIS diagnostic tester paired with the vehicle’s presented condition indicates to me there is no foul play regarding mileage and it is in fact the correct vehicle mileage.”
Given this unfortunate anomaly, and even if that higher Bahrain input mileage is correct (which, given the run-time reports, could only add that mileage to the current odometer total, so 12,500 becomes 17,800 miles), the car has been discounted accordingly.
III-POINT CONDITION REPORTS
Two available: one undertaken when I acquired the car in 2022 (Bahnsport Blandford), the other current in July 2025 (Porsche Portsmouth).
WEIGHT ANALYSIS
A standard 997.2 GT3 RS weighs 1370kgs (over 140kgs lighter than the equivalent 991 and 992 GT3 RS). This car, combining factory-fitted and other OEM lightweight options weighs under 1300kg.
FACTORY items
- Ceramic brakes: -16.6-20kg
- Carrera GT bucket seats: -15.4kg
- Lightweight headlights (which work very well!): -unknown kg
- Lift delete: -6kg
- SatNav and audio delete: -6kg
- Moto Cup steering wheel: -2.5kg
NON-FACTORY items
- Akrapovic Evo Race LIne exhaust: -25.8kg
(Important note: the OEM RS exhaust is NOT a full titanium system – this one is).
VALUES and PRICING
The 997.2 GT3 RS (unlike the 997.1) has gone up dramatically in value internationally over the past 3 years. But values vary a great deal between countries. In the US equivalent cars to mine sell regularly for around $340,000 with very low mileage original examples making $440,000. There are numerous examples of such figures. A 4.0 sold earlier this year for $2.25million in the US, which bodes well for the 3.8 moving forwards.
In Europe equivalent spec and mileage cars are consistently well over 250,000 Euros even at auction.
The number plate 111GX will be retained or is available at extra cost.
I realise that this car is priced about 100,000 Euro lower than equivalent models listed on the market today in Europe and the UK. This is because it is a UK-registered, LHD car, and with the mileage record inaccuracy as detailed above (irrespective of its genuine very low miles). It also does not have a full Porsche official service history, which is a big ‘plus’ in my book as it has been looked after by the best independent specialists, all known to me personally.
SIGNIFICANT OPTIONS FROM NEW
594 – Alcantara roof lining
600 – lightweight headlamps
672/665 – PCM 2 and 3 navigation and radio, cd
003 – roll cage
384/5 – Carrera GT seats
450 – Ceramic brakes
475 – PASM electronic damper control
476 – PSM Porsche Stability Management
490 – sound system ASK
619 – mobile phone Bluetooth interface
640 – Sport Chrono package
870 – Universal multimedia interface
(items 672/665, 490, 619, 870 are in the main Sat Nav/ Audio unit which is removed from the car and replaced by correct OEM audio delete module – original unit supplied and easy to refit).
X OPTIONS FROM NEW
XAA – Aerokit Cup
XFJ – Carrera White instruments
XGB – carbon dash trim
XGD – carbon/alcantara handbrake handle
XKD – carbon side vents
XZB – carbon centre vent
XLG – centre console bin cover in Alcantara
XSX – red seat belts (red full harness supplied with black conventional)
XXZ – footrest
CONCLUSION
Priced to sell, I am confident you won’t find a finer, better spec’d, cheaper Gen 2 GT3 RS anywhere. This unique car requires nothing and has an exceptional specification and enthusiast ownership history. I’ve never seen another like it. Very reluctantly for sale to finance my new business.
(Please note: the two pictures in the gallery of the roll cage from the rear and the OEM steering wheel were taken before the red harness belts were fitted and the Porsche Moto Cup wheel. All other pictures are current. None have been ‘photoshopped’ or doctored in anyway)
2011 
2010 
2010 
2010 
