Zuffenhausen’s latest and greatest has finally landed in Malaysia, and it was aptly launched at the Sepang International Circuit, no less. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS, which officially debuted nearly a year ago in Goodwood, England, is the most hardcore iteration of the 991.2 model range, and it comes with an eye-watering base price of RM2.9 million (with duties, before insurance).
Let’s dive straight into the meat and potatoes. Powering the GT2 RS is a 3.8 litre twin-turbo flat-six engine, producing a beastly 700 hp and 750 Nm of torque – that’s 80 hp and 50 Nm more than the previous 911 GT2 RS’ 3.6 litre flat-six unit. The engine is based on that of the Turbo S (607 hp/750 Nm), but here it gets a larger turbocharger and a new cooling system that sprays charge air (not unlike the BMW M4 GTS) with water.
All that power is directed exclusively to the rear wheels (911 Turbos are AWD, which makes the GT2 RS even more bananas) through a customised seven-speed dual-clutch (PDK) transmission. It rockets from zero to 100 km/h in a blistering 2.8 seconds, and onwards to a top speed of 340 km/h. It sits on a race-inspired chassis with rear-axle steering, and it’s fitted with a specially calibrated Porsche Stability Management (PSM) with a Sport mode to provide optimal driving dynamics.
To complement its immense output, the coupé gets huge 20-inch wheels up front and larger 21-inch hoops at the rear. They are shod with 265/35-section front and 325/30-section rear Ultra High Performance (UHP) tyres – carbon ceramic brakes are standard.
There’s heavy aerodynamics at play, evident through the front bumper with large air intakes, a sizeable splitter and NACA ducts in the bonnet. Over at the back, the engine lid features twin intakes to provide a ram-air effect, along with large twin pipes that lead to a titanium exhaust system (saves seven kg from the one on the Turbo) and of course, the massive GT rear wing.
With a full fuel tank, the GT2 RS tips the scales at 1,470 kg. The optional Weissach pack (RM138k) will shave 30 kg off, thanks to use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic and titanium. This covers the roof, anti-roll bars and coupling rod for the front and rear axles as well as the bonnet. The pack also comes with magnesium wheels, which further reduce weight and unsprung mass.
Inside, it gets a black leather and red Alcantara upholstery, the latter extending to the roof. Also on are carbon-fibre trims, sports steering wheel with paddle shifters and Porsche Track Precision app that tracks driving data on a smartphone. The Chrono Package can also be specified, complete with a lap trigger.
Also for the first time, in conjunction with the debut of the GT2 RS, Porsche Design is releasing a special timepiece made of titanium which will be available to owners. The movement (01.200 calibre with a flyback function) is developed by PD and features a load-path-optimised movement bridge and an COSC certificate of authenticity. Each unit will be individually produced.
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is not just one to talk. Watch as Lars Kern set the Nurburgring world record behind the wheel of the hot coupé, upsetting the previous record holder Lamborghini Huracan LP640-4 Performante with an impressive lap time of six minutes 47.3 seconds.