Porsche 911 GT3 RS top choice for road and race drivers

After a high-speed, non-stop drive in the Nürburgring 24 Hours motor race, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS might look a little battle-scarred, but the #11 race car remains in good health. After 24 hours, 145 laps and 3,680 kms around the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, the flat six ‘boxer’ engine runs like new, and not one unfriendly noise comes from its manual six-speed gearbox. Perfect condition, then, to undertake the short 200 miles drive from the circuit in the Eifel Mountains back to Stuttgart.

For a day and a night the car ran like clockwork, leaving the mechanics with only refuelling, tyre changes and cleaning the windows on which to concentrate during the pit stops. With the exception of replacing the front brakes – as planned – during the race, no further maintenance or repairs were necessary.

Germany’s most gruelling motor race, however, left its scars on the body of the distinctive white-and-red liveried car. The driver’s door and the left-hand door sill are dented after a rough punt courtesy of a rival, and the front indicator light is smashed. And the nose and rear wheel arches are adorned with traces of black rubber – the typical ‘badge of honour’ for a long-distance race car.

The four drivers taking turns behind the wheel in the Nürburgring 24 Hours were former German Touring Car Championship driver Roland Asch, racer and TV commentator Patrick Simon (Germany) and journalists Chris Harris (Great Britain) and Horst von Saurma (Germany) who each drove consistently fast and perfect laps.

The production engine also performed brilliantly and with exemplary efficiency at race speeds; the drivers could complete up to eleven laps before having to refuel – considerably further than most of their direct competition.

From 42nd on the starting grid, the 911 GT3 RS battled its way up the order hour after hour to finally cross the finish line a sensational thirteenth. One of the first to congratulate the squad was Wolfgang Dürheimer, Member of the Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG: “The driver quartet of the standard 911 GT3 RS showed impressively what such a car – that customers can buy at any Porsche Centre – is capable of.”

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is powered by a high-revving 450 hp, 3.8-litre, six-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine that produces a specific output of over 118 hp per litre. Developed in the Porsche Motorsport department at Weissach, Germany, the 911 GT3 RS is fitted with a particularly short transmission ratio for racing purposes as a standard feature. The dynamic engine mounts also featured contribute to improved driving dynamics. Depending on the road or track environment, the mounts change in their stiffness and damping effect, improving the connection between the engine and body when driving under racing conditions. Furthermore, the aerodynamics are designed for optimum downforce – another important feature for track racing.

The 911 GT3 RS is priced from £105,920 – with motor sport breeding included as standard.

Customers wishing to test the capability of their new GT3 RS a little closer to home are able to explore the dynamic attributes of the car, and further develop their own skills behind the wheel, courtesy of a Driving Experience Programme at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone.