Every Generation Of Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Ranked By Top Speed

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is Porsche’s most powerful normally aspirated 911, as well as its most track-focused car. The 911 GT3 RS, designed as an enhancement of the 911 GT3 model, is a relatively recent development for Porsche, having been created during the company’s early water-cooled era. There have been four generations of the GT3 RS, each based on a different Porsche 911 body design. In chronological order by body type number, they are the 996, the 997, the 991, and the 992. These GT3 RS models will be ranked from highest top speed to the lowest.

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The letters “RS” stand for “Rennsport,” which translates to “racing” in German. The usage of RS as an identifier for racing-oriented cars goes back to 1957 with the Porsche 718 RSK racing car, as well as the renowned 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7. The RS versions of the Porsche 911 GT3 have continued this tradition with a series of road-legal cars that are nevertheless completely at home on the track.

First, a word about the importance of top speed. The needs of a track-focused car like the expensive Porsche 911 GT3 RS center around the generation of maximum downforce while maintaining agility during cornering. This is the opposite of the strategy that would be used to achieve the minimal drag required for achieving a land speed record. As Porsche’s most highly-developed track weapon, the 911 GT3 RS’ top speed, while considerable, is not its primary focus.

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The type 997 body style of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS succeeded the 996 and was the second in the series, but had the highest top speed of 193 mph. A facelifted version of the 996, an easy way to tell them apart is that the 996 had the “fried egg” headlights also found on the first-generation Boxster. These were replaced on the 997 by the standard 911-type headlights, which, like the originals, were separated from the parking lights and turn signals.

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The 997 version of the 911 GT3 RS showed what Porsche engineers had learned from the original 996 version. The standard body on the 996 GT3 RS was replaced by an all-wheel-drive body that offered a wider track for the 997 GT3 RS. The initial engine was a 3.6L flat-six putting out 409 horsepower, later upgraded to a 3.8L version with 444 hp. A limited edition of 600 GT3 RSs at the end of the run raised the ante with a 4.0L engine belting out 500 horsepower.

All three sent their power through a six-speed manual transmission on its way to the rear wheels and then the pavement. They all achieved the same 193 mph top speed. 

The type 991-bodied model of the 911 GT3 RS succeeded the 997, was third in the series, and had the same top speed, but there were some significant changes. It was one of the fastest Porsches ever made. The body used was now the one from the Turbo model, with its wide fender flares and intake scoops on the rear fenders. This permitted Porsche engineers to use the same huge tires as on the 918 Spyder. While the engine was different from the 997’s, it was still a 4.0L normally aspirated flat-six with a 520-horsepower output in its ultimate form. 

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Another major change was the move to the Porsche dual-clutch “Doppelkupplung” as the only transmission option. Gone from here forward would be the option of a manual transmission in a GT3 RS. There was somewhat less driver involvement as a result, but smoother and faster acceleration – leading to quicker lap times on the track — would be much easier to achieve.

There were two sub-generations of the 991, which are differentiated primarily by styling differences at the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as in the interior. Performance is largely the same for both. 

The type 996 was the first Porsche 911 GT3 RS, originally built as a homologation special meant to gain approval for the company’s racing car, the 911 GT3 RSR. This stripped-down track car was never intended to become an ongoing part of the Porsche lineup, but once people drove it, they were hooked. This was the only GT3 RS to have the same engine output as the GT3, a 3.6L flat-six with 380 horsepower. 

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The advantage that the 996 GT3 RS had compared to the “basic” GT3 was in improved aerodynamics, suspension modifications, and weight reduction. A carbon rear wing and hood, along with a polycarbonate window instead of glass, reduced the GT3 RS’ curb weight and enhanced its performance. 

This first GT3 RS, with its distinctive and controversial “fried egg” headlights, was never imported to the U.S. A total of 682 were produced for the rest of the world. 

The 992-based model of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS is the current version of this street-legal, track-ready performance car, available since the 2023 model year. While it is the first 911 GT3 RS to have a lower top speed than its predecessor, it is actually faster around a racetrack, as has been amply proven by the car’s record-breaking Nürburgring Nordscleife lap time, doing 12.9 miles in 6 minutes, 49.328 seconds in October 2022. 

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“It’s a racecar driver’s dream come true,” Porsche quoted driver Jörg Burgmeister as saying of this latest 911 GT3 RS. “All this makes it the best-handling 911 road car ever on a racetrack.”

This 911 GT3 RS is also the first one to have less power than the previous model, but only slightly. It uses a 4.0L flat-six with an output of 518 horsepower, two down compared to the 991-derived version. But several enhancements make for improved performance on the track, where this car shines. 

These include a sports exhaust system made of lightweight stainless steel, forged pistons, and titanium connecting rods. The power flows through the GT3 RS’ seven-speed PDK double-clutch gearbox and into an electronically-regulated rear differential lock as the 518 horsepower make their way to the rear wheels.

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