New 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS to be revealed on 17 August

Porsche has confirmed that a new 911 GT3 RS is on the way, and that the latest hardcore member of the 911 line-up will be revealed in full on 17 August. It will top the 992 911 line-up, and will be “more optimised for track use than its predecessors”.

That’s according to Porsche’s GT model line boss Andreas Preuninger, who has confirmed some of the specifications for the new model ahead of its reveal next month.

The new 911 GT3 will, as ever, make use of a “high-revving” 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine, pointing to the continued use of natural aspiration for the car. Preuninger says that this engine has already proven itself ideal for use in GT versions of the 911 with its current power output, standing at 503bhp in the current GT3. That points to either a modest power increase for the RS version, or no additional power at all.

“That’s why we focused primarily on aerodynamics and chassis questions in the development of the new 911 GT3 RS,” the GT boss teased.

Seen numerous times at the Nurburgring during its development, an official image of one of the GT3 RS prototypes has been revealed, matching up to previous spy shots with an imposing, track-bred appearance.

Catching the eye immediately is the huge rear wing. Like the GT3, it’s a racing car-inspired swan neck design, except it’s even bigger on the RS. Not only is the rear wing’s size an important marker of the new GT3 RS’s performance intent, it also demonstrates what Porsche’s engineers are able to deliver when not constrained by strict motorsport rules. The wing is likely to incorporate an active DRS (drag reduction system) element similar to the system used on Formula One cars, which opens the wing  to reduce drag on straights, before closing for corners to produce maximum downforce. 

Elsewhere, there are front wing slats to ventilate air away from the wheels and brakes and a new front splitter. The RS also gets new, more aggressive bonnet vents and further intakes behind the front and rear wheels. At the back there’s a dual exhaust system that droops down towards the tarmac – whether this is to help with noise reduction for prototype testing or the full production design remains to be seen. The exhausts jut out of the middle of a similar diffuser to the GT3’s. 

The RS will use the same naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine as the GT3, but as with previous RS models power is expected to increase marginally. That said, this unit is already at the limit of its development, so it’s likely that most of the new car’s performance increase will come from its more advanced aerodynamics and tweaked suspension.

Generally, the GT3 RS has packed around 20bhp more than its regular GT3 sibling since power differentiation was introduced between the pair with the 997.2 generation models. As such, a natural position for the new RS to take up would be an output of between 520 and 530bhp, while drive will be sent to the rear axle via a seven-speed PDK automatic transmission. 

While the standard GT3 is available with a manual transmission, it’s not yet known if Porsche will extend this to the circuit-biased RS. In the recent past GT3 RS models have been PDK-only in the pursuit of laptime performance. 

Prices could start from around £150,000, placing enough distance between itself and the £123,100 GT3.

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