Cars

2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Is a Lap-Time Champ

On-the-fly adjustable suspension and a drag-reduction system bring plenty of motorsport innovations to the road.

Andrew Krok

Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.

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Andrew Krok

Aug. 17, 2022 8:28 a.m. PT

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Porsche on Wednesday unveiled the 911 GT3 RS, ahead of its public debut at Monterey Car Week.

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Under the hood -- which, don't forget, is actually 'round back -- is a 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated, flat-6 gas engine producing 518 horsepower, up from the previous iteration's 502, thanks in large part to a new set of camshafts.

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All that power heads to the rear wheels through a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission, which features shorter gear ratios than the current GT3.

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That's enough thrust to reach 60 mph in 3 seconds flat, topping out around 184 mph.

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The GT3 RS ditches its frunk in favor of a massive central radiator that was first used in Porsche's 911 RSR and GT3 R race cars, freeing up some space for additional aero trickery.

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The rear wing is split into two components, with a fixed lower portion and an adjustable element above.

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A front splitter moves air more effectively, while louvers in the front wings help channel air in order to reduce pressure differentials in the wheel wells.

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Combined with other active aero, this gives the GT3 RS a drag-reduction system that can flatten the wings to reduce drag and downforce in the name of top speed.