Hardcore Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 revealed

After several rumours and photo leaks, Porsche has officially revealed the last of the current generation 911s - the GT3 RS 4.0.

The new GT3 RS 4.0 is a limited edition race-car based special, sharing several components with Porsche’s 911 GT3 RSR race-car.  The standout feature is indeed the engine, a 4.0-litre flat-six engine, the biggest size of any road-going 911, producing 500 hp at 8,250 rpm and 339 lb ft of torque at 5,750 rpm.  The crankshaft, forged pistons, and titanium connecting rods have all been lifted straight from the RSR into the 4.0.

With a high horsepower output from a naturally-aspirated engine, the new GT3 RS 4.0 is producing 125 hp/litre, nearly matching the Ferrari 458 Italia’s 126 hp/litre.  “It’s as close to the race-car a street-legal car possibly gets,” Porsche’s Head of GT cars, Andreas Preuninger, says. “The GT3 engine never felt better, believe me it’s that brilliant.”

As with all GT3 models, the 4.0 gets a six-speed manual transmission sending drive to the rear wheels, and with a weight of 1360 kg, the 4.0 has a power-to-weight ratio of 368 hp/tonne.  Acceleration from a standstill to 62 mph takes 3.9 seconds, 0-100 mph takes 7.9 seconds, and the top speed is 193 mph.  Another important number is its 7:27 min lap-time around the Nurburgring, making it one of the faster cars at the legendary German race track.

In terms of handling, Porsche has included a number of devices to aid the chassis; one of which is Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, an electronic adaptive damper adjustment system that controls individuals damping forces for each wheel, as well as additional ball-joints on the rear axle for greater adaptability.

The new Porsche gets white paint as standard, while other exterior characteristics include a low ride height, a wide track, central twin-exhaust pipes, a large rear wing, and lateral front air deflection vanes (flics).  The flics are being used for the first time on a road-going Porsche, and help to increase downforce on the front axle.  Combining the steeply inclined rear wing and the flics, enable the 4.0 to generate up to 190 kg of downforce at its top speed, adding to its high-speed stability.

Collectors will be pleased to know that only 600 examples will ever be produced, with each fetching at least £128,466 ($185,000 in the US).  The GT3 RS 4.0 will go on sale in July.

Alex Kisiri