Porsche has brought its most hardcore, monstrous and powerful 911 ever built – to India. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS retails at a staggering Rs 3.88 crore (ex-showroom). This is the car that clocked a blisteringly fast 6 min 47 sec around the Green Hell. Propelling the 911 GT2 RS is a 3.8-litre flat-six, twin-turbo engine with variable turbine geometry that unleashes 691 horses at a screaming 7000rpm, just 200rpm shy of the redline, while an earth spinning 750Nm of peak twist is available from a low 2500rpm. All the power is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed PDK transmission. The GT2 RS smashes the 100kmph barrier in just 2.8 seconds, 200kmph in 8.3 seconds and 300kmph in 22.1 seconds with a top whack ‘limited’ to 340kmph! The 911 GT2 RS is also equipped with rear axle steering to steer the rear wheels in opposite direction at low speeds, and steer in the same direction as the front wheels at high speeds. While the turning circle is reduced at low speeds, at high speeds, this enables the car to be more agile and allows rapid lane changes, says Porsche.
Air is fed via a new ‘expansion’ induction system, with the help of inlets on either side at the of the rear windows. The turbos are also larger compared to the 911 Turbo S. The intercoolers get a 27 per cent greater throughput capacity and are housed behind those massive intakes on the rear wheel arches. To reduce the temperature further, Porsche has equipped the GT2 RS with a water spray system via a 5-litre carbon fibre tank located in the front luggage area. The system reduces the temperature by 20° C, which is necessary to battle the heat build up from the engine. The cooler and denser air fed to the engine also results in more bang for every penny of that hefty price tag.
Light weight materials like carbon fibre and magnesium are used in abundance to keep the weight of the supercar in check. Carbon fibre slats are present on the front wheel arches too, which provide ventilation and reduce the excess pressure by the rotating front wheels, thus resulting in more downforce. Two vents on the front lid called ‘NACA’ air intakes are used as a ventilation system for brakes, without affecting the drag co-efficient of the supercar. These bits are from the GT3 cup cars, and the shape of the front air vents were developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor of NASA. Wider sideskirts increase the underbody area, therefore adding to the downforce. A large carbon fibre finished rear fixed wing along with twin exhausts sticking out of the blacked out rear bumper completes the visual drama of the sexy 911 GT2 RS.
Porsche’s motorsport experience trickles down to the 911 GT2 RS, as the supercar’s chassis closely resembles to that of the cup car. The 911 GT2 RS also gets the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system that continuously adjusts the damping force on each wheel based on the road conditions and driving style. Other driver aids include Porsche Stability Management system, ABS, stability control, torque vectoring, tyre pressure monitoring and traction control. PSM enables braking of individual wheels based on the direction of travel, yaw velocity, speed and lateral acceleration. Anchoring the 911 GT2 RS are ventilated 410mm and 390mm carbon ceramic disc brakes at the front and rear, operated by six pot and four pot callipers. An optional lift system located on the front axle lifts the nose of the car by 30mm upto speeds of 50kmph, so that the gorgeous looking front facia doesn’t kiss the speed breakers on the roads.
On the inside, you get a mix of red Alacantara leathers, black leathers and carbon weave finish that decorate the cabin. Alacantara leather is used generously in the cabin in places like the door handles, armrests, centre console, gear selector and the stowage space. The steering wheel is also wrapped in Alacantara leather. You also get a 4.6-inch colour display that spits out various infos. The sports steering can be adjusted axially and vertically by up to 40mm and the spokes of the steering wheel are finished with carbon fibre. You sit on light weight carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) seats that are height adjustable and can be lowered by 30mm or raised by 20mm. Bucket seats are available as an option, too. All these result in a kerb weight of just 1470kg and a power to weight ratio of 477bhp/ton!
The front wheels are 20 inchers, while the rear gets 21 inch alloys and are shod with 265/30 and 325/30 at the front and rear respectively, which aids in better driving dynamics, says Porsche.
For the hardcore enthusiast who pays a visit to the racetrack often, Porsche is offering the Weissach Package. It aims to get your GT2 RS as closely specced as the cup car reducing the overall weight of the car by nearly 30kg by ditching steel for titanium and adding more carbon fibre bits over and above the Club Sport Package. It gets a titanium roll cage, which is 12kg lighter to the steel roll cage in the Club Sport Package. The stabilizers on the front and rear axles along with the coupling rods – are made of carbon fibre, which is a first for a series production car. The 911 GT2 RS WP tips the scales at 1440kg, with a power-to-weight ratio of 487bhp/ton. Even the floor carpets are now thinner in an attempt to shave off a few grams in Porsche’s fastest road-going car.
Check out our first impressions of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS here.