- The new 911 GT2 RS could aim for a production car lap record at the Nurburgring.
- Porsche’s 991-generation GT2 RS delivered 691 hp through its twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six.
- The new GT2 RS is expected to sport a more extreme aero kit in production form.
Porsche appears to have started testing the latest-generation 911 GT2 RS, and it could be the most bonkers road-going model ever released by the brand apart from hypercars like the 918 Spyder.
An intriguing prototype of the new car was recently spied testing at the Nurburgring. On the surface, this appears to be an ordinary 911 GT3 RS. It includes all of the same body panels as the existing 911 GT3 RS and even has the familiar side decals. However, a closer look at the cabin reveals a roll cage and plenty of testing equipment. Then there’s the soundtrack.
Read: Watch A Porsche 911 GT2 RS Spin Out And Crash In Florida, Passenger Stays Icy Cool
The GT3 RS has an unmistakable howling 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated flat-six. This prototype seems to have a different engine. The powertrain driving this mule is much more muted than one of Porsche’s naturally-aspirated engines and sounds more similar to one of its twin-turbocharged six-cylinders. The carmaker has been clever enough to hide a mule of the new GT2 RS beneath the bodywork of the GT3 RS, but it has no way of masking the sound of the engine.
The 991-generation 911 GT2 RS muscled out 691 hp and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) from its 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six at its launch in 2017. It swiftly set a production car lap record around the Nurburgring Nordschleife and set various other lap records at other circuits worldwide. For the 992.2 generation model, even more horsepower and torque can be expected.
It’s too early to know what aero elements will differentiate the GT2 RS from the GT3 RS. With the current GT3 RS, Porsche left no stone unturned in extracting as much downforce from it as possible, and it’s hard to imagine how it could make the GT2 RS even more extreme.
It seems inevitable that Porsche will chase glory at the Nurburgring with the model. The Mercedes-AMG One holds the current record with a time of 6:30.705. That’s 17 seconds quicker than the old GT2 RS and 14 seconds faster than the new GT3 RS. However, it’s ‘only 8 seconds quicker than a modified GT2 RS with a Manthey Performance kit, so the new ‘base’ GT2 RS may be able to rival the F1-powered hypercar from Mercedes.
