2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Last year, Porsche USA fleshed out the local 911 range with the new GT3, and this year, it's the turn of the top-dog track special, the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS under review here. The RS packs a 518-horsepower version of the GT3 naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six that revs to the high heavens and only calls it quits at 9,000 rpm - but it has only 16 hp more than the regular GT3. The RS treatment comes at a big premium of around $60k, and pushes the starting price of the 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS into the territory of the 671-hp McLaren Artura. So what, if anything, makes it worth all that extra money? You can buy TWO of the brilliant new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 for that kind of cash and still have $25k left in change. Over the GT3, the RS gets totally overhauled aerodynamics to aid track performance, starting with that huge rear wing that produces 1,895 pounds of downforce at 177 mph. Suspension changes, more carbon fiber, and a wider track are some of the other changes that turn the already hardcore GT3 into a manic track weapon.

This track-ready trim level cost $60k more than the regular GT3 and its $241,300 MSRP puts the price of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS deep into very exotic territory. And keep in mind that this includes neither the $1,700 gas-guzzler tax nor the $1,650 destination fee.

The GT3's telepathic steering and grip limits are so far beyond what normal people usually get to experience that it was hard to imagine how Porsche could improve on them, but it has. The GT3 is more about accessible thrills, with suspension settings that make it liveable on a daily basis and an optional manual gearbox that keeps you involved constantly. But the GT3 RS is about ruthless efficiency and ultimate lap times, so no old-school and time-wasting manual here; only the instantly responsive seven-speed dual-clutch PDK is available. The coupe is strapped down even more tightly, but it is clear that the majority of development went into the aero package and the immense downforce generated at speed. The drag-reducing rear wing lets up on the straights to give you maximum top speed, but it gets aggressive around the corners. The 2023 Porsche GT3 RS is everything you get from a GT3, but more uncompromising and geared at ultimate track times. It's more single-minded and less forgiving or usable as an everyday car. It was built for the track and that's where it's happiest.

Porsche has created the ultimate naturally aspirated 911 in the GT3 RS. The stability and grip imparted by the aero package put clear air - pun intended - between this and the GT3. The GT3 is a road car for the track, but the GT3 RS feels like a race car that happens to be street-legal. If you're after ultimate lap times, its awe-inspiring track performance is a class apart. This does make it harder to live with than a GT3 or Z06, but then you probably already know this and don't care. The sensible money goes to the Chevy, with its exceptional high-revving flat-crank V8, which is faster in a straight line, easier to live with, and less than half the price of the Porker. Even the normal GT3 is a far more rational choice since it has enough track talent for most people and a far lower price. But for the driver that gets their thrills from the best naturally aspirated six-pot in the world, hanging out the back of a car that became a legend over its seven-decade career, and permeated with all the magic that comes with the 911 moniker, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS is the apex of the breed. And the new one has moved the goalposts even further.

There's only one GT3 RS trim, and if you're going to spend this kind of money on a 911, you should kit it out to ensure it's the best at what it does - attacking the track. The Weissach package reduces the car's weight by 33 pounds, but at more than $1k per pound, it's a very expensive indulgence. It does transform the car's appearance, though, adding plenty of exposed carbon fiber to the exterior while replacing the roof with lightweight material, as well. You save some more weight and improve the prodigious anchors even further at the same time by opting for the carbon-ceramic brakes - a must for the rigors of sustained track use. We'd resist further changes, lest we send the price skyrocketing beyond $300k.