The 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is probably as close as we’ll get to being able to buy a road-going Porsche race car. It has the power and aerodynamic trickery to carve out blisteringly quick lap times anywhere it goes, and the Nurburgring is no exception.
Sport Auto test driver Christian Gebhardt piloted the new GT3 RS around the famous race track. He completed the lap in an impressive 6 minutes and 54.99 seconds. That’s better than the 911 GT3 the publication tested earlier this year, which returned a 6:59.42 lap time, and that car featured a Manthey performance kit.
Gallery: 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Porsche powers the GT3 RS with its naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine. It makes 518 bhp, 16 more than the GT3, and 343 pound-feet of torque, with the automaker routing the power through its seven-speed PDK gearbox to the rear wheels. Porsche engineers squeezed the extra power from the engine with a motorsport-derived single-throttle intake system and new camshafts with modified cam profiles.
The powertrain is just one part of the car’s performance equation. The RS features active aerodynamics and a drag reduction system, the first time Porsche has offered the technology on a production model.
The new aero allows the car to create 409 kilograms (901 pounds) of downforce at 124 miles per hour, which more than doubles to 860 kg (1,895 pounds) at 177 mph. That’s also twice as much as its 991.2-generation predecessor. Even the double-wishbone front axle increase downforce, their teardrop-shaped profiles adding 40 kg (88 lbs) of downforce at top speed.
Check Out More Porsche Lap Times:
Porsche says the car can reach 60 mph in 3.0 seconds and hit a top speed of 186 mph. The automaker corrals all that power with six-position front and four-piston rear brakes. The car weighs just 1,482 kg (3,268 lbs), with Porsche using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic for the doors, front wings, bucket seats, and other bits.
Owning the 911 GT3 RS isn’t cheap. It debuted with a £178,500 price tag. However, Porsche’s consumer site shows that the cost has ticked up, with the car now starting at £192,600.
Source: Sport Auto / YouTube