Monday 29th February
Porsche 911 GT3 RS (991): PH Carpool
Thought all fast 911s were being holed up in collections?
Thought all fast 911s were being holed up in collections? Think again!
Car : 2016 Porsche GT3 RS
Owned since : September 2015
Previously owned : "Currently in garage: 2005 Smart ForTwo, 2003 Mercedes SL500, 2007 997.I GT3 RS, 2008 Porsche Cayenne, 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Previous cars include Toyota Celica, Honda Prelude, Buick Park Avenue, Oldsmobile Aurora, BMW E39 540i, BMW E39 M5, BMW 645i, BMW E63 M6, Porsche 997.II GT3 RS, VW Touareg V8 and others."
A Porsche signed by Porsche!
Why I bought it:"This is my third GT3 RS. I became addicted to them after my first day driving at the Nurburgring with another marque and noticing the prevalence of Porsches at the track. I cadged a passenger lap in a 996 GT3 and the car was so amazingly responsive I had to have one. Since that day 10 years ago I have always had them.
"Brilliant as the earlier cars are on the track, the 997.II in particular, I have always found them to be fairly nervous cars in the wet; my first trip on the Nordschleife with the 997.II in heavy rain was far from being fun, with limited front end grip. Since there was no way to test a 991 RS in advance given the rarity of the cars I talked to some contacts. It was clear that the new car was going to be huge advance in terms of grip. I was much more interested in the handling than in the horsepower."
What I wish I had known :
"I did not like the Ultra Violet colour in photos but in reality it is stunning. Lava Orange is also much nicer in reality but not quite up to the visual impact of the purple."
Another Euro trip is planned for Canada-based Ronan
Things I love :"The level of grip on the car is, by a huge margin the best I have ever experienced. Every time I visit the 'ring I get an instructor for the first day as a refresher, and we had an opportunity to run the F1 track in a rainstorm. Daniel Schwerzfeld, my instructor, did the first lap and then I had the opportunity to do 25 in the driver's seat. Being able to trail brake in the rain would have been impossible in the earlier cars. Pushing up to the limit of adhesion the car understeers gently without intervention of the stability system, which only engaged when I deliberately drove far too hard into a sharp curve. The Nordschleife was also slippery but the level of driver confidence that this car instills is a vast improvement over any other car I have driven there.
"The car is blindingly quick, but I generally do not redline my cars, so the improved performance compared to the 997.II is not extreme. The overall design is very purposeful and clearly depicts a car ready for the track. Surprisingly, it is a much more comfortable car on the road, with softer suspension that makes it quite usable as a daily driver. I much prefer the smaller steering wheel, while the 991 interior is a big improvement over the 997. The optional 90-litre tank is a blessing for a track day.
"There has been endless discussion about no manual option. In honesty I would have gone PDK anyway. It is unbelievably fast and for me does not disconnect me from the car - it does exactly what I want. I had a paddle shift in my M6 (the very compromised SMG) but I learned how to shift it smoothly so this was not a big transition. I still have a manual car when I want the extra pedal."
Fuel consumption not being measured at present...
Things I hate :"Sadly in North America we do not get roll cages or plastic windows, even as options. The cars do not come with mounting points for a cage either. The silliest item in the car is the pit lane speed limiter. I know how to read a speedo and will never use this. I miss having a traditional handbrake, but the 991 console design precludes this. I have no idea what launch control is for beyond leaving streaks on the ground. I had it on my M6 and never engaged it once in six years of ownership, though I tried it at a sales event.
"The car sounds good when pushed but, for me, the sound of the old Mezger at full wail is chillingly beautiful. Luckily I still have my 997.I to experience that."
Costs :
"The car has an extended warranty so at this stage costs are minimal. There has been one recall so far, for new coils and spark plugs, and there is a second one on some cars for a new gearbox, but it is not yet clear if this car is affected.
"The car is driven quite hard so I have not measured fuel consumption!"
This is definitely a 911 RS that gets used
Where it has been :"After factory pick-up I drove the car to Zell am See, the home of the Porsche family and attended the wonderful, personally sponsored by Dr Wolfgang Porsche who attended almost every event and kindly autographed the car. Porsche fans from all over Europe came to this heavily oversubscribed event and to see 959s, 2.7 Carreras and all sort of other models being driven hard was a thrill. I owe a debt of thanks to fellow PHer Major Dad who managed to get me on the list for the event.
"Following the three-day event I had plotted a route through Innsbruck, Leipzig, Dresden and up to Hamburg where there is a superb collection of early VW and Porsche cars, many of the prototypes. Theis a must-see. I had arranged a visit on a closed day but horrible weather prevented me from doing am outdoor shoot with the oldest Porsche of all, the 1939 Type 64. (Yes, it was originally a VW but the Porsche family had it retitled in 1946). Seeing the two cars together with almost 80 years between them left me with an impression of just how strong the DNA is with the 35hp car still having some family resemblance to its 500hp descendant.
"I avoid 'ring trips at weekends because the mid-week crowds are light and offer the chance to use a relatively empty track; however, it did close early when I was there due to heavy rain and fog. Rounding the slippery Kallenhard turn I encountered an immobile Subaru facing me having bounced off the Armco. If the paint had been thicker we would have had contact. This was the moment where the grip was simply otherworldly and a fast move to avoid a collision succeeded. Had I been in one of the earlier cars in the same conditions I would have hit him. The bespoke parts for the RS like the carbon fibre front end are staggeringly expensive, so damage to them is a major claim.
"A final few days through Berlin, and then it was time for the final return to Zuffenhausen. There were some open Autobahn stretches and I hooked up with an RS6 that was very quick. At 300kph (186mph) the car was utterly planted, all of the downforce in play. The 997.II RS is very capable at this sped also but the 997.I lifts alarmingly.
"Today the car is in the garage in Canada, unusable in the winter, but soon it will be spring..."
The colour choice was this or Ultra Violet...
What's next?"With this car there will be a trip out to the huge Porsche Parade in Vermont in June and the odd track day also, but there is nowhere to compare to the 'ring or Spa here. I have done a transatlantic trip before though, so maybe it will be back where it is used best - in Germany.
"The car will be kept stock as I generally do. My next cars will be of a more mundane variety. The workhorse Cayenne and the elderly Smart will be replaced... I wonder if a Focus RS might pass as a shopping car replacement for the Smart?"