- 4.0-litre flat-six expected to clock 550bhp
- Extreme upgrades to the bodywork
Porsche isn’t very subtle when it comes to the hardcore RS (RennSport) models. The German sportscar maker was spotted at its second home – at the German racetrack – testing out the newest iteration of the 992-gen 911 and its massive rear wing along with various air ducts hinting that it's nothing short of the next-gen GT3 RS.
The previous GT3 RS made close to 520bhp from its naturally-aspirated flat-six 4.0-litre. With a small bump, we could expect the power figures starring at the 550bhp mark with the magic 600bhp figures reserved for something even more hardcore (the GT2 RS perhaps). To keep a check on all the power, the super-sized swan-neck rear wing – which is more fitting on a racecar – is added along with aero upgrades that would be difficult to explain without technical jargon. Notable aero bits are stips on the roof directing air to the wings, vertical duct behind the front wheel, air ducts over the front wheel fenders, a fatter front bumper and ducts on the front bonnet. With these, exorbitant downforce figures are guaranteed.
Another highlight on the test mule is the centre-mounted dual exhaust tips resonating the glorious clicks from the flat-six. However, the manual transmission is expected to be kept aside for the RS since PDK will help the RS in setting better lap times. Interestingly, the concealed panel behind the front fender could hide a charging point indicating that some form of electrification is on the cards. Porsche has confirmed that they are not looking at electrifying any GT/RS model yet – there’s Taycan for that. Besides, electrifying these hardcore models add weight and Porsche’s mantra has always been about weight saving. So this testing equipment on the prototype might be for future applications.
We could expect the next-gen Porsche 911 GT3 RS to arrive sometime next year with sales commencing in 2023. India debut is also expected at the same time as global deliveries commence.