There are things that we will remember all our lives: the first real kiss, the first glass of Château d'Yquem and the first time we got behind the wheel of a 911. A constantly reinvented and multifaceted icon faces, having come close to death before surviving in extremis, as inseparable from the journey of its manufacturer as Citizen Kane from the work of Orson Welles, the most famous and widespread of sports cars continues to perpetuate its legend by constantly pushing back performance limits. With, from time to time, an extreme interpretation that the “RS” logo (for Renn Sport) inevitably sanctifies… So it is with the 991 GT2 RS, which has had such an impact on Porsche enthusiasts – and others – that To this day, Porsche is still working on its succession. It must be said that, given the characteristics of the machine, the task will be nothing less than easy...
A QUESTION OF COOLING
If only for the sake of intellectual health, we must reread from time to time the scandalized regurgitations of certain self-proclaimed purists when the first 911 with a water-cooled engine made its appearance, already a quarter of a century ago. Yes, let's reread them – firstly because it's always a good opportunity to laugh, especially when, as was my case some time ago, we had the chance to cover a few dozen kilometers behind the wheel of 'a 991 in its most radical, most sulphurous, most bestial variant (I'll leave it to you to find other superlatives of the same ilk if you feel like it). It is also, to date, the most powerful road-going 911 ever marketed with, to put it simply, a level of power equivalent to that of the first Lamborghini Aventadors. Yes, it’s been almost fifty years since the Stuttgart flat sixes have resorted to supercharging to go and tease the top Italian V12s; except that, in the 1980s, a Countach delivered 455 hp when the 930 did not exceed 330 hp in the best case...
It’s the story of a return to basics
In a way, the destiny of the Turbo (it was under this crude name that it was referred to for a long time) experienced a real split from 1995, when the model began to evolve from pure sportiness. towards a form of grand tourism; it was in fact the 993 Turbo which inaugurated all-wheel drive, henceforth inseparable from the machine and synonymous, in the eyes of track enthusiasts, with a certain gentrification that subsequent generations have only reinforced. Thus, the “modern” Turbo turns out to be just as luxuriously equipped as any Mercedes or Bentley coupe, and just as easy to tame in most situations. Of course, the 911 Turbo has always attracted show-offs but, to get the best out of them, it has long required special skills that were not within the reach of drivers mainly wanting to parade on the Champs-Élysées. The 996 and 997 amplified the trend, attracting a new clientele, less keen on driving but keen to taste the myth without giving up the comfort and versatility of use that they had possibly been able to appreciate at BMW or Audi. Having become capable of ensuring long motorway journeys at still unmentionable speeds but in the greatest comfort, the Turbo has thus opened the way to a more grounded and more authentically sporting interpretation of the concept.
GT2 vs. Turbo
The 993 GT, then the 996 and 997 GT2, were therefore responsible for embodying this philosophical rigorism, while nevertheless pushing the radical cursors quite far, thus taking at their word the claimed ascetics in whose eyes a four-wheel transmission , electrically adjustable seats, high-end audio installation or excessive soundproofing have no place in a real sports car. Placed in context, the 911 GT2 therefore does not exactly correspond to the positioning of the original Turbo, which it should be remembered that Porsche readily presented it as “a luxurious grand tourer usable every day”. They constitute an alternative to the contemporary Turbo, capable of competing with a Ferrari F8 as well as a BMW M8. Built in a limited series, even more expensive than the Turbo, the GT2 is also lighter, more powerful and faster than the Turbo. The one that interests us today is the latest and, without drowning the reader in indigestible cohorts of numerical data, certain characteristics deserve to be compared. Thus, the 991 Turbo S phase 2 delivered 580 hp and 700 Nm, with Porsche claiming a maximum speed of 330 km/h. The 991 GT2 RS, for its part, delivered 700 hp, 750 Nm and reached a top speed of 340 km/h. The “RS” suffix which punctuates its official designation ratifies its capabilities and, moreover, the 991 generation did not exist in the form of a GT2 “simply”.
One of the queens of the Nürburgring
As for the 992, presented in 2019 and still in production at the time of writing, we are still waiting for its GT2 version, even if prototypes are regularly photographed by scoop hunters. It will undoubtedly arrive to accompany the end of life of this generation with fanfare but, in any case, and even if we must expect a leap forward in terms of power (there is strong talk of a hybrid group), the GT2 RS of the previous generation – any more than its predecessors – is not about to be relegated to the rank of asthmatic displacer. As we have seen, its 700 hp and intensive weight reduction result in an extremely favorable weight/power ratio of 2.1 kg per horsepower, identical to that of the 918 Spyder. As you might expect, the times are to match: in 2017, a 991 GT2 RS achieved a time of 6 minutes 47 seconds on the Nordschleife, thus beating the McLaren P1 or even the... 918! Naturally, this time has been beaten since then, but cars capable of going under 7 minutes undoubtedly belong to the elite of super sports cars. That being said, and unlike its less demonstrative counterparts that we come across on every street corner in many big cities, this 911 has not made discretion a cardinal virtue. The GT2 RS doesn't worry about hiding its temperament; on the contrary, she claims it!
Pure, but not so harsh
Because, benefiting from Porsche's experience in competition, the machine resolutely displays its character through every detail of its appearance. The front fenders and the hood are made of composite materials reinforced with carbon fibers. The roof is made of magnesium, the monumental rear wing is made of carbon, and the bodywork is literally devoured by multiple air intakes with a generous surface area and which are responsible for cooling the brakes and reducing lift. On board, we find the usual gimmick of door handles replaced by straps and competition seats with little relation to the comfortable seats of the Turbo but, against all expectations, the car has nothing in it. wood likely to destroy your vertebrae in ten kilometers. The essential comfort equipment is there and it is entirely possible to undertake long trips, even if this is not the primary purpose of the model. The driving sensations are, for their part, truly incredible and incite a humility which only allowed me to scratch the surface of the car's capabilities, which are in any case unusable on the open road. It's a road-going 911, sure, but everything about it exudes the appeal of the track. If you are lucky enough to acquire one of the 200 examples built (count around 400,000 euros at present), do not hesitate to take it on the circuit, like the happy owner of the car that I had the pleasure of driving: you won't regret it!