Porsche 911 GT2 RS: FAQs

Porsche's most powerful production 911 ever has been revealed. It's called the 911 GT2 RS and it's a techno tour de force and mouth-watering for Porsche and supercar fans alike.

How powerful is the Porsche 911 GT2 RS?
The GT2 RS is the most powerful production 911 ever. The turbocharged 3.8-litre that powers it is an uprated version of the turbo flat six that wowed us in the 911 Turbo. With 515kW (700hp) and 750Nm, it is over 125kW more powerful and yet it meets all the normal emission and fuel consumption marks expected.

Why is the Porsche 911 GT2 RS only rear-wheel drive?
The GT2 RS gets Porsche's PDK dual-clutch gearbox but instead of the 'normal' Turbo's all-wheel drive, it is rear-drive only. This is a tradition for GT2 and for Porsche's most sporting 911s. There's significant weight saved from dropping the AWD hardware too. Porsche legend and two-times World rally Champion Walter Rohrl says it's the 'job' of a GT2 driver to stay on his or her toes. His comment: "With each new generation of GT2, if you are not just a little scared every time you turn the key, then Porsche has not done its job."

How fast is the Porsche 911 GT2 RS?
Porsche says the GT2 RS will accelerate 0-100km/h in 2.8sec. Based on our experience of Porsche's regular over-achieving in this measure, that could be a real-world time of 2.6 or even 2.5sec, making the GT2 RS one of the world's quickest ever production cars. The car has a top speed of 340km/h. A key part of the GT2 RS's performance equation is weight – at a svelte 1470kg it is around 200kg less than the 911 Turbo on which it's based.

How many 911 GT2 RS will Porsche build?
The 911 GT2 RS is not a limited edition model. Production will commence later in 2017 and run for around 12-18 months, insiders say. Porsche Cars Australia is not being specific on how many GT2 RSs it will be allocated, however, spokesperson Paul Ellis says the local operation will be putting its hand up for "as many as we can get".

Why is the Porsche GT2 RS twice the price of a normal 911?
The rear-drive, twin-turbo, twin-clutch-only GT2 RS has a local starting price of $645,700 – this compares to approx. $243K for a 'standard' manual 911 Carrera. Essentially this is a function of the hand-built nature of the GT2 RS and the equipment it features. The GT2's exhaust system is titanium, the roof is magnesium, and carbon-fibre composites are used for the bonnet, front wings, wheel housing vents, mirror shells, air intakes on the rear side sections and other parts. It's also a function of the fact Porsche can ask what it likes for the GT2 RS – buyers are queuing up...

How fast is the 911 GT2 RS around Bathurst?
That's the $645,700 question. Porsche is hinting that the GT2 RS will be a sub-7.0min lap car at the infamous Nurburgring. That should translate to a 2.10 lap or thereabouts around Bathurst. Alas, we'll probably never know – there is no racing class into which the GT2 RS slots.