2024 Porsche 911 GT3 RS: Test Driving Porsche's Gold Standard

MotorTrend

At MotorTrend’s 2024 Performance Vehicle of the Year

Transcript

00:00Wow, it's electrifying!

00:13The GT3 RS, a car which surely needs no introduction.

00:17The hardest, most focused version of Porsche's current generation 911.

00:22And we've got one here at Performance Vehicle of the Year.

00:25This is very, very exciting.

00:27Let me take you through it quickly, because there are certain elements of this car which are hard to ignore, right?

00:32So much of the front is taken up by aerodynamics and cooling.

00:36Get that hot air from that giant radiator in the frunk.

00:39There isn't a frunk, but in the frunk area.

00:41Get that hot air away from the car.

00:43And certainly don't let it get involved with the engine, where it would absolutely sap the power.

00:48Porsche think by up to 15 horsepower.

00:50So they've done everything they could to get that hot air out of there.

00:54But then when we get toward the back of the car, it's all about getting the air over the hood and onto this wing.

01:00This wing, which by the way, has active aerodynamics.

01:03There's a DRS system here.

01:05So, when you're driving in a straight line, 95% throttle, straight wheel.

01:10This little guy will open, less drag, more speeds, come on.

01:15Active aero on a road car is always a good idea.

01:19And honestly, to call this a road car, it's kind of reductive, right?

01:21This is absolutely a race car, which also just happens to have license plates.

01:25So, with that said, enough talking, let's do some driving.

01:35Winding out onto the track here in the GT3 RS.

01:41Wow, you look behind you, all you can see is wing.

01:45Then you put your foot down and all you can hear is that sonorous 4.0-litre redline.

01:549,000 rpm redline and I still managed to hit it.

01:57That 4.0-litre engine, beautiful.

02:01Couldn't even turn it.

02:03So, yes, as I said, a lot of that stuff at the front end

02:07is all about deflecting the air away from that front end,

02:12getting the hot air out of that ginormous radiator and away from the engine.

02:19There's a lot of aero going on there, too.

02:22All those little strakes, they're adding to the front end downforce,

02:26which is what you want.

02:28All those little strakes, they're adding to the front end downforce,

02:31which in a rear-engined car is, of course, of paramount importance.

02:37It doesn't just stop there at this beautiful sheet metal and carbon fibre masterpiece.

02:45Even things like the suspension elements are adding to the front downforce.

02:50The front wishbones, they contribute something like 88 pounds of front downforce

02:58just from the amount of air that passes through them

03:00and the fact that they are shaped like miniature wings.

03:03That's F1 tech in a road car.

03:06Pretty cool.

03:10And then, of course, speaking of F1 tech,

03:14we've got the DRS, which will open automatically.

03:18You can also open it manually with a little button here.

03:23The wing really is

03:26an incredible piece of engineering.

03:29At 177 mph, it's generating 1,896 pounds of downforce, I mean.

03:37This thing only weighs 3,200 pounds,

03:39so that's like having another half a car over the rear axle.

03:45It's honestly incredible.

03:49Even being rear-engined, even being rear-wheel drive,

03:54the amount of tuck-in from the front end is spectacular.

03:59The steering and suspension work in harmony.

04:02The brakes, this of course has those optional carbon ceramics.

04:06They're another 10 grand, but I'm pretty sure they're worth every penny.

04:13And that's the other thing,

04:16and I know I'm about to sound a little bit silly here,

04:20but I do think this car, if you can get your hands on one,

04:24represents excellent value for money.

04:26It starts at $244,000.

04:29This one we're driving, which as I said has the carbon ceramics,

04:33has a few other options, has the VISAF package,

04:36which is another $33,000.

04:39And includes a load of nice little carbon fiber bits,

04:42different interior details, and a weight reduction of 33 pounds.

04:46That's $1,000 per pound, per my maths.

04:50This one's only $300,000.

04:53I think it's $302,000 as driven.

04:56And when you consider that this car is displaying technology and posting times,

05:01not dissimilar to cars like the McLaren Senna,

05:04and the Aston Martin GT3,

05:08and the Aston Martin Valkyrie,

05:11those cars cost $800,000, $900,000, $1,000,000, $1,000,000, $2,000,000.

05:15So this thing at $300,000, incredible.

05:18It's arguably more daily drivable than those cars.

05:22Wow. I've run out of superlatives.

05:25I'm just saying wow a lot.

05:32Gosh, the grip is endless and effortless.

05:36I cannot believe the amount of miniature adjustments you're able to make.

05:40Even whilst the car is loaded up, pulling a couple of G in the corner,

05:44this car handles everything you can throw at it.

05:47And it's very approachable.

05:49It's not all that intimidating to drive, despite its ferocious looks.

05:53And its reputation as a track weapon.

05:58Feels like this thing's big competitor here has got to be the McLaren, right?

06:01That and the Ferrari.

06:04Interesting. We've kind of got ourselves a 2024 update on the Holy Trinity, right?

06:08None of these are halo hypercars.

06:11And they all boast numbers similar to the ones hosted by that incredible Holy Trinity some 8, 10 years ago.

06:23The fact that the GT3 RS, with its naturally aspirated 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine,

06:28devoid of a hybrid powertrain or turbochargers,

06:31can offer a comparable driving experience to hypercars from less than a decade ago,

06:36and not just that, but punch up to compete with cars two to three times its price,

06:40is remarkable, to say the least.

06:43There will be a time, in the not-so-distant future,

06:46when the growl of a naturally aspirated combustion engine will be absent from dealer lots.

06:52But today is not that day.

06:54And so, we are going to enjoy this while it lasts.

07:31Transcribed by ESO, translated by —

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