A dab o'Tiff-o...

and he gets paid for it!
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Porsche Rumor: Ultimate 997 GT3 RS edition

A rumor that has been rolling around for a while, make of it what you will, It goes like this: Porsche will top off the 997 production run with a limited production, carbon fiber paneled 4.0 liter GT3 perhaps designated as 997 GT3 RSR.

This ultimate 500 hp 997 GT3 would be sold alongside the next generation 991 but limited to 500 copies and priced in GT2 territory.

We know nothing more at the moment but will add that Porsche does have a penchant for special editions. Producing this special model would probably cost Porsche little and produce what is sure to be one of the most sought after special models ever.

Meanwhile as widely expected, the 997 Speedster was announced. Check it out on EVO



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Best Homework Incentive Ever...

Are you still wondering why it is so many great race drivers come form Germany?

Meet ten year old Seppi and fourteen year old Schorschi Wörle. When not doing their homework, they dutifully help out with the family business. Ok, that business happens to be the Porsche Zentrum 5-Seen just outside on Munich but how many 10 year olds get to rip a GT3 RS? In the US the parents would probably be arrested immediately. Yah Mammi!


(D-SF)


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The "stock" 997 GT3 RS at the 'Ring

This is the 997 GT3 RS street car that Porsche is racing at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring in May and that had it's debut at the VLN race last week. At that race the car finished and placed 22nd overall.

It's not quite stock, it has different springs and has a re-calibrated traction control and obviously a cage and no passenger seat

Driving in the video is "Uncle" Walter Röhrl driving. Hi co-drivers will be Nürburgring specialist Horst Von Saurma and journalist Chris Harris from EVO.





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François Delecour agrees with us...

... rallies should be run with 2 wheel drive cars!

A car review the way us tracktards like it. What's to add, everything is in these videos, a confirmation of Porsche's pitch that the GT3 RS is factory ready to go racing, either at the Nurburgring or on the Turini (once you change shocks, fix the shift linkage, add a full cage and unplug the ABS that is).

CG should probably not watch, might get inspired to finally lose his precariously held license!



(EVO)


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Just Because He Can...

So you think you have a good job? EVO's Chris Harris announced he will be running in this year's Nürburgring 24 Hours in a "stock" Porsche GT3 RS. One of his co-drivers? one Walter Röhrl... How cool is that?

Harris writes:

Still, musn’t grumble, you see I’m going to have plenty of seat time in an RS over the coming months: I’m driving one at the Nurburgring 24hrs this year and (I’m pinching myself and grinning like a school child typing this), my team mate is called Walter Rohrl. For that opportunity, I’d happily spend hours – months even - dawdling about a snowy Cote D’Azur.

Yeah... we feel your pain Harris!





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Porsche GT3RS MkII Nürburgring time: 7:33

Here's one that will keep the internet flame wars going between fanboys of both sides.

Let's examine that GT3 RS lap time for a second because it's very impressive. Essentially the same lap time as the much more powerful GT2 (7:32.2) and 10 seconds faster than the Mk1 RS, it is even more impressive especially when you consider that, according to the report on EVO, Porsche engineers reckon that a traffic free "theoretical best lap" lap would be closer to 7:30. That's one hell of a mid life refresh for any car.

Now about the flame war, there really should is no cause for one. Let's put aside that nobody outside of NIssan has been able to duplicate the feats of the Nissan drivers (legendary magazine tester Horst Von Saurma "only"managed a 7:38), EVO makes a very obvious and valid point, so what if you can only do it for one lap?

Absolutely the GT-R is fast but, at 10/10ths how long can the GT-R hold up? We asked people with experience running the GT-R, specifically at the Nürburgring, about this issue and what he got back is not pretty: even when not driven at full Toshio Suzuki pace, tires are only good for one lap then they go away. Running costs including consumables and service work out to an epic 200 Euro($300) per lap!!. Nissan recommends a full service after every second track day, you can see how that could get tedious after a while.

But what would be worse would be having to stop after every lap and cool everything down while the buddies you just taunted with your best "ha, ha, I only paid half of what you paid" speech go right on through for more fun!

Discuss!





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2010 Porsche GT3 RS, ride along at ''only'' 181 mph.

This video just surfaced on the YouTube account used by the now defunct Driver's Republic. Maybe they are not really dead, whatever, thanks for the peek!

This is the video's description:

"Manager of High Performance Cars for Porsche, Andreas Preuninger, provides the opportunity to ride shotgun as he took the first produced 2010 Porsche GT3 RS out for a ride on the Autobahn yesterday evening. Due to traffic, he was only able to get the car up to 292kph on the unrestricted A5 Autobahn.

The second half of the video, Andreas tells us what went into the development process for the new GT3 RS and what the car is capable of doing with the new technology and performance upgrades from the previous generation."






And here is the rest of it.

Sensational: New Porsche 997 GT3 RS MkII Video

Porsche gave us a treat today, no commentary needed...and it has a cloth pull handle for the door...I want one!
More pictures and info after the jump.

This is what Porsche is calling “the most sporting 911 yet”: the new GT3 RS.

The homologation special is fitted with the same 3.8-litre flat six as the GT3, but it has 444bhp instead of 429bhp, making it 35bhp pokier than the old RS.

The latest GT3 RS gets wider tracks at the front and rear (aided by extended front wheel arches) and a huge carbonfibre rear wing with aluminium supports.

The naturally aspirated engine, which has a specific output of more than 113bhp per litre, is mated to a low-ratio, short-shift six-speed manual gearbox.

A lithium ion starter battery will be available instead of the standard unit, reducing the kerb weight by 10kg.

Porsche is clearly aiming to make this one of the wildest 911s ever, with bright decals all over the bodywork.

The GT3 RS goes on sale in the US in 2010, priced from $132,800.