Racing legend and Porsche senior race driver Walter Rohl has seen his fair share of iconic Porsche models over the years. Suffice to say, he’s not so easily impressed anymore. Same goes for former Formula One and Porsche racer Mark Webber. Together, the two combine for almost 50 years worth of racing experience, so for them to be left speechless and catching their breath at the same time must involve something completely epic and downright mental. Is it too early treat the Porsche 911 GT2 RS in those terms because both Rohl and Webber were left at a loss after taking the 911 GT2 RS out for a drive?

The reactions of both Rohl and Webber were captured in a promotional video for the 911 GT2 RS, so there is the possibility that they could have been instructed to react the way they did in front of the cameras. But it’s not like the 911 GT2 RS is a slouch to begin with. The reactions of the two racing icons could have been legitimate, especially because the 911 GT2 RS has been everything that Porsche has hyped it up to be. It’s not just about the car packing 700 horsepower and earning the title of being the fastest and most powerful production 911 in history. It’s not even about the sports car’s ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 211 mph. It’s about the intensity and emotion of driving a car that’s shaping up to become one of the most iconic Porsche models of all time. The looks on the faces of Rohl and Webber say it all.

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Under normal circumstances, it's easy to believe if somebody who drives the Porsche 911 GT2 RS is left catching his or her breathe after some high-speed runs with the car. I'd probably feel the same way too and that's all because of how Porsche developed the 911 GT2 RS to be all that it can be.

But there is something a little forced in capturing the reactions of both Walter Rohl and Mark Webber. Sure, their expressions might be genuine, but they're also Porsche drivers so they were probably instructed to react in that manner anyway. It's like getting the reaction of Lewis Hamilton after driving the Mercedes-AMG GT R or capturing Sebastian Vettel seconds after he gets out of the Ferrari 812 Superfast. Their reactions may be authentic, but their association with the brands in question will make people wonder if they're still canned to some extent.

In the case of the 911 GT2 RS, I would've asked somebody like Valentino Balboni, the longtime Lamborghini test driver, to test the latest 911 and then get his reaction. He's not associated with the company to begin with. And it's not like Porsche wouldn't be able to do it since Lamborghini is effectively a sister company under the Volkswagen umbrella.

I get it that the Porsche 911 GT2 RS is all that and then some. But if somebody needs to hammer that point to me, I'd prefer it to be somebody who isn't working for Porsche. Simple as that.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.