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Duck away. Or full-on confrontation? Headwind is like any challenge. The best thing to do is face whatever is coming head-on. With no nonsense. Not blindly, of course, but with ingenuity.
The special challenge in the design of the new 911 GT3 RS: keeping the drag coefficient low and, at the same time, sustaining high downforce. For optimum tyre contact pressure, especially in the corners. Then there is the issue of fresh air, because the engine and brakes must not be allowed to overheat even under full load.
Optimum cooling is provided by large air intakes with titanium-coloured grilles incorporated in the front end. The extra air outlet ahead of the front lid increases flow through the centre radiator – and, by diverting the air flow, simultaneously reinforces aerodynamic downforce at the front axle.
The front spoiler lip is now even wider than the lip of the predecessor model, and downforce has been increased as a result. The sideskirts have also been further widened, a measure that has enlarged the overall surface area of the underbody – for another increase in downforce.
The louvres on the front wings combine striking aesthetics with high-level functionality. These eye-catching black slats of the wheel arch vents have the effect of reducing the overpressure generated by the turning wheels, thereby improving the downforce on the vehicle.
Typical of the 911 GT3 RS: two air intake openings for the engine, on the left and right in the rear side sections respectively.
Time and time again, the cynics would have you believe that the potential of a six-cylinder horizontally opposed and naturally aspirated engine mounted in the rear has been exhausted. And our engineers? They smile. And prove over and over again the exact opposite.For the new 911 GT3 RS, the specs read as follows: naturally aspirated engine, 4.0-litre displacement, high-revving concept. A maximum power output of 383 kW (520 hp) – 20 hp higher than that of the predecessor model. Maximum torque 470 Nm, i.e. 10 Nm more than before. Up to 9,000 rpm on the rev counter makes it clear what we mean by a high-revving concept. As a result, the new 911 GT3 RS with Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds and top speed isn’t reached until 312 km/h.
Banking left-hand corner ahead. That means rebounding from the compression experienced in the dip on the right-hand side of the tarmac. Approaching the imminent left-hand corner from the outside and turning into the apex to ride the kerbs. Preferably not just the once. But again and again and again. That’s exactly what the chassis of the new 911 GT3 RS has been engineered for.
In conjunction with a series of specifically tuned chassis components, this means that the new 911 GT3 RS offers extraordinary agility, a high degree of driving safety in the high speed range and extremely stable handling.
The lightweight, independent front suspension combines McPherson-type struts with helper springs and longitudinal and transverse links. The rear axle has a multi-link suspension with helper springs and chassis subframe following the LSA concept (lightweight, stable, agile). Camber, track and the anti-roll bars can be individually adapted for use on the race track.
Our engineers spent plenty of hours fine-tuning the driving dynamics setup. Based on established racing strategy, the ride rates of the springs at the front and rear axles of the new GT3 RS have been significantly increased. At the same time, the roll rates have been reduced by the use of a softer antiroll bar. Damping characteristics have been optimally adapted to these new parameters.
Positive result: a significant increase in traction and stability when cornering at speeds of over 250 km/h.