Why the 911 GT2 RS is 'it'

It’s got Webber’s…
No, not misspelled Italian carburettors, rather @aussiegrit’s seal of approval. Mark Webber participated in the development of the 991 Series 911 GT2 RS driving the car at various junctures through its development. Not just in his role as a Porsche ‘Representative’ either but in providing genuine feedback regarding the car’s set-up and chassis dynamics.

Webber told the launch crowd that his phone has been “running hot” from F1 buddies asking about the car. And he’s in the right spot to deliver a verdict. The Aussie World Endurance Champion and nine-times F1 GP winner tested the GT2 RS at both Porsche’s Weissach test track and the Nurburgring.

The GT2 RS was a project he asked to be involved in – and that’s not just hype. His key reason? ICYMI Webber is already a GT2 owner (he has a 997 Series GT2 RS in his garage) and will soon add one more…

It’s got wellie
With more than 184hp/litre (135.5kW/L), the GT2 RS is at the pointy end of road-car specific output. Yes, there are a couple of top-performing fours that match it on paper, but Porsche horses are traditionally very healthy.

Officially, the 3.8-litre six-cylinder GT2 RS is the most powerful road-going 911 ever built or sold by Porsche. With 515kW at 7000rpm, it is 59kW up on the 997 Series GT2 RS and significantly up on the 427kW of the top-spec 911 Turbo S (The new Exclusive takes this to 446kW but is a limited edition).

And there’s no shortage of torque either – 750Nm from 2500rpm through to 4500.

To boost the power over the Turbo S, Porsche has upsized the GT2’s blowers and introduced a water-spray system to make the intercooler even more efficient. Maximum boots is 1.55bar (22.5psi) compared to the Turbo S Exclusive’s 1.32.

It’s got stamina
The GT2 RS may have racer-like outputs but it’s no ‘grenade’ that requires rebuilding every 30 hours. Porsche’s Director of GT Model Line, Andreas Preuninger explained that the GT2 RS is tested to the same durability standards as Porsche’s higher-volume production sports cars.

“On a race-car you can maybe do more [horsepower per litre] with a turbocharged engine but this [the GT2’s engine] has to last for a lifetime… It has to fulfil worldwide emissions, noise, [fuel] consumption [regulations],” Preuninger explained.

“With the hard endurance testing we have to do with a street car -- because it has to last for at least 180,000 miles -- I would say this is the upmost [output] we can do with this type of engine at the moment

“It’s [the testing] not less… It’s even a little bit more [than a standard road car],” he stated.

Like the GT3 and GT3 RS and Carrera Cup cars, the GT2 RS must pass Porsche’s gruelling ‘Sebring program’ where the engine is run at full load, up and down the gears to the same ‘map’ as the famed Florida airfield race circuit non-stop for 120 hours.

It’s got Ti and Mg
There’s no shortage of exotic materials onboard the 991 Series 911 GT2 RS. In Porsche’s efforts to par away mass (at 1470kg with a full tank of fuel its approaching 200kg lighter than a ‘normal’ 911 Turbo S), it has used a whole swag of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic in building the fastest of all 911s. The car features carbon panels and even composite antiroll bars, there’s door pulls rather than latches. On the lightweight carbon-fibre front bonnet, the Porsche ‘badge’ is actually a sticker...

And there are also exotic metals. Magnesium is used for the roof in the standard GT2 RS and when the optional Weissach pack is fitted, the car gets massive 20 and 21-inch magnesium alloy wheels.

Titanium is used for the exhaust system to save 7kg compared to the Turbo S. The same metal Lockheed used to build the world’s fastest aircraft, the SR71 Blackbird is also used for the optional, no doubt hellishly expensive but deliciously pretty, half roll-cage. The latter is unlikely to be approved for any race series but nor is the GT2 RS itself.

It’s got grip. But not too much
The key differentiator between Turbo and GT2 RS is that the latter is missing something – a front differential.

GT2 is resolutely rear-wheel drive and according to Frank-Steffan Walliser, Porsche Motorsport and GT car boss, that will ever be the case.

“You have to feel some sweat in your hands… We wanted to keep this. That’s the reason for alcantara steering wheel,” Walliser joked.

Porsche hasn’t completely departed from the technical to sell an ‘analogue’ mega-coupe. The GT2 RS is PDK twin-clutch only and features Porsche’s now-proven rear-wheel steering system and a bespoke version of its stability management system.

The sports car icon has, however, stopped short of introducing a McLaren-style variable ‘drift-friendly’ stability control system. Instead there’s a button that is simply marked ‘ESC + TC OFF’… Be afraid.

“The racecar[911 GT3] has traction control adjustable by the driver. We see that is a trend [in road cars]. It’s not something realised in this car but may be something we need to consider in the future,” Walliser commented

“With 700hp, on the track… Well, I will not say its gentle – that’s not true. But the level of control you can have [in the GT2 RS] is really amazing. And where the limit is, is also really amazing,” Walliser enthused.

Yeah, right… A cuddly, easy-to-drive 700hp GT2…

Rather than correct Walliser, we’ll give Porsche legend and two-times World rally Champion Walter Rohrl the last word on the GT2 RS…

“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…”

Bravo Walter, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves…