When the final RS 4.0 rolls off the production line, the Porsche 997 era will finally end. There have been innumerable variants of the car, including the mad turbo GT2 RS, but the car that topped virtually all comparisons was the less powerful but more communicative GT3 RS. Now, after a year with that penultimate car, a look back is on order.
The second-generation GT3 RS received heavily revised aerodynamics with a redesigned front end, larger rear wing, wider track and dynamic engine mounts, all of which were intended to differentiate it from the base GT3 and its predecessor. It also gained power, up from 415 to 450 hp, and slightly shorter gearing. The only transmission was a six-speed manual, coupled to a dry-sump race-derived engine, naturally aspirated with a redline of 8,500 rpm.
