2017 saw Porsche's 991-generation 911 recieve the GT2 treatment. Here's what we made of it at the time:
The new Porsche 911 GT2 RS becomes the latest in a line of five ‘GT2’ namesakes, the first of which appeared in 1995 as a homologation version of the 993-generation 911. That original version’s 444bhp would hardly worry a modern super-sports car driver, although it still earned itself the legendary nickname ‘Widowmaker’.
The 691bhp 3.8-litre flat six in this car is a development of Porsche the current 911 Turbo engine (with 80bhp more than the last 3.6-litre GT2 had) and uses bigger turbochargers, new pistons and water-sprayed charge air intercoolers. It is the first GT2 with a paddle-shift dual-clutch gearbox and is steered by the same four-wheel system as was used in the 918 Spyder.
The GT2 RS’s standard-fit fixed-backrest bucket seats and half-sized roll-cage build your sense of anticipation nicely for the driving experience to come. The seats are comfortable over longish distances, not feeling narrow in the cushion or restrictive. You get a fine driving position that, while not as low or inboard as a mid-engined supercar might offer, still makes you feel close to the rotational axis of the car and provides good visibility.
The paddle-shift gearbox delivers a typically effective launch control mode, but it also has a ‘paddle neutral’ function that allows you to disengage the clutch whenever you want to, and to fully control the timing of its re-engagement manually as you prefer.
The car’s power is appealingly linear through the middle of the rev range. Even though the quickest £200k mid-engined options are a shade quicker in outright terms, the GT2 RS feels very rapid indeed. Throttle response is as remarkable as its outright accelerative potency so you get no sudden rush of mid-range torque as the engine comes on boost, and the car feels less thuggish at full power than you might expect.
It seems wider on the road than other 911s, but still narrower than most cars of its performance level. Outright grip level is formidable at normal road speeds and body control reassuringly close and taut. There’s a shade more steering kickback and restlessness about the car’s ride than a GT3 might have as you press on, though, and a sense of rebalanced grip levels that favour stability more than in other GT-department 911s and that can blunt driver appeal at certain times and speeds. It doesn’t blunt the car’s handling balance much at all at track speeds, mind you.
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