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The winged GT2 RS eats driver’s licences for breakfast, heightens egos and takes city streets with unrelenting force.
A wild ride from Stuttgart over the Swabian Alb to Munich suggests that this mean machine is about to turn the high-performance sports car world upside down. After what seems like years of speculation, Stuttgart’s most radical 911 is ready to hunt down all comers. The warning bell has well and truly sounded. Game on.
Of course, then there are those times when you have the driving skills of a professional behind the wheel, one such as Uwe Braun, head of the GT car development department and certified lead-foot. Without hesitation, the veteran Porsche engineer reaches for the ignition key, smiles and pulls the PDK lever into its sportiest mode.
Yet, despite the related RS nomenclature, the GT2 and the GT3 are worlds apart. It’s not merely a matter of turbocharged versus naturally aspirated, XXL versus XL wing-work or PDK versus manual gearbox. What makes the biggest difference is the 147 extra kilowatts and some 290Nm of torque.
As a result, the latest batmobile on steroids can accelerate to 100km/h in a claimed 2.8 seconds, hit 200km/h in less than nine seconds and reach a 340km/h top speed.
Wafting through villages at 2000rpm it is so intensely resonant it almost hurts. But as soon as the opportunity arises to uncage the beast behind our backs, the twin-turbo flat six turns up the volume and climaxes with a decibel tornado. Give it stick and the two catalytic converters, which lurk behind the four oversize tailpipes, start glowing red.
The RS acronym stands for Racing Sport, which is the domain of Andreas Preuninger and his team who have done a good job of refining the spring and damper rates to almost mirror the Carrera Cup car.
Even though a strict carbon-fibre diet helps to keep the kerb weight to 1470kg, for a price premium you can have the 918-inspired Weissach pack, which sheds another 30kg. The pack includes composite sway bars, a rollcage made of titanium, magnesium wheels and a thinner roof skin. For the hardcore among us, you can also opt to delete air-conditioning, sat-nav and radio.
On the other hand, those looking for a comfier experience can pay extra for the electronically adjustable comfort seats. Uwe Braun is a pragmatic person. In the beginning he’s happy to talk tech like that mixed in with various anecdotes. However, talk is cheap and after the initial impressions are digested, it’s time to set off.
Ramping up into fourth gear the devastating GT2 RS runs out of road at an alarming rate before my pilot jumps on the brake pedal – hard. The forceful application means the digital speedo once again returns to an officer-friendly 100km/h.
BB-PW 7743, the steed we are piloting, is one of 18 prototypes. It has only 6139km on the clock, but if the condition of the bodywork is anything to go by, this GT2 RS has already lived a hard life.
On a three-lane stretch of autobahn, we saw speeds that would have you saying goodbye to your licence for a very long time here in Australia. It felt like the final phase prior to lift-off, but maximum downforce has actually increased to 350kg, of which two thirds rests on the wide rubber at the rear.
On the road winding through the roller-coaster landscape of the Swabian Alb, the wiry wizard from Weissach once again puts the hammer down hard. With the GT2 RS, he manages to fuse staggering acts of agility with stunning, wide-eyed moments of hard acceleration. After all, this 911 is, in essence, an old-school, high-octane tearaway which commands the road with elegance and reassuring exactness.
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Entry speeds into corners are mind-boggling with grip exceeding all physical and mental thresholds you thought you knew. And just when you are absolutely certain that the moment has come to pay the price for one’s folly and for the insane 39:61 front-to-rear weight distribution to take control, the rear-wheel steering interacts with a casual stabilising gesture.
Those massive brakes also offer tactile modularity and instant feedback. When Uwe Braun starts pushing his baby to the limit, mind and body come along for the ride. It’s all about trust and faith.
The rear axle, located on uniball joints, actually traces the front axle with uncanny accuracy. The aero kit produces enough downforce to keep the nose riveted to the blacktop, suppress any trace of waywardness and seal the bond between man and machine.
In seventh gear, riding the mighty torque curve, the widebody speed demon shows impressive amounts of poise. It’s all sensory overload and enough to forgive the jarring low-speed ride quality and the obnoxious tone of voice.
You also always have to bear in mind that the standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres – specifically designed for the hyper RS – limit your ambitions. Warmer weather and dry tarmac need only apply.
At all times you have to be aware of what’s at your disposal as the quicker bite and epic pace combine for a more unforgiving nature. But that’s probably how it should be for the angriest 911, which, unsurprisingly, has sold out long before order books opened.
However, it’s enough of a taste to know that the next big hitter is the definitive accolade for the turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine. Porsche has created yet another freak of nature that we’re unsure the world is quite ready for.
2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS Specs: Body: 2-door, 2-seat coupe Drive: rear-wheel Engine: 3800cc flat-6, DOHC, 24v, twin-turbo Power: 515kW Torque: 750Nm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch Weight: 1470kg Tyre sizes: 265/35 ZR20 (f); 325/30 ZR21 (r) Tyres: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 0-100km/h: 2.8sec (claimed) Top speed: 340km/h Price: $645,700
