There’s a reason why Porsche has high expectations for the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Being the most powerful production car the company has ever built will do that to you.
In building the GT2 RS, Porsche went through great lengths to offer a car that more than lives up to the enormous hype and standards Porsche has given it. For their part, Motor Trend is determined to run the 911 GT2 RS and dive deep into the science that went in building the German supercar. It’s a fascinating watch, especially for fans of the Stuttgart brand that have drooled long and plenty about the most powerful road-ready Porsche the company has ever built.
Find out how Porsche addressed the ever-present problem of weight distribution on the car, how they tweaked the suspension set-up, and how they were able to produce such outstanding power - 620 ponies worth - from the car’s 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine.
One of the cars that really stood out to us at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show was this particular Porsche 911 (964) that was jointly built by two industry heavyweights, Mark Arcenal of Fatlace and RWB’s very own, Nakai-san.
The creation, called the RWB Porsche 911 Pandora One, is a testament to the highly influential skills of the two car builders. Before any modifications took place, RWB and Fatlace stripped down the car and all of its road equipment to give way for a new racing set-up, including a new full roll-cage. After that, two Recaro Pro-Racer SPG seats were installed and fitted along with Stack gauges. In addition, the 964’s exterior was treated to a full compliment of aerodynamic parts courtesy of Rauh-Welt Begriff, highlighted by the enormous wing on the rear of the sports race car. Other touches done on the 964 include a satin green paint finish by TNT, new KW V3 coilovers to replace the car’s standard springs and shocks, and a new set of 18" RWB wheels built by Rotiform wrapped in Falken tires on the front and Azenis tires on the back.
One unique feature of the Pandora One is a special remote-operated hydraulic lift system built by KW called the HLS System. The set-up allows the Porsche to create as much as 1.75" of additional ground clearance with just a push of a button.
Meanwhile, the car’s race-spec engine was handled by FFTEC Motorsports, which in turn took the turbo engine and tuned it to produce 6psi of boost and 398 horsepower. While that number is what’s underneath the hood of the 911 for now, the car is expected to back into FFTEC’s Mustang dyno, where the company is looking into pulling out 15psi of boost. Figure that out and you’ll probably get an output that’s near the 550-horsepower area.
Porsche has officially announced details on the new GT3 RSR that will be used in the 2012 racing season. Compared to the current model, the new GT3 RSR has grown by 48 millimeters and has been built to conform to the A.C.O. "LM" GTE regulations.
The 2012 GT3 RSR is powered by a 4.0 liter six-cylinder boxer engine that delivers a total of 460 HP (up 5 HP over the 2011 model). The engine comes equipped with a mandatory air-restrictor and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The gearbox is operated via paddle shifts on the steering wheel that send the power to the rear wheels, which have grown to 310 millimeters in width. Also compared to the previous model, the front wheels have increased by 30 mm to measure 680 millimeters.
Exterior changes are minimal, but still present. The nose and rear panels have been adapted to the flared front and rear wheel arches, while openings in the rear side sections replace the air scoop on the engine hood.
The new 911 GT3 RSR can be raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series, and the International GT Open starting in the 2012 season. Deliveries will begin in January 2012 and prices will start from 498,000 Euro (plus VAT ), or about $685,000 at the current exchange rates.
You know how press releases can sometimes play tricks on minds based on the content? We’ve been down this road before and it appears that we could be headed to it again.
Porsche recently released a press kit regarding their plans for the LA Auto Show next month and we found a little piece of nugget that points to a car making its world premier, one that features “impressive performance and dynamic looks, exuding unadulterated driving pleasure.”
Now, what that car could be is still anyone’s guess, but if you’ve paid close enough attention to their plans, we could be in store for the world debut of the new Porsche 911 Cabriolet.
This is all a matter of conjecture so don’t take our word for it just yet. But if you really think about it, the recent launch of the new 911 is usually quickly followed by the drop-top version. On top of that, Porsche’s immediate future - by ’immediate,’ we mean the next six months - includes a couple of releases, including the new Boxster, the face-lifted Panamera, and, it seems, the 911 Cabriolet.
So why are we holding out hope that we’ll see the 911 Cabriolet in Los Angeles next month? Consider these phrases - Impressive Performance. Dynamic Looks. Unadulterated Driving Pleasure - and think of the first Porsche machine that comes to mind.
If you thought about the new Porsche 911 Cabriolet, then you’re not the only one.
In any case, we’ll be sure to have more information as the La Auto Show draws closer.
Wall calendars and diaries may already be outdated for some people, but plenty of people still recognize them as essentials for their daily lives. That’s why if you’re into fancy calendars, Porsche Design has one that should be of great interest you.
The German automaker’s retail department recently launched their newest 2012 calendar, called ’Unlimited Fascination.’ Measuring 59mm x 55.5mm, the 2012 Porsche Calendar comes with plenty of fantastic, high-res images of its latest pride and joy, the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera. The calendar also departs from the usual graphics featured in its past incarnations, opting to replace it with photo realistic images of their mighty new bad boy sports car.
The 2012 Porsche "Unlimited Fascination" Calendar retails for €39 ($53), where it will come with a 40-mm collector’s medal that celebrates the latest generation 911. If you have an extra €19 ($26) at your disposal, you can also score the new 224-page Porsche Diary, which features well over 50 pages of dedicated text and images of various Porsche models.
