Rennsport At Its Finest

Having only touched base on the new Porsche GT3 RS 4.0, I don’t think I’ve done one of the greatest car models enough justice. “RS” or Rennsport, is directly translated as “Race Sport” and is something Porsche tagged one of their 1973 Carrera models with. Called the Carrera 2.7 RS, it was built just so Porsche could compete in certain races. You needed to sell a certain number of road versions, to use the race version of the car. Many car manufacturers have accidentally created streetcar icons by having to do this. This “RS” created 210 hp, weighed a little more than 2300 lbs, and had larger brakes, wider rear arches, stiffened suspension and a ducktail spoiler. Then in 1974 Porsche created the RS 3.0 liter, making 230 hp thanks to Bosch fuel injection. These cars were light and basic, raw and powerful. They created the formula for street legal track cars, lightening, adding power, and precision. What Porsche did in 1973 and 1974, was set the mantle for the “RS” cars of the future. There were "RS" models during all generations of 911 but it wasn't until the 996-generation when "RS" took center stage. Porsche created the GT3 for the road, based on their racecar. It was produced from 1999-2004 and during that time Porsche went one better. They took the GT3, stripped even more bits out of the car to make it lighter and called it the GT3 RS. Since these two cars were so successful, Porsche developed them even further in the 997 generation. The GT3 RS was back with even more power and presence.  The outlandish paint schemes showed signs of the original “RS”. In 2009, the 997’s receive a bit of a facelift and some internal reworking as well. The MK 2 GT3 RS received a new 3.8 liter flat six making 450 hp. This was the first time the GT3 and GT3 RS had a power difference. Along with the “RS” versions of the GT3, Porsche decided to give their GT2 some more racing credentials. Their creation, the GT2 RS, is the fastest street legal car Porsche has ever produced. Only 500 were made and they were sold out after two months. I was lucky enough to see one in person and it happened to be number 500/500, the last one ever made. Despite being the fastest Porsche for the road, it is not the best “RS” model. Since the 997-generation is coming to a close, Porsche decided to make a sending off model, a last hurray. And what a machine it is. The GT3 RS 4.0 liter is also a special edition, only 600 will ever be made and they sold out quicker than the GT2 RS. It has the racing block from the RSR racecar and develops 500 hp from a naturally aspirated flat six. That is just a testimony to Porsche’s Engineers and their ability to push the envelope. And that’s what Porsche’s “RS” models are all about. They push the limit of things possible, constantly improving what they can. They put their soul into these cars. Anyone who says Porsches aren’t designed with passion is talking absolute rubbish, just drive an “RS”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX8_dRusyLw