Porsche has finally revealed the
most powerful road-legal 911 ever in the form of the new GT2 RS. The German company pulled the wraps off their new
beast at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the numbers are just jaw-dropping:
the twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six pumps out 700 PS, allowing for a
0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds.
The engine is mated to a customised seven-speed PDK
dual-clutch automatic (no manual is available) that enables “power to be
transferred with uninterrupted traction”. Flat-out it’ll do 340 km/h. The engine is based on the Turbo S
model, only now it features larger turbochargers, an additional water-spray
cooling system and a bespoke lightweight titanium exhaust system.
The GT2 RS sends its power
to the rear wheels alone but the chassis is full of tricks to help it put its
colossal power on the road. Rear-axle steering is one of them, along with a
specially calibrated PSM and ultra sticky tires (265/35 ZR 20 at the front and
325/30 ZR 21 at the rear). Stopping is provided by a set of standard ceramic
brakes.
The bodywork is littered with carbon-fiber, with the
bonnet, front wings, rear side intakes and parts of the rear end all made from
the lightweight stuff. The roof is made from magnesium as standard. Porsche
says the new GT2 RS tips the scales at 1,470 kg with a full fuel
tank.
Customers will be able though to opt for the
Weissach package, which trims a further 30 kg off the weight, thanks to the
additional use of carbon-fiber and titanium parts. This includes the roof, the
anti-roll bars and the coupling rods on both axles made out of carbon-fiber
while the package also includes a set of magnesium wheels.
The interior is dressed with red Alcantara, black
leather and carbon trim details. The optional Chrono package expands the
infotainment’s functions to include a performance display that shows things
like lap times and a lap trigger of its own, which is controlled through the
Porsche Track Precision App.
Pricing for the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS starts from
£ 207,506 in the UK, with the Weissach package asking for a further £ 21,042. US
customers on the other hand will have to pay at least US$ 293,200, with the car
expected to reach this side of the pond in early 2018.
