What’s it like to own the ultimate Porsche for a day?

My window with the Porsche 911 GT3 RS was extremely limited, but I was determined to make the most of it. After all, million-dollar monsters don’t grow on trees, not even at Christmas. 

Okay, this particular machine doesn’t cost a million dollars brand new, but if Porsche’s 50-year back catalogue of rare RS weaponry is any indication, it will soon be worth that to collectors. 

The Porsche 992-series 911 GT3 RS is the performance pinnacle of Porsche’s current range. It is also the brand’s fastest factory-spec road car around the 20.8km Nurburgring Nordschleife. 

In October 2022, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS with the optional Weissach handling pack covered the 20.8km, 72-turn Nordschleife in six minutes 49.33 seconds, 10.6 seconds faster than a ‘standard’ 911 GT3. That time was later adjusted to 6min 44.848sec for reasons I don’t fully understand.

So, how much does 10.6 seconds of time cost in Porsche dollars?

For context, a standard Porsche 911 GT3 will set you back $466,827 including on-road costs. This 911 GT3 RS requires $599,985 to park in your driveway. 

So, what does the extra $133K bring, apart from two extra letters in the car’s name?

In engine terms, both the GT3 and the RS have a 4.0-litre flat six-cylinder engine with no turbos, that drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The RS has 386kW and 465Nm compared to the GT3’s 375kW and 470Nm, so not what one would expect for the price difference. 

But, as my colleague Greg Kable reported when he drove the 992 GT3 RS in Europe in October 2022, there are more modifications to the RS’s engine than would show up on a specs list. A lot more. Basically, the RS’s engine shares more in common with the brand’s 4.2-litre motorsport unit than the GT3’s 4.0-litre unit.

Beyond that, the car’s aerodynamics are next level, the suspension is bespoke, the steering has been enhanced, and the gearbox’s ratios are specially chosen, as are the brakes. 

The body is largely unique, too, which may surprise you given that it is immediately recognisable as a Porsche 911. Every panel except for the roof is unique to the RS, and all of them – including the roof – have aerodynamic protuberances that give this car an incredible 860kg of downforce at speed. 

Some perspective on that: 860kg of downforce at 285km/h is double the old GT3 RS and triple the current GT3. So all those tacked-on black aero bits make a big difference to how much grip this car has in corners. Massive Goodyear Eagle performance tyres help, too, 20 inches up front and 21 inches at the rear, with a serious 335mm of width at each back corner

Really, though, the proof of Porsche’s hard work is in the pushing, right? And the RS pushes like no other 911. Straight lines are one measure: 0–100km/h takes 3.2 seconds, and 0–200km/h takes 10.6 seconds. Both those times are 0.3 seconds faster than the old 911 GT3 RS.

Those times are seriously impressive for a non-turbocharged, rear-drive performance car, but straight lines are not what this car was made for. 

A far better measure is how it corners, because that’s where the real fun is and where a performance car’s true merits can be measured. Another lucky colleague, Rob Margeit, tested the GT3 RS at Adelaide’s Tailem Bend motorsport facility earlier this year. 

He said: “If you want the rawest, most accessible, race-bred Porsche 911 your money can buy, then the 911 GT3 RS is as close to a full-blown Le Mans race car you’ll ever be allowed to drive”.

Rob was not given the opportunity to test-drive the RS on real-world roads. His test, like Greg’s before him, was confined to the racetrack. 

That’s where I come in. My job is to complete the picture by discovering if the 911 GT3 RS is also an enjoyable road car, or if its delights are only evident on a racetrack. 

Let’s get on with it. 

The Reefton Spur is something of a Mecca for Melbourne-based motoring enthusiasts. It is basically 20.8km of corners snaking over hills and through valleys in the Yarra Ranges. That length, coincidentally, is the same as the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

My test drive starts at Drive’s South Melbourne office and heads east to Belgrave and then Gembrook in the Dandenong Ranges.

The night before, I had arranged for a friend who had just acquired a low-mileage Cayman to tag along. I debated this call because while my intention was, “let’s play Porsches for a day”, it might come across as, “my Porsche is bigger than your Porsche”.

It didn’t matter, really. Two cars, two enthusiasts and a day of driving ahead. Also, I knew he’d have the last laugh because his Porsche would still be in his garage next week, whereas ‘mine’ would be back with its actual owner. 

