Grip And Rip

With Formula 1-inspired aero, Porsche’s new 911 GT3 RS conjures pavement-hugging performance out of thin air.

- Basem Wasef

IF YOU WANT to understand the story of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS, just look at the wing – and, really, where else would you look?

The latest 911 variant had been rumoured to receive a 4.2-litre mill, the same displacement as the feral GT3 R race car, but Porsche says the bigger engine wouldn’t have met emissions standards. So, to solve how to build a better sports car without boosting its brawn, the German marque leaned into the wind.

It’s here where we point out that the 518hp, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine is no slouch, with a dizzying 9,000rpm redline and six individual throttle bodies – inherited from the GT3 – that provide a gratifyingly sharp response from the right pedal. But it’s an evolution of an existing engine, whereas the car’s downforce numbers compared to its predecessor’s might as well be from a different machine entirely.