Porsche 911 GT2 RS Full Review | Specifications, Price and Competitors

Overview

The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is a high-performance sports car produced by German auto manufacturer, Porsche. The first generation of 911 started back in 1993 and was produced till 1998 then it was produced between 2001 to 2005 and from 2007 to 2012. Now, in 2018, Porsche has decided to continue the production with the new GT2 RS.

The Porsche 911 GT2 RS was initially released at the 2017 E3 along with the announcement of Forza Motorsport 7 video game. Then, finally, the car was officially launched at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed and Porsche also introduced the 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series during the same event.

The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is based largely on the 911 Turbo. The car features the same twin-turbocharged engine but with numerous upgrade to improve its performance. New larger brakes and stiffer suspension calibration are among the upgrades of the car. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is way lighter than the 911 Turbo due to its rear-wheel drive system instead of the all-wheel system in the 911 Turbo. There has also been a reduction or complete removal of certain interior components. 

Another amazing fact worth noting is that the Porsche 911 GT2 RS is the most expensive and fastest car in the 911 lineup. 

Specifications

Design

The design of the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS is completely insane. Porsche has gone to the extreme level with this one and we all love how it looks. Raw, menacing and definitely sexy! The design of the GT2 RS is literally the GT2 with additional air intakes, a large rear wing bigger than the body of the car and other modifications. 

The Porsche GT2 RS has a roof made of magnesium, very durable but lighter than aluminium. The front lid, front and rear wings and boot lid are all made of carbon. Polyurethane, known for its lightweight, is present on the front and rear apron. The rear and side windows of the car are made of polycarbonate. The GT2 RS has a titanium exhaust system. Porsche has made sure that the GT2 RS is the lightest and most agile car in the 911 lineup.

Let's talk about air vents now. At first glance itself, you will notice air intakes everywhere around the car. Well, these powerful air intakes ensure optimum cooling of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. There are additional air outlets on the front helping with the airflow of the central radiator and at the same time making the car more aerodynamics while increasing downforce. The large rear wing brings in the biggest contribution in terms of downforce. Porsche has made it clear that all the air vents are protected by titanium-coloured air intake grilles. The two vents on the front lid are used to ventilate the braking system. This is the first time that a series-production Porsche is equipped with vents on the front lid. They cool down the braking system without reducing the drag coefficient. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS has a net weight of only 1470 kg.

Weissach Package

An option to make the Porsche 911 GT2 RS even much lighter is to go for the Weissach package. The latter will reduce additional 30 kg of weight from the car. How they do that? They use carbon fibre and titanium in more places around the car. They make the anti-roll bars and coupling rods on both axles out of carbon fibre. They will also give you a fresh set of magnesium wheels.

Engine

The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is powered by a 3.8L twin-turbocharged flat-6 making 690 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the GT2, the GT2 RS has a seven-speed PDK transmission to handle the excess amount of torque. The car will do 0 to 60 mph in 2.7s and it will do 0 to 100 mph in 5.8s, faster than its predecessor for sure. It will reach up to a top speed of 210 mph (340 km/h).

During the last days of September 2017, the Porsche GT2 RS made a lap time of 6:47:3 at the Nurburgring, averaging a speed of 184.11 km/h. This is the fastest production car lap time ever recorded there. 

Price

The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is significantly more expensive than the rest of the 911 lineup. The car starts at MSRP $293,200. With options, the price will reach up to $350,000. It is expected to arrive in the United States during early 2018.

Competitors

Let's take a look at the competitors of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS:

Ferrari 488 GTB

The Ferrari 488 GTB is a mid-engined supercar produced by Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari, replacing the 458. The car is powered by a 3.9L twin-turbocharged V8 making 661 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque. The rear-wheel-drive Italian supercar is available only with an automated manual dual-clutch seven-speed F1 gearbox. The Ferrari 488 GTB will reach 62 mph in 3.0s flat and it will reach 124 mph in 8.3s. The car has a top speed of around 205 mph (330 km/h). The 488 GTB is equipped with improved ceramic brakes to stop the car at very high speed. 

The Ferrari 488 GTB has been designed to increase the amount of downforce by 50% over the 458 and at the same time reducing aerodynamic drag. Its fuel consumption ranges from 10.7L to 14.7L per 100 km. The car weighs 1475 kg (3252 lbs), just 5 kg heavier than the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. The base price of the Ferrari 488 GTB is $301,000, slightly more expensive than the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. 

Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2 Coupe

 The Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2 is a lower cost alternative to the AWD Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4. This rear-wheel-drive Lamborghini Huracan has a 5.2L V10 producing 572 hp and 393 lb-ft of torque. The car is equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It will go from 0 to 62 mph in 3.4s and it will accelerate from 0 to 124 mph in 10.1s. The Huracan has a top speed of 199 mph (320 km/h). Fuel consumption is around 9.0L to 19.6L per 100 km depending on how you are driving it. It is the lightest among its competitors, weighing only 1389 kg (3062 lbs). 

The design of the Lamborghini Huracan RWD is similar to that of the Lamborghini Huracan AWD. The only difference is the drivetrain and the price. The base price of the Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2 is $201,100, making it the cheapest among its competitors. 

There you have it, the full in-depth review of the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS and its competitors. Let me know in the comments section below your thoughts about it.