Porsche 911 GT3 RS 2022 Review – International

The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS will be seriously expensive in Australia, at $500,200 before on-roads are added. That price is a big $111,600 more than the regular 911 GT3 and a sobering $188,300 more than the Cayman GT4 RS, which has a similar mandate as a track-focused street-legal weapon.

However, that hasn’t stopped the hard-core GT3 RS being a sell-out even before it was revealed in August.

It's also worth mentioning that the pretty wonderful Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro costs ‘only’ $453,200, while the track-focused supercar that is the Lamborghini Huracan STO weighs in at $596,000, but Porsche isn't worried. It thinks that on most tracks its newest RS will be the quicker, better-to-drive track tool.

Special care is needed when ordering any Porsche and the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is no exception, despite being a supposed stripped-out version of the regular 911 coupe.

The good news is that, as standard in Australia, the hard-core RS model bags tinted LED headlights with the Porsche Dynamic Lighting System, auto-dimming mirrors, a crucial front axle lift system, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, tyre sealant kit and DAB+ digital radio.

Cruise control, two-zone climate control, two USB-C charging ports plus a 12-volt socket in the footwell are also present, and the infotainment system works wirelessly with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The bad news is if you're not satisfied with the choice of Racing Yellow, Guards Red, black or white, a special colour will cost an extra $7500.

Fancy a paint-to-sample custom shade? That will cost you an extra $29,490.

As standard, the GT3 RS gets forged aluminium centre-lock wheels but most buyers will upgrade to a lighter set ($5900) that save around 1.5kg over the standard rims. A much lighter magnesium wheel is also offered that carves a further 8kg off the kerb weight, but they're only available as part of the Weissach pack (more on that later).

Inside, there's a pair of excellent fixed-backrest bucket sport seats wrapped in faux suede and leather. Upgraded leather in differing hues adds colour but lobs on another $8700 to the bill.

For those who need more comfort, an 18-way power-adjustable sport seat is also available for no cost. A 3D-printed full bucket seat shaped to your body is also offered for $5600.

Porsche Cars Australia has also wisely equipped all cars sold here as standard with the Club Sport pack that adds a bolt-in steel cage and provision for a battery master switch.

Many customers will spring for the Weissach pack that costs a further $66,850 (without roll cage) and shaves another 15kg off the kerb weight thanks to its carbon-fibre anti-roll bar, coupling rods and sheer panel, plus the addition of those magnesium rims.

You also get a visible-carbon front bonnet, roof and mirrors, plus a glossier rear wing element. Inside, the costly pack adds magnesium PDK paddles, a suede gear lever and Weissach logos on the head restraints.

To save the maximum 22kg, you'll want the $76,420 Weissach pack that bins the steel cage in favour of an FIA-approved carbon-fibre job. The same pack comes with a six-point harness for both passenger and driver.

Other options worth considering are carbon ceramic brakes ($19,290), heated seats for those early mornings at the track ($1200), plus perhaps the Bose sound system ($2970) if you don't mind the added weight and want to drown out the noise of the wider tyres.

Porsche isn't likely ever to volunteer a 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS for Euro NCAP crash testing, but thanks to its participation in motorsport we expect the latest 911 GT3 RS to offer plenty of protection should the worst happen.

As standard, the most extreme version of the iconic 911 coupe comes with full-size airbags for the driver and passenger, extra side impact-resisting elements within the doors, side airbags within the seat bolster and curtain airbags. Both the steel- and carbon-fibre roll-cage will offer yet more protection.

One point worth mentioning is tyres. As standard, the 911 GT3 RS rides on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres and their performance starts to drop off when temperatures drop below 7C and they also struggle with standing water.

The even more aggressive Cup R rubber deserves even more care in cool and/or damp conditions.

The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS gives performance car enthusiasts plenty to geek out on. Mercifully, Porsche made the decision early in its development not to outdo its rivals for horsepower but to offer around the same power and torque as the previous model. This gave Porsche aerodynamicists carte blanche to create the car of their dreams.

