Major manufacturers, such as VW, Ford, Hyundai and Peugeot compete in the World Rally Championship with racing versions of the superminis, namely the Polo, Fiesta, i20 and 208 respectively.
All of the above are all-wheel drive, like WRC cars have been since Audi demonstrated its superiority with the original Quattro. A two-wheel drive car has no chance of winning the championship, so it’s not an option.
In spite of that, there are privateers who like to race in big events with something a bit more special. A 911 is a regular in circuit racing, even having a one-make championship. Rallying, though, was out of the question despite the fact that Porsche does have a rich history in the sport with the 911.
At least it used to be until FIA introduced the Group RGT class. Although it has been launched in 2011, it was only last year that GT cars no longer had to be homologated, with technical passports for individuals being issued.
Porsche dealer Richard Tuthill got himself an 997 RS 4.0 Cup car and turned it into an RGT rally racer. The FIA-imposed 39mm air restrictor means that the flat six has an output of just 350hp, 100 less than the original car; even the stock 991 Carrera S is more powerful.
Power isn’t everything, though. Chris Harris found that out when he took the 911 out for a spin in a wet tarmac testing ground. He even went on the record saying that this was the most fun he had in a car the past 12 months, including the P1, 918 Spyder and LaFerrari hypercars, as you’ll see in the video that follows.