Our meeting point is the Earthly Pleasures establishment in Belgrave. No, it’s a classy cafe converted from a 1930s doctor’s residence. The building’s stone exterior clads a huge central room that looks a little like an American Old West saloon, complete with a wooden staircase to the examining rooms above. 

It’s easy to imagine poker-playing cowboys boozing downstairs and being lured upstairs by good-time girls, but that has never been the case for this establishment. It’s a great place for a kick-off coffee, and the cafe’s ‘Earthly Pleasures’ name fits beautifully with what we’re doing today.

I haven’t even dribbled the RS out of the cafe’s car park before we have our first encounter with a fan. A young mum in a small SUV spots the RS and goes bananas. She does two laps of the car park just to get another look. 

This brief encounter won’t be the last time the RS attracts attention. Whether it’s the test car’s unique $32,000 Ruby Star paint job, or maybe the massive adjustable wing and all the black aero attachments… the GT3 RS really turns heads, far more than any other 911 I’ve driven.

The C412 from Belgrave to Gembrook rolls easily beneath the RS’s fat 335-section rear tyres, the suspension doing a decent job of the bumps without upsetting us too much. This is not a car designed for commuting, yet it makes a decent fist of our first cross-country cruise. Still, I’d advise against sipping coffee or doing lippie on the move. 

By far the bigger issue is tyre noise. Any road with even vaguely coarse-chip bitumen creates a roar that’s hard to talk over. The 911 GT3 RS doesn’t have a lot of sound deadening because that doesn’t help a car go faster and therefore is just extra weight. The doors are carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, as is the bonnet, and the glass is thinner, all in the name of weight reduction. What it also does is allow more noise into the cabin. Still, if you buy the RS, deal with it. 

Even though the drivetrain has seven gears to spread its performance across, none of them are moonshot ratios tuned for fuel economy. At 100km/h, the engine is doing a noisome 3000 revolutions per minute, which suggests that the car’s claimed top speed of 296km/h needs seventh to do its job if it’s to get there before the 9000rpm cutout.

Pushing the throttle in seventh doesn’t bring neck-snapping acceleration of any kind. In fact, the car grumbles initially as if annoyed that you’d demand a decent punch in what is clearly the wrong gear for the job. 

Luckily, it’s an absolute joy to use the RS’s magnesium gear shifter paddles to drop back a few gears and raise the revs to the point where the RS can really punch hard. Honestly, the RS’s ‘magnetically infused’ gear shifter paddles should be in the Louvre or MoMA, because the shape, the feel and the action are sublime, right down to the sharp metallic snick that accompanies each pull.

That said, it’s not exactly second-class to drive around in Sport mode with the transmission in D for don’t care. Porsche’s engineers have tuned the transmission intelligently to support your current driving style. If you’re tootling around, it will change up quickly and keep the revs low and unobtrusive, but if your throttle and brake applications suggest more vigour then it raises the stakes as well, selecting lower gears with higher revs to be ready when you punch it.

At Gembrook, we stop for a quick photo outside The Motorist Museum, a vintage motoring museum that happens to be at the end of the Puffing Billy railway line. There are no similarities between an iconic steam train tourist attraction from a bygone era and the 911 GT3 RS, so I’m not sure why I even mentioned it here. 

Wait, I’ve got one. Dangling your legs out of Puffing Billy’s windows as it chugs along is one of the transport world’s purest joys… as is driving the GT3 RS. Hmm, moving right along…

We turn north at Gembrook onto the C424 towards Launching Place, another town name with the potential for 911 GT3 RS segues and a road that’s rated by enthusiasts. The C424 is far less trafficked than the C412, so we can up the intensity a little and enjoy its sweeping curves and rolling undulations. 

It’s also a chance to wind the window down and let more of the GT3 RS’s exhaust noise reach our ears. The RS gets a specially developed stainless steel exhaust system that actually doesn’t sound all that great in the lower half of the rev range, although there is a pleasing baritone rumble when you ask the engine to draw on its deeper reserves. 

It sounds infinitely better when you’re closer to its 9000rpm cutout than the 1200rpm idle, so any chance I get I drop gears and let the revs climb, riding the roar through the curves. 