The result is a road-going coupe that features air-bending technologies closer to a prototype LMP1 Le Mans winner than any GT3 racer it shares its name with.

The numbers speak volumes. At a steady 200km/h cruise Porsche claims the new 911 GT3 RS produces up to 406kg of downforce – twice the amount the previous 991-based RS could muster.

That figure climbs dramatically at 285km/h, when the most extreme RS ever generates a mighty 860kg – 60kg more than the McLaren Senna and, again, well over double the downforce of the car it replaces.

More impressive is that it's not all due to its huge rear wing but a radical redesign of the near-new GT3 on which it’s based, resulting in 90 per cent new body panels for the RS.

Key to the big boost in performance is sacrificing the front boot and filling the space with a single central radiator that replaces the standard GT3's three-cooler set-up. Thanks to the new arrangement the vacant space either side of the radiator was filled by trick active aerodynamic flaps that help balance downforce front to rear.

The attention to detail is astonishing and not a single spoiler, aero-blade or winglet was used in vain.

More downforce (+40kg) was extracted by introducing teardrop-shaped aluminium formed suspension wishbones and control arms, plus the decision to carve away the wheel-arches to create the open-wheelhouse design favoured by the 911 GT1 racer of the late-1990s.

Featuring a new bonnet with huge openings and unusual 'boomerang' vanes, the RS directs hot air around the body and then forbids it to enter the repositioned cold air-intake beneath the wing by a pair of roof gutter wings. Engineers realised soon after testing that hot air from the radiator was seeing power drop off by as much as 15kW on a hot day.

Porsche says in its most potent setting the downforce is split 30:70 per cent front-to-rear. That reduces further to 20:80 once DRS is activated. You read right: to maximise top speed along the straights (or autobahn) Porsche has equipped the GT3’s steering wheel with a DRS button that stows the front wings within the bumper and uses hydraulic rams to stall the rear wing for higher speeds. On track the same effect happens in track mode automatically under hard acceleration.

The same system also acts as a formidable air brake, slashing stopping distances from 200km/h by around 2.5 metres, says Porsche.

Little has changed from the regular GT3 under the boot lid of the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, with the 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat six-cylinder gaining only new camshafts and modified cam profiles to raise total power to 386kW – up from 375kW in the GT3.

Peak torque, meanwhile, actually drops from 470Nm to 465Nm, but the standard seven-speed dual-clutch PDK auto has a shorter final drive ratio to maximise mid-gear acceleration.

To cope with increased track work, oil cooling has been revised and a 20 per cent boost in performance is claimed.

Cutting more kilos is lightweight glass, while the front fenders, roof, wing, bonnet and, for the first time on a 911, the doors are all made of carbon-fibre.

Alas, adding weight back into the RS is the heavier, wider 911 Turbo body, that unwieldy rear wing with hydraulic rams and, finally, a widened track and broader rims and tyres. The result is a 1450kg kerb weight – 15kg heavier than the 911 GT3.

Against the clock that translates into a 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds and a 296km/h top speed. That’s is identical to what Mercedes-AMG claims for its AMG GT Black Series, but focusing on straight-line speed is somewhat missing the point because around a track the RS will be untouchable.

A new Nürburgring lap record is on the way, once it's stopped raining in the Eifel mountains.

The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS consumes 13.4L/100km on the WLTP test regime while emitting 305g/km of CO2. Those figures are pretty much on par for its segment, although the most ferocious 911’s small 64-litre fuel tank will limit the cruising range.

The great thing about having produced four generations of 911 GT3 RS models is that Porsche knows exactly how its owners will use the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

That explains why it will never offer an ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre rim on an RS and lots of time was spent enhancing its thicker steel brakes. It's because most owners who track their RS will eventually find themselves in the gravel and gravel kills both carbon-fibre rims and hideously expensive carbon-ceramic rotors.

