Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Porsche has taken the wraps off its new street legal racecar, the 911 GT3 RS.

Available with an outrageous colour scheme including red alloy wheels and accents, the uber hardcore 997-type GT3 RS is wider, lower and more powerful than its naturally aspirated 911 siblings.

Arriving Down Under in April 2010, Porsche Cars Australia has already taken 20 orders for the new high performance sports car, and predicts that the limited edition model will sell out before the first car touches down locally.

Built to homologate much of the 911's aero gear for motorsport use in the Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup championships, and most obvious in the form of the huge carbon-fibre rear wing with aluminium wing supports, the GT3 RS is nevertheless "fully suitable for everyday use" according to Porsche.

As well as the lower ride height and new aerodynamic body work, which significantly increases downforce when compared to the 'regular' GT3 model, the car's kerb weight has been reduced thanks to various changes including the adoption of a lithium-ion battery, which saves 10kg compared to a common lead battery.

Porsche has also added 'dynamic' engine mounts, which improves stiffness/damping rates between the engine and body.

The Stuttgart-based company is calling the new model the "most sporting road-going 911 of them all", thanks to its fettled 3.8-litre naturally aspirated boxer engine.

The six-cylinder horizontally opposed engine develops 331 kilowatts of power, which is 26kW more than its predecessor. With 3.8-litres of displacement, the 911 GT3 RS has a specific output of 87kW per litre (or 118 hp per litre) which is an exceptional figure.

Porsche's most sporting 911 also gets reduced gearbox ratios in its short-shifting six-speed manual, which should improve acceleration, while a handful of suspension tweaks will improve its at-the-limit balance.

Changes to the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system have also been flagged; together with the car's wider front and rear track and half cage these are expected to improve the car's grip limit.

Sitting on 19-inch alloy wheels, the 911 GT3 RS's rims are shod with 245/35 ZR19 tyres at the front and ultra-wide 325/30 ZR19s at the rear.

Porsche Cars Australia has yet to confirm the price for the new 911 GT3 RS, which will be on sale in limited quantities from April 2010.

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