#PORSCHE GT2 RS FULL#

I hadn’t really expected that.Īnd then we come to how dextrous the chassis is, because it really is. But because the engine’s delivery is so precise, because it so accurately follows what your foot is doing, you quickly find that you have confidence in the car. I’d kind of expected the GT2’s chassis - which does have a fair amount in common with the GT3 RS’s, including four-wheel steering, but harder springs and softer anti-roll bars - to be overwhelmed by the torque. Amazing though this motor is, I’d rather drive and listen to the GT3 RS’s atmospheric 8,800rpm 4.0-litre – it’s sharper, crisper and even more exciting. And I’m afraid we have a similar case here. However, that comes off second best in comparison to the 458’s naturally aspirated 4.5-litre that preceded it. This is new for Porsche – genuinely exciting turbo engines are thin on the ground, the Ferrari 488 among the most notable. Instead I’m amazed how zingy the throttle feels, how pressure is maintained in the turbos, how the acceleration ramps up towards the top end. There is no Sport setting for the engine - the only parameters you can alter are the exhaust and stability control - so I was worried about the heavily blown engine not having good pick-up and response. But on the road, on light throttle openings, you have to be very circumspect - a whiff of boost surfed through the mid-range and, whoops, you’ve piled on 40mph. It’s not so noticeable when you’re flat out on track, using high revs and – gradually – getting used to the speeds involved. But your awareness is coloured by the fact the car piles on more speed-per-rev gained than you imagine possible. The force is entirely relentless, the noise a deep, bassy chunter, much lower and more guttural than other 911s. The most remarkable thing about the way it accelerates is that it punches past 150mph as readily as it does 80. Today's different layout puts me on to the Hanger Straight at about 45mph.

From memory I was coming out of Chapel on to the Hangar Straight at about 80mph and just topping 150mph before braking.

#PORSCHE GT2 RS FULL#

I was here a year ago, on the full circuit rather than the southern loop, driving a Nismo GT-R. I attempt to ignore it while I circulate Silverstone. I could put up with most of it, but the steering wheel is a distraction. It’s not beautiful, but I can’t think of many cars that exude a greater sense of purpose. Just look at it – those huge gulping intakes at the front, the risen hackles on the vents over the front wheels, the bonnet’s Naca ducts that channel air to cool the front brakes, the rear wing (well, the sheer size of it), the plastic windows. It certainly communicates a motorsport vibe. It saves 30kg and I imagine every buyer will opt for it. Ready for the geeky bit? For £21,402 you receive a host of hardcore upgrades: forged magnesium wheels, the magnesium roof replaced with an even lighter carbon one, a titanium rollcage, carbon anti-roll bars and suspension coupling links, six-point harnesses, the stripes, a massive Porsche logo spelled out atop the rear wing, plaques and logos inside. But you can pay more by adding the Weissach Pack. Mind you, the old one was 446bhp/tonne and tyres, traction systems, turbos and gearboxes have come on a lot in the last seven years. It weighs 1,470kg, giving it a power to weight ratio of 470bhp/tonne. Anyway, the big numbers are 0-100mph in 5.8secs, 0-124mph in 8.3secs (over a second faster than the 997) and a 211mph top speed.

Porsche gt2 rs