The engine is surprisingly tractable even though it doesn’t have any turbos or hybrid assistance loading up torque. A naturally aspirated engine is a rarity in this era, and yet the RS’s exhaust sound and engine response are all the richer for it. So much of the joy that this car brings is because of its uniqueness; it refuses to follow convention. 

At Yarra Junction, we join the B380 and roll into Warburton for a fuel stop, not that either car needed it after little more than 100km. I tell Brett that I’m topping the RS up to make sure we’ve got enough fuel to reach Marysville via the Reefton Spur. Even though it’s just 60km, I’m unsure how thirsty the RS can be when pushed, and the next section offers the chance to do exactly that. 

Another reason that I’m stopping is because my butt and legs are sore. The RS’s fixed race bucket seats are as uncompromising as the car itself. There’s bugger-all padding, the backrest angle is fixed, and I’ve been sitting on two of the five-point harness’s buckles because I’ve been wearing the conventional seatbelt instead. Porsche calls it a six-point harness because the crotch strap is V-shaped, securing at two locations in front. 

Whatever, it’s all part of the Weissach Package this test car wears, and it not only adds $85K to the overall price, it cranks the RS’s single-minded focus to extreme levels. 

Here’s a quick rundown of what ticking the Weissach Package option brings, which you’ll have to do if you want to own the RS that set the ’Ring record. 

Exposed carbon roof, bonnet, wing mirrors and rear wing – that last with Porsche lettering on the underside so when you’re braking hard enough to trigger the rear wing’s aero-brake function, the car behind you knows what it’s about to crash into. 

Mechanically, you get lightweight magnesium-alloy race wheels and some carbon axle mods. Inside, there’s a carbon roll cage with the aforementioned six-point harness for both seats, plus a fire extinguisher, fabric door pulls instead of door handles (easier to open when wearing race gloves), those wonderfully tactile magnesium gearshift paddles, and ‘Weissach Package’ logos on various cabin surfaces. 

The car I’m driving has a few more options beyond the Weissach Package. It also has a Ruby Star custom colour ($32,440) that pays homage to Porsche’s Rubystone Red debuted on the 964 Carrera RS in 1991, tinted LED matrix headlights ($6100), a Bose sound system ($2970), accent and light design packages ($2640), Porsche logo LED door courtesy lights ($300) and a few other odds and sods, bringing the total cost to purchase to $670,660.

On-road costs, including stamp duty, will add another $80–100K to the price, so let’s call it $770K drive-away.

If you’re serious about track days, you might want to consider ceramic composite brakes for another $19K – not that we had any issues with the standard brakes during our test.

Refuelled and revitalised, we’re ready to tackle the Reefton Spur to Marysville special stage. Conditions couldn’t be better: the weather is good and mid-week traffic is practically non-existent.

Despite the Porsche’s stratospheric skills – or perhaps because of them – the 20.8km stretch from the bridge at Reefton to Cumberland Junction takes us an hour. 

Anyone who knows this road will understand why we stopped and retraced our tracks many, many times. Taking on a challenging and deserted stretch of road in one of the world’s finest sports cars is motoring nirvana. The irony is: the better the car, the faster it’s over. So turning around and going again is mandatory.

Commuting problems like tyre noise and sore butts are quickly erased by the Porsche’s phenomenal capacity for forward progress. Other problems like work deadlines and family stresses go out the window just as quickly as the rest of the world vanishes from existence. 

A supercar’s greatest trick is to make you forget everything else but the here and now. Put another way, an accomplished supercar is the most demanding mistress imaginable. It expects your undivided attention for every moment, and it does not tolerate straying thoughts or distractions.

Focus on the car and the road and the rewards flow richer than at an oil sheikh’s wake. But if your attention wavers, the RS will hurt you. It may only be a sore butt from trying to make the RS into a commuter car, or it may be much much worse if you lose concentration during a more spirited engagement. 

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is one of the finest machines for carving up a delectable stretch of tarmac. I can think of no other road car that feels as ferociously quick yet as surefooted and stable as the Porsche GT3 RS. 

Rob Margeit said, “nothing comes close to the feeling of supreme confidence” he discovered behind the wheel. I now know what he means. The RS is unapologetically raw but it is also so confidence-inspiring that I never feel intimidated, not even on this tight and twisting road with its rock wall on one side and long drop on the other.

