New Porsche 911 GT3 RS facelift looks at home on the Nurburgring
Porsche’s most track-orientated 911 has been caught testing ahead of its mid-life update
As evidenced by its fourth-spot on the fastest Nurburgring lap times list, the current-generation 911 GT3 RS is pretty handy around a track, but Porsche is intent on improving its most extreme 911 even further. We caught the facelifted 911 GT3 RS testing ahead of an expected reveal later this year.
The updated 992 generation 911 (named 992.2), was revealed in May this year and for the first time ever, Porsche’s legendary sports car gained hybrid power. The updated 911 GT3 RS will stick with a good old-fashioned naturally-aspirated engine in the shape of the 4.0-litre flat-six from which Porsche managed to coax 14bhp more power than the unit delivers in the GT3. That means a total power output of 518bhp with 465Nm of torque.
We don’t expect any massive gains in power for the updated GT3 RS, instead Porsche will probably tweak the car’s already monstrous aerodynamics to add even more downforce than the 860kg generated by the current version. The front end of the test car we spied doesn’t look any different from the current model - to the rear we see cladding around the wheels, suggesting the air outlets may be redesigned. The diffuser will also be restyled which could result in further changes to the massive rear swan-neck spoiler.
Changes from the newly facelifted 911 range should feature on the GT3 RS, too. Among these we expect new headlights and rear lights, plus a new selection of colours for the wheels and exterior bodywork. A new fully-digital instrument cluster arrived on the facelifted 911 this year - replacing the analogue rev-counter that has been a staple of the 911’s interior since it arrived in 1964. We’re yet to see inside the new GT3 RS, however, so we’ll have to wait and see if this piece of technology will be carried over.
The GT3 RS is currently priced from £192,600, but given the popularity of the existing car we suspect the new model could sit nearer to the £200,000 mark when it goes on sale in 2025.
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