Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997.2) review – the best car we’ve ever driven? Possibly

This is the car that evo holds aloft as the one that has reached the highest heights in this crazy mixed-up world we call the Thrill of Driving – the Porsche 911 GT3 RS 3.8. It was a fantastically diverse set of 20 cars that we pulled together for issue 200 of evo magazine back in October 2014. Doubts? Of course. There were always doubts that a duffer would emerge, or that earlier judgments were incorrect, or that some of the older cars would feel just plain geriatric. But every car in that top 20 positively radiated brilliance. 

Two front-engined cars (Renault Sport Megane R26.R and Lexus LFA) made it through to the final reckoning in that test and two with mid-engines (Ford GT and Ferrari 458 Speciale). One was front-wheel drive and the rest rear-wheel drive. Cylinders came in Vs and straights with four, eight and ten pistons blasting up and down inside them. But this was the only car with six flat cylinders and the only one with its engine at the rear. And it’s the car we declared the very best of the best.

But it won by a cigarette paper, one of those very, very thin cigarette papers – the Ferrari 458 Speciale came awfully close. The 911 GT3 RS is celebrated as the best of those first 200 issues but it's definitely the Speciale that still sets the benchmark for the next 200.

Porsche 997 GT3 RS 3.8 in detail

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• 3.8-litre engine good for 444bhp and 317lb ft
• 0-62mph in 4sec on the way to a 193mph top speed
• The last RS with a manual, Mezger engine and hydraulic steering

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS 3.8 was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009, based on the facelifted 997.2 Porsche 911 GT3. It was the most comprehensively upgraded RS model yet seen, with significant engine, geometry and aero changes.

The 3.8-litre ‘Mezger’ flat-six was upgraded compared to the motor featured in the standard GT3 with a freer-flowing air filter and inlet manifold, as well as titanium connecting rods and revised timing. The result was a 14bhp bump over the standard 997 GT3 to 444bhp. Making it more responsive were a lightweight single-mass flywheel which saved 1.4kg and dynamic engine mounts – the Porsche Active Suspension Management dampers were revised too. Shorter gearing – 11 per cent in first through to fifth gears, then 5 per cent in sixth – also improved responses and acceleration. The transmission, for the last time in a GT3 RS, was still a six-speed manual.

The 997.2 GT3 RS was wider at the rear and for the first time, and at the front too. The 43mm-wider (than the 997.2 GT3) front arches allowed it to accommodate its centre-lock wheels shod in 245-section tyres. The rears were a massive 325-section under 25mm wider hips. The 997 3.8 RS also benefitted from improved aerodynamics and reduced weight. It produced 160kg of downforce at 186mph thanks to a revised chin spoiler on its wider nose and higher, wider rear wing. The RS was also 25kg lighter than the standard GT3 thanks to a lithium-ion battery, a carbon boot lid and a plastic rear window.

Driving the 911 GT3 RS 3.8

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• Perfect damping for UK roads
• Beautiful balance and feedback
• Effervescent and muscular engine

So what is it about the 997 gen 2 911 GT3 RS that elevates it above the others? John Barker explains: ‘Take the best bits of everything else in this whole test, cram them into a ridiculously compact shell and you’ve got the 911 GT3 RS.’ ‘If the Speciale is a masterclass in response, the GT3 RS is the definitive lesson in feedback,’ added Jethro Bovingdon. 

‘The steering  –  I know we’re forever banging on about bloody steering! – is truly special, bubbling and wriggling with the most wonderful detail. Not just of the road surface but flowing information about weight transfer, the shifts in balance that are at the core of this car.’ 

At this point Henry Catchpole chips in: ‘The way its damping copes with the Welsh roads is just perfect and not once did I feel like the mighty Mezger wasn’t strong enough. What’s more, the suppleness in the suspension set-up means that I could enjoy all these lovely adjustable 911 feelings even when we were just pottering along in the morning at five- or six-tenths.’ 

Back to Barker: ‘This is the best balanced of all 911 RSs for me. The ride and handling are perfectly balanced, the crazy top end of the 3.8 is plenty crazy enough, the hefty gearshift is as heavy as I’d want it and there’s nothing I want more of from an RS.’

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‘It’s alive at all times,’ explains Jethro, ‘and you feel the weight shifting around, the slight softness of response as you guide it gently into easy curves. But then the transformation when you decide to snap between direction changes is incredible. Suddenly the front-end is pinned and the traction is, of course, almost surreal.’ 

‘The Speciale is more expressive if you just love oversteer, but the constant dialogue of the GT3 RS is perhaps even more immersive. And when you finally get to the point where the car is sliding around, the rewards are out of this world… And through all that I didn’t even mention the engine! Which is extraordinary!’ 

The final words go to Dickie: ‘As much as I love the Speciale, the RS is a tougher, grittier experience. Of course you have to drive the Speciale to get the best from it, but ultimately there’s less to get to know. The RS demands a broader skill set and greater intimacy with its ways and foibles before you’re able or confident enough to push it. 

‘Essentially these cars perfectly illustrate the difference between the analogue and digital ages. We just happen to be living through the transitional phase, so while it’s brilliant that a car like the Speciale can deliver such a vibrant and all-consuming experience, the appeal of cars that require you to use hard-won skills – and the satisfaction they deliver when you do so to the best of your ability – remains irresistible.’

Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) values and buying guide

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The hysteria of the Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 RS market can be traced back to this car – it is the iconic 911 GT3, that asks more than a few difficult questions of the much more expensive, highly coveted and limited 911 GT3 RS 4.0.

Values at the time of writing are in the £180,000 - £250,000 range, depending on specification and mileage. The 3.8 RS significantly undercuts the 500-odd RS 4.0, examples which rarely (if ever) sell for under £400,000. But it’s also more expensive than the 3.6-litre, 997.1 GT3 RS models, which generally sell for between £120,000 and £180,000.

> Porsche 911 GT3 (996, 1999-2005) review – the purest GT3 of them all?

Desirable cars will have fewer miles, though they won’t have been sat doing nothing. A GT3 RS that’s seen regular use will more often be healthier than a delivery mileage car that’s been stagnant for 16 years, unless the latter has been recommissioned. Look out for issues with the dynamic engine mounts. Use a specialist or a Porsche dealer and you’ll be able to look back at your chosen example’s usage history and even tell if it’s ever been over-revved. A history of track use should not put you off – that’s what these cars are built for. A lack of appropriate and diligent maintenance, however, should.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS (3.8) specs

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