Track use is also why the RS comes with a multi-adjustable chassis, adjustable differential and seven-setting traction control.

Real RS owners frequently tweak dampers trackside and, thanks to the pioneering suspension tech, you won't get your hands dirty adding in some extra rebound.

Instead, all you need to do is apply a few clicks to the four Manettino-style dials on the new steering wheel.

Ride height remains fixed, but drivers can now alter not only rebound but also compression damping to suit bumpy circuits. Further dials tweak the rear diff lock, which can drastically sharpen turn-in response.

It all sounds mind-boggling, and to some degree it is, but everything is designed to gamify setting up your car for track conditions, and to help both car and driver get quicker over time.

As well as redesigning the front suspension for more downforce, pitch under braking has also been reduced thanks to new front double wishbones that incorporate new anti-dive tech. The multi-link rear has also been revised, while spring rates have been increased by a whopping 50 per cent over the already-firm 911 GT3.

That might sound alarming for those who love to drive their RS on normal roads, with one engineer admitting that perhaps it isn't a car to take up mountain roads anymore.

Sadly, we didn't get to sample the GT3 RS on the excellent but very bumpy roads near Silverstone, but we expect it will trade some of the old car's compliance in a bid for ultimate track performance.

And on a circuit the 911 GT3 RS is an absolute blast.

Featuring a 29mm wider front track and a 30mm wider rear-end, plus wide 275-section (front) and 335-section rear rubber, and it's no surprise that the grip level available in the RS borders on comical – especially when you throw its newfound downforce into the equation.

A big reason for those stiff springs is that the force now exerted by the front and rear wings is so great that the 911 GT3 RS was prone to rubbing its belly along a fast track without them.

The only downside of this magical force, which is said to be noticeable from around 110-120km/h, is that you have to trust the car in a way you just don't trust many of its rivals.

Under brakes the RS is immensely stable, while the liberties you can take with high-speed direction changes sometimes requires a brain reboot.

Lack of power is never an issue, because along the straights the GT3 buys you more time to try and guess how late you can brake and how much more speed you can attempt to carry through the next bend. The answer is always much faster than you think.

Even if you do overcook things in slower corners, the RS remains as responsive to the throttle as ever, while the steering is as precise as ever – even with a tweaked rear-steering system that responds more quickly.

At Silverstone, we could detect the switch from high-downforce to DRS mode, and hard braking is brutal with the air brake fully deployed. The carbon-ceramic rotors on the car we drove also showed little sign of wilting, despite near non-stop hot laps.

Throw in its non-turbo big-bore flat-six soundtrack – which is a joy, as ever, as it approaches its 9000rpm crescendo – and you have pretty much the perfect track-day tool.

Within the cabin of the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the most extreme 911 ever looks identical to the regular Porsche coupe on which it's based, which is no bad thing.

Luckily, without a front boot, there's still plenty of space for soft bags, although access with either the steel or carbon roll-cage is an issue.

Climbing over the bucket seats to get in and out can be tricky, but once you're in the seats lock you into position and offer the perfect driving position.

We also love the small-diameter thin-rimmed steering wheel and the action of the short shift paddles, which feature magnets within them for more precise feeling gear changes.

If you have the means, intend to frequently track your car and can magically secure one of the very limited number of vehicles that will make it Down Under, you can be content that the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is one of the finest track cars ever made.

It’s also one of the most utterly beguiling high-performance road cars ever produced. And it costs almost $300,000 less than the also sold-out Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.

Criticisms? We worry that the 911 GT3 RS will feel a lot less at home on the road and wonder if many buyers might be better off with a standard 911 GT3 with some choice Manthey Racing parts bolted on.

But after a day behind the wheel of it, it's difficult to conclude the full-fat RS is anything other than a towering engineering achievement that will be deservedly lauded for many years to come.

2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS at a glance:
Price: $500,200 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Second quarter 2023
Engine: 4.0-litre flat six-cylinder
Output: 386kW/465Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 13.4L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 306g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested