I figured that, when the time was right, the car gods would send me the vehicle you see before you on this page: the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. If you’re able to assimilate oxygen through your lungs and have a pulse, no doubt you’ve heard of it. But I’m not allowed to be a fanboy – no car is perfect, and it’s my job to find those flaws which might give you pause when purchasing.
I want one. You want one. And I know that you know that we both want one. Let’s figure out why.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Quick Take
Get one:
Pulls Gs like an F-15. The sound and soul at 800 RPM or 8,000. You can find a different exotic car, but it won’t be better.
Don’t get one:
It’s not overpriced, but it’s pricey. Still a 911 at the end of the day. Maybe you want more power.
Soul Score: 10
For sale: G80 M3. A child. My house. A kidney…
The 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS overview
911s, amiright? A million flavors. All good, but still a 911. And now, all turbocharged. Almost. Not this guy though. The GT3 is Porsche asking “Would you pay more if we kept it old school?”. Yup.
No turbos. A manual option (or this PDK that bolts right into your brain). Gigantic tires, carbon ceramic brakes – usual supercar stuff.
Porsche has made GT3s before, but each time they keep getting better as they continue to refine the basic 911. It’s intimidating to drive for about 5 minutes, and then you start to realize that not only are you not pushing it, you’re not even asking it to get out of bed. Your personal driving limits must be adjusted – this isn’t an M3 or even a GT4.
Being the RS makes it the ultimate example of the breed – big wing, minimalist inside, even the lack of a loud color. For good measure, let’s add the Weissach Package for less weight and more performance.
Bro, we’re here to drive. So let’s drive.
Performance Score: 10. Scream for me
This car is theater, like the Z06, and though it’s comfortable, pushing it will result in sweaty brows and tired arms. A track doesn’t come with every purchase, but it should.
Engine
Let me start off by saying that this car had an aftermarket exhaust fitted, so it really brought out the voice of the GT3. I’d put it on the car before even taking delivery.
Shoved into the butt is a 4.0 liter flat six that pushes out 520 horsepower at 8,250 RPM, with “just” 346 lb-ft of torque online by 6,000. Surely you can tell by those numbers that you must rev this 911 to produce power. It revs fast too – faster than anything else I have experienced, and makes an S65 feel like the diesel in a Sierra.
The odd part of the experience is the speed to sound correlation. The GT3 is loud – so loud that you look down at the tach thinking it’s spinning at 9,000 RPM, only to discover you’re at 6k. Oh wait, there’s more?!
It’s one way you must adjust your driving brain.
Another way is that though this car is fast (1/4 mile in 11 flat), it’s not as fast as a Z06. Because there’s such theater attached to the engine, you might think you’re going 90. Look down and you’re only at about 70. Porsche makes the GT2 flavor with its turbocharged flat-six, so if you feel like you need more power (the chassis can certainly handle it), then consider that car.
Please understand that I’m being Über picky – there’s so much speed and power here that it’s impossible to exploit it on the street. What’s not to like? The fact that it can’t deploy spikes to deter the fuzz from chasing you?
Transmission
This remains one of the few 911s that can he had with a manual in regular GT3 trim, and you might convince me to select that option if we were reviewing the Touring level.
But here in the RS? No. Never. The PDK is the best dual clutch box on the planet. There’s simply nothing like it, and it highlights how far Chevy must go with the unit in the Z06.
The unit here is perfect for predicting the gear you’ll need in every situation. In normal driving, it’s quite civil and won’t snap your neck. Once you go Hulk mode, it’s ready, never short shifting to save a buck on a gallon of gas. Even M cars are eager to change gears in Sport mode. Want maximum speed? Select the button for PDK Sport.
Bye-bye.
The paddles make such a satisfying clack with each pull too, it’s fun to do it yourself. The RS is one of a handful of cars where I want to use them.
Steering and chassis
I’m not sure what I can say abut the steering aside from perfection. It’s so direct and makes the 3,200-lb GT3 feel like a go kart (remember this is still a big, wide thing). Park the car with ease because it’s never too heavy – I’m just not sure why everyone can’t make electronic power steering like this. No other car comes close.
Perhaps the most intimidating part of the GT3 is the handling. Push it for well over 1 G of grip, with a set of monstrous Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. These are about as aggressive as it gets for street meats.
But yea, still a 911 with the engine in the wrong place. The Vette and GT4 have a better balance. I don’t think the GT3 will bite you like older 911s used to, but Porsche has the equivalent of the Borg Collective in electronic aids here to help you keep everything under control. I’m always aware of where the weight is, and self-preservation kicks in my primate brain.
Around town, this car is…civil? Respectful? Feels like a normal 911, which is amazing. It’s always taught, never rough. An adjustable suspension can be firmed up with a button on the center dash as well, but it still doesn’t ruin the ride.
You could use it for date night – that’s a not-so-subtle hint to Mrs. Machines.
Brakes
My bad. Sean, the owner, knew right away that I was braking too early into corners.
Behind a set of beautiful HRE wheels lies a set of 16.1-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discs (15.1 in back) that work as you’d expect – they stop your heart in your chest under full compression. My only excuse was perhaps they were a bit cold – ceramic brakes work better once you get on them.
Still, combined with the grip of those Cup 2s, limits must be adjusted. No way I could push the RS hard enough to need all this braking power. Feel secure in the knowledge that on your next track day, you’ll be absolutely prepared.
This car costs around $230,000, which makes it about $100k more expensive than the Z06. That car is faster, but the RS feels more put together. How Porsche manages to make this car so stiff, so capable, and yet so comfortable is beyond me.
There really is no substitute.
Utility Score: 3. Bikini bottom
There’s an engine is the ass, so this 911 must make due with a single small trunk in the nose. It’s enough for an overnight bag and it’s relatively deep, so just be grateful for that. It’ll fit a racing helmet if that’s your thing.
Here’s one curiosity – the back seat is gone, replaced by a simple carpeted shelf. You can toss some things back there, and there’s no roll cage, but I think it’s simply an odd thing. The 911 has always had a back seat, and sometimes it’s useful, but in a GT3 it’s just sort of there. Might a Boxster’s mid-engine design, or a C8 Vette’s, to be the better layout?
The seats here are the same carbon fiber-shelled units used in the 911 T, and there isn’t really a graceful way to get inside the car. Put your hand on the sill, drop your ass over the scalloped bottom bucket, plop in, then swing your legs over. But once you’re in, wow, a revelation. Guess I lost weight. I do wish for just a bit more room in the seat’s mid-section, but you need chairs like this to hold you in place because of the Gs the GT3 can pull. They are still more comfortable than BMW’s stupid buckets.
Fuel Economy Score: 5. Useless information
You get 16 MPG combined, and up to 19 on the highway. It’s rated higher than a Z06, the only other naturally aspirated car in the GT3’s pricing realm.
Now that’s really pretty good, but will there ever be a time where you are not driving this car like you’re trying to escape your mother-in-law after another fight with your wife?
For $140, you can option a larger 23.8-gallon gas tank (up from 16.9) – this will pay dividends on track day because you’ll never be able to carry enough for a full day of flogging. Do what you will with this information.
Features and Comfort: 8. All you need when you feel the need
I love the interior of the 911 – this one in particular. There’s real dials, real HVAC controls, a small but useful screen, and clearly-marked buttons. You don’t need all that crap everyone is putting in to distract you from how bad the car is if you make a car like this.
TIE fighter
Once you’re inside, you can look around and simply feel like you’re in any other Porsche – a good thing because familiarization time is much reduced.
Start with plenty of soft leather on the seats, dash and armrest, and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel that feels just perfect in your hands. All the buttons feel precise and clean – it’s obvious that the Corvette is greatly improved, but still needs some work to match the quality of the GT3 inside.
This being the Weissach edition, you get a small badge on the carbon fiber trim and embroidered badges on the head rests. The nav screen is small, but functional. Peep the CD player.
The 991.2 is now a five-year old car, so it might not be “cutting edge” like the latest examples, but this is what you need if you take driving seriously.
Big wings are my thing
I hate shooting black cars – they eat up light and hide all the details. But it has the effect of making the 911 GT3 look even more menacing.
GT3 stickers on the side become hidden, as does the big P O R S C H E on the wing. By the way – that wing isn’t there for decoration – you’ll need it on track to hold the back end down. A carbon fiber roof and hood reduce weight, courtesy of the Weissach pack. Kudos to BMW for making carbon fiber bits for the masses, because Porsche should at least include the roof as standard.
A set of beautiful five-spoke HRE wheels with center locks and the aforementioned exhaust are all that differentiate this from a stock example. I do wish that some of the black plastic trim would go away – it looks cheap, and isn’t necessary aside from perhaps the side intakes.
Speaking of, as this is based on the 911 Turbo chassis, the GT3 has a wider rear end and those side intakes despite not being a Turbo. Makes the regular 911 look like Bruce Banner.
The perfect car doesn’t exi…
Many years ago, I dated someone who’s brother was the head chef at the Friar’s Club in Manhattan, and one night he invited me to dine at the restaurant. He served everything on the menu – it was delicious of course, no way I could eat it all. When we were done, I thanked him profusely for this once-in-a-lifetime meal, and he said he was just so grateful someone actually enjoyed it.
What do you mean?
Seems the people that usually eat there quickly become accustomed to the food. To them, it was just a Thursday dinner.
The point of this story as it relates to the GT3 is that I wonder – do people get used to the car and make it feel commonplace to drive? Isn’t it too rich for a Tuesday morning commute? The answer is perhaps yes to the latter question, and that’s good. You could easily live with it daily as long as you can work around the compromises, but the moment you push it, you unlock sweaty palms. It doesn’t belong sitting in traffic on the cork screw to the Lincoln Tunnel.
That’s why they make a GT3 Touring.
The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is the rare thing in life worth the price
Look, there’s no way around this: the car is expensive and impossible to find. You must pay to play, end of story. It’s perhaps the only car I’d even consider paying over sticker for, because at least you’ll make that money back.
You can go downmarket for a Z06, and I think that car drives just as well, though not as raw. Elsewhere are things like a Huracan or whatever Ferrari is pushing out these days – but those cars aren’t special like this one is. Especially Ferrari – much more expensive, much less pure experience.
You can look at a Cayman 718 GT4, and that’s a car that is perhaps a bit better on the street – lower levels of performance and a better natural chassis setup make that car feel like just as much fun. Or, spend a little more for the GT2 – this car, plus the Turbo motor. It’ll solve the power problem (if you think there’s one), while maintaining all the special elements of the GT3. But you know, it’s turbocharged…can it be as smooth, without lag? Sort of defeats the purpose.
Everything I just gave you are alternatives, but none of them combine the rawness, the performance, the ability, or the personality that this 911 has. It’s rare to be the king of Sunday mornings and Saturday afternoons at the track – you need make no excuses for this car.
No big revelation, I know, but sometimes when the car gods send you a hero, it turns out to be as good as you anticipate.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE
rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-passenger, two-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $190,050
POWERTRAIN
4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six
520 horsepower @ 8,250 RPM
346 lb-ft @ 6,000 RPM
Seven-speed dual clutch transmission
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 96.6 in
Length: 179.4 in
Width: 74.0 in
Height: 51.1 in
Curb Weight: 3,260 lbs
FUEL ECONOMY
16 combined / 15 city / 19 highway
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