ROAD CAR TESTS
Downforce to be reckoned with
Porsche has focused on aero to squeeze more from its 911 GT3 RS. Andrew Frankel takes to the track to see what this means
It was, on reflection, the only way Porsche could go. It couldn’t make its new 911 GT3 RS more powerful while retaining a naturally aspirated and legally compliant engine, nor could it make it significantly lighter, because it’s already as light as a fully homologated road car not using a bespoke platform can reasonably be. So how else do you make a big performance gain if your power to weight ratio must remain unchanged? Aero, is the answer.
The huge rear wing creates up to 860kg, which is more than double that of the previous GT3 RS
There is not space here to explain all the modifications to the standard GT3 aero package that resulted in the GT3 RS – some you can see like the vast, DRS-equipped rear wing, the cut outs behind the wheels and front spoiler, and others like the active flaps under the front wings, fully panelled underside and rear diffuser you cannot. But together they provide more downforce when fully trimmed out than a GT3 set up for maximum attack. With the DRS shut it develops more downforce than a Carrera Cup race car, and the same as the RSR in Le Mans configuration. It has more than twice as much downforce as any previous Porsche road car and the effects are stunning.