991GT3RS, Customer Drive

[Apolo1]

Just arrived back from Silverstone drive with Sam...

I will let Sam give his views along side the 458SPZ, here are mine in comparison with my time, over 35 track days and 15k miles in 991GT3s

Steering.
Whilst the GT3 bobs and weaves around in your hands, giving plenty of feed back, lotus like. The RS does not, it feels more weighted felt just like the system on the 997RS 4.0, Evo also came to same view.. still gave good feed back but not as" ESP" like on the GT3. The RS does not have the same torque sensors on the steering as the 991GT3.

PDK-S
The box in the RS feels about 20% faster than the 991GT3, in all modes. Nice box chatter just like the GT3s do at low speeds

Engine
The car we drove had done 700 miles, so was still very tight, I know from my own time in GT3s, that after a few k miles, there is a big difference.. much more low down punch and torque than the GT3 also the throttle response was about 20% faster in all modes.

Chassis
Sport mode is again about 20% more stiffer than a GT3, none sport mode felt very smooth, It was wet today, I know exactly what GT3s are like in the wet, this felt much more planted on the back end, can see how it did a 7.20 wet ring time.The front end turn in, even in the wet was way above the GT3...

Brakes
Did not expect this, but this was for me a massive gain over the GT3, massive....even in the wet, very hard to engage the ABS, the car just stopped dead on the spot. Same brakes that are on the 16 GT3 Cup R.

Summery
So in all, about 20%ish above the GT3 in all areas, only got upto about 85 so could not try the aero....car felt sharper, tighter, faster, more agile, and would out brake a 991GT3 with ease...

Footnote
This was a preproduction car, in my own experience of pre production GT cars, ie, 4.0RS, GT2RS etc, the actual productions car always drive much faster...better

 

[Woppum]

The car is brilliant, will add some words later. Those getting them will not be disappointed ...

 

[Tin]

Wow! lovely, have a soft spot for the GT3RS! New wing grills are cool! Is the RS exhaust note any different from a regular GT3?
Spaz ain't half bad to!

 

[David I]

20% improvement over the GT3 makes it some car from my limited seat time in the GT3!

I was launching the GT3 and then doing emergency stops and that was impressive so the RS must be amazing....

 

[AndrewD]

Though lava is a crap colour it does stand out next to allegro brown

 

[OldDD]

^^^^^ !!!

 

[Woppum]

i got to drive the `RS this early because i went with apolo of course! We had some coffee and breakfast then spent a god 2-3 hours with the car on the track, kick plates and sliding circuit. the car is a pre prod and after it has finished its duties at silly it will be either crushed or put in to the porsche museum. we couldnt drive it on the road because its a pre prod. it only arrived friday so the porsche guys were sort of learning as we go. its a shame i dont know the 991 gt3 well enough to be able to make any comparisons but davids comments were :

1) massive improvment in the braking department, much sharper - apparently runs same brakes as cup r.
2) front end is more planted and there is zero traditional porsche vagueness and super sharp (265 fronts!)
3) sounds better/louder with the additional induction rasp

I can only compare it to the spaz based on a wet day on a tight little track you cant get out of third gear on... its a bit early to say too much but it feels more composed, solid and porsche like. it feels like it could do a track day every day forever and not blow up. its very easy to drive and gets its power down well even in the wet. if i drove the spaz like i did on that track i would have been all over the place. The Chris harris video at Angelsey with the gt3 and spaz says it all really. When I did the experience day with the 3.8 rs back in 2010 coming from an m3 CSL I remember thinking what a handful I was buying... How much more of a focused drivers tool.. As car not really for beginners. Well driving down in 2015 through the rain in a spaz and jumping in to the RS it felt a little the other way round, the RS is defiantly the more manageable car. That does not mean it's boring because you can turn everything off and get to its limits but first impressions are id happily lend it to mum mum for a weekend as long as she could see over the steering wheel...

Power wise ferrari is much mopre torquey low down. there is alot more meat all the way through the rev range. low down the rs felt a little lacking but its top end really is explosive. The big difference is even in the wet the RS could happily put most it's power down before spinning its rears where the spazwas spinning in 3rd gear... Will be interesting to see what happens between them in the dry...

In terms of feel the speciale defiantly feels much more alive - through the wheel, seat and pedals but i was never expecting the RS be able to match it because it just wouldn't be very Porsche... The spaz in neurotic and mad, the Porsche is cool calm and collected... The RS still offers plenty so no need to worry... i think the RS could be the faster car on a dry track. it can just carry so much speed so easily, the spaz is much more of a handful.

For real world fast driving and track work with good safety, harness, half cage etc I'm sure its the best in the business. for sheer thrills i think the spaz has it licked. I'm pleased to say they both attack their mission in different enough ways to enjoy both for their attributes.

Edit and final thought :

Maybe I liked it so much partly because how easy it is to drive... For others on here that are more than a billy I wonder if you will prefer your cars from previous generations? I won't buy I think some will...

 

[Philip]

The RS does not have the same torque sensors on the steering as the 991GT3

Physical differences? Not just software tuning because of the bigger tyres and downforce?

 

[Woppum]

 

[Apolo1]

Physical differences? Not just software tuning because of the bigger tyres and downforce?

not same, went through this in detail with main man at GFS......

 

[Woppum]

 

[Rosco]

Lava looks alright when wet.

 

[BarryT]

good write up, would like to hear about the 918 seats, not sure whether to spec them or the folding buckets. Quite like the idea of folding the seats to make more use of the rear of the car.

 

[Woppum]

Lava looks alright when wet.

It looks mega full stop

 

[BarryT]

Lava looks alright when wet.

Yes, it looks okay in these pictures!

 

[Woppum]

good write up, would like to hear about the 918 seats, not sure whether to spec them or the folding buckets. Quite like the idea of folding the seats to make more use of the rear of the car.

The 918 seats are very comfy and look more expensive. The folding seats are great too had them in my last car. If you don't spec the folding seats there is a little room for a squishy bag to either fit between the seats or behind the seat when pushed all the way forward.

 

[Woppum]

No filter

 

[Moz]

Stolen from GF's Facebook

Nice shot that

 

[Woppum]

Stolen from GF's Facebook

Nice shot that

Nah mine better

 

[Guy]

It's still Salmon, no matter how wet it is.....