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The 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS ups the ante and the downforce

The camouflage has finally been removed from latest and most unhinged iteration of the Porsche 911 ever. Meet the new downforce king, the 525 bhp 911 GT3 RS.

Fans of vanilla ice cream, still water, and lightly salted crisps look away now, because Porsche’s brand-new 992-generation GT3 RS is anything but plain. After months of seing this winged monster rampaging around the Nürburging, we can finally savour every inch of Stuttgart’s craziest 911 yet. Our spec of choice couples a Racing Green Metallic exterior with the Weissach package. Isn’t she a looker? 

As with most iterations of the GT3 RS, horsepower isn’t the headline figure. In 2022, the 525 bhp produced by the 992 GT3 RS’ 4-litre flat 6 will hardly garner a second glance, but tac on the words “naturally aspirated” and “9000 RPM” and everyone’s happy. If you ask us, we’d take a screaming engine note and an ultra-responsive throttle over more power any day. 

This PDK-only GT3 RS takes road car aero a new level. With a swan-neck, DRS-capable rear wing the size of the Mongolian Step (that actually sits higher than the roofline), and more vents and ducts than you can shake a carbon fibre stick at, Porsche’s dedication to downforce is immediately apparent. And the 992 GT3 RS makes a lot of downforce: up to twice as much as the 991 GT3 RS, and three times that of the ‘standard’ 992 GT3. Andreas Preuninger described it as being equivalent the weight of two horses on the roof at 177 mph, which is 860 kilos if you’re unfamiliar with the average equestrian body mass. 

One should also note the switch to a single, centrally mounted front radiator, hence the gargantuan bonnet cutouts. This change has allowed Porsche to engineer a mammoth front air intake, helping to balance the downforce across the car. Other special mentions include the massive cutouts on the front and rear arches, those awesome roof strakes, and the new hyper-adjustable suspension setup. There is one catch, though: this is the first road-going 911 to make do without a frunk, hampering its daily drivability. Obviously, this CFRP-swathed maniac places practicality far behind lap times, and we can’t wait to see what time it manages around the ‘Ring.