The RS has many weapons, but the amount of grip it generates – both mechanical and aerodynamic – needs to be experienced to be believed. Despite the twin challenges of the powertrain’s prodigious power and the road’s sometimes rough and lumpen surface, the RS fairly flies across the bitumen, never skipping, slipping or sliding, and never threatening to get away from me. On tight roads it feels light on its feet and agile, always ready to pivot. Yet on faster-flowing roads it feels bolted down.  

My road drive never reached speeds where you need to switch off the mental self-preservation mechanism and trust to aerodynamic grip. Nor did we hammer the brakes hard enough often enough to appreciate the rear wing’s aero-brake function. And yet even at these speeds, the RS is mind-blowingly quick and a superbly encouraging accomplice. 

The RS never threatens; it instils trust and builds your confidence with its innate composure and outstanding balance. Pushing into corners comes with barely a hint of understeer and just a whiff of body roll before it just whips through the bend. 

The RS also never leaves you guessing. It’s always feeding you information via the steering wheel, the seat of your pants, the pedals – not to mention the sight and sound – so you’re never in doubt about how much of its capabilities you’re using and how much more it’s got to give.

Eventually, we have to leave the Reefton Spur and start the long journey home. On the skyline drive past the Lake Mountain turnoff – another great road for another day – and on towards Marysville, we come upon a rare sight.

Six cars are parked at the Marysville lookout: a Lamborghini Huracan, McLaren 570S, Ferrari F8 Tributo, C8 Corvette, Audi R8 V10 and a Lotus Emira. We’ve run into a Prancing Horse VIP drive day on their way to Levantine Hill Winery for lunch. It seems only right to park the GT3 RS in their midst, although I’m not sure if the Prancing Horse tour leader agrees because many of his clients flock to the Ruby Red Porsche. 

It’s a fair bet the Porsche would outpace all those cars on the right road, and definitely on a racetrack. All those cars are designed for performance but keep an eye on the everyday. With the 911 GT3 RS, Porsche has created a one-eyed fanatic.

After the Prancing Horse convoy departs, we grab a quick pic and head to the Marysville Pub for a late lunch and a debrief. Pulling up outside the pub, I depart the RS’s interior with a smile and a grimace. The smile is for the drive we just shared, and the grimace is because my body is really starting to complain.

By comparison, Brett is also smiling as he slides out of the Cayman and there’s no sign of physical discomfort. His drive was clearly a good one, too, and he still has full use of his back and legs.

If money were no object, I’d have a 992 Series Porsche 911 GT3 RS in a heartbeat… and I could never live with one. 

The GT3 RennSport is the pinnacle of Porsche 911 performance right now. There is nothing more capable, nothing more desirable, and nothing faster with a Porsche badge. And, at $770,000 on-road for the example we’re testing, there’s also nothing more expensive in the range.

If you’re the kind of person who buys flagship cars like these as an ego-driven financial flex, then the punishment the 992 RS will inflict on your body will be thoroughly deserved.

This is not a car for superficial movie stars, stockbrokers or real estate moguls. This car will embarrass you as you bump and bounce up the road before scraping your carbon lip on the driveway gutter because you forgot to use the nose lifter. Then you’ll grunt and groan as you heave yourself up and out of its uncomfortable and uncompromising race seats, stumbling on sore legs into the swish restaurant you’re visiting just to be seen.

Getting back into the RS after a belt-straining degustation will be equally degrading as you perch on the RS’s carbon-shell race seat’s bolster before plunging into the thinly padded seat base, landing butt-first on the racing harness’s huge belt buckle and copping two more in the small of your back.

If you have the money, you’ve done the research, and you’re buying the fastest track-ready 911 because you want to experience what no-compromise performance is really like, then I envy you for having this car sitting in your garage, ready and waiting for another great day.

By the time we get home at the end of our great day, I was 10 years younger on the inside and 20 years older on the outside. I now had a memory that would last forever and pains that felt like they would too. 

Brett, on the other hand, had the memory and yet none of the physical ailments from a long day in the saddle. His Cayman may not have achieved the performance heights of the 992 RS, but I know he thoroughly enjoyed the drive. 

Just quietly, I’m pretty sure he also enjoyed his brief ride in the 992 RS on the Reefton Spur too. And now, every time he points his Cayman out of the garage, he’ll enjoy the drive just a little more, knowing that the engineering prowess that has delivered 50 years of incredible RS machines also crafted his daily driver.