the Porsche 911 gt2 RS is it just me or
is there a little whiff of aftermarket
tuner about the way it looks it's not
just you is it
it's a busy looking device mm-hmm but
you can solve that by having it in black
or in black you don't see all the carbon
that's going on before we go any further
the gt2 badge mmm so a little bit about
what it is what it stands for why it's
so feared how far back is again goes
back to 95 doesn't it well late 94 95
when Porsche wants to homologate a car
for what was then the top line of tin
top endurance racing regulations with
BPR weren't they and they created a car
called the 993 gt2 which was effectively
a non on three turbo which had big
swollen wheel arches which were riveted
on yeah and that car became iconic it
won a lot of races it raced against
McLaren f1 Zin in period it was 430
horsepower but it didn't weigh an awful
lot it was a special thing it was one of
those sort of Jurgen Bass specials that
came out the back of Porsche Motorsport
and no one quite knew how they made them
yeah they weren't many I think they were
about 60 cars 12 Orion drives that was a
genuine homologation racing car yeah it
was replaced by the 9:6 gt2 that came
along in 2001 wasn't it that was the
first production guy ever to have carbon
ceramic brake that wasn't a homologation
car that really was a 996 turbo missing
the front drive shafts with bits and
bobs and a bit more poke yeah and they
did a facelift of that car which
actually had a load more power that gave
it about 480 odds
yeah and that had no traction control
and really quite ropey michelin tyres so
that's where is that with the Widowmaker
yes was the Widowmaker really cuz there
are three gt2 not enough people drove
them or owned them to really understand
them they were very very Larry cars I
thought then I announced it was Larry at
97 again continued the theme it really
was a 997 Turbo
missing the front drive shafts with a
screwdriver in the boot solenoids that
was it really
and then they made this car called the
997 gt2 RS and that was more serious
than we'd expected a power output
beginning with the six when
a 911 turbo of the period had about 530
so it had a low more power two wheel
drive that really was a Widowmaker
that car was Larry and there we've ended
up sort of set the bar for a new level
of lunacy and then this thing cranks it
up another step but it's it's it's kind
of what we'd expect giving they're given
the 997 was so unhinged well I'm not
sure it was what I expected because I
think it's more yeah
what's always been the case with the gt2
is it's never felt like an afterthought
but it's always felt like they just take
the engineering that's available to them
from what they've done with the gt3 RS
of the period the normally aspirated car
they throw a bit of it at the car and
they take the turbocharged engine that's
available maybe tweak it a bit and there
you go it's it's never been the car that
they use as the figurehead of what
Porsche Motorsport should do whereas
this one is this this now is very much
Porsche saying the best we can do is
through a turbocharged engine and that's
quite strange because normally they want
the normally aspirated cars to do that
shouting 700 horsepower rear-wheel drive
hand on heart is it too much no it's not
if we turn everything off yeah and it's
wet it's way too much it's it's it's
silly you can't really hang on to it but
the systems are so good the way that
they calibrate these systems is so
clever now but if you leave them on and
you've still got some tire tread depth
at the rear that's fine the question to
ask is could you sell this car without
tread control note yeah which brings us
onto the lap time it's quite a special
time isn't it now there's a bit of magic
going on because it's not on the board
at the moment that's cause we're talking
just before you record it in the studio
so one 13.4 did that surprise you in any
way no no seriously fast car is it quick
does it feel quicker than a 6 7 v LT yes
I think the 675 probably has a more
helpful chassis because it's mid-engine
and for all the obvious reasons but the
power delivery of this thing is
extraordinary I know the Internet's
going to be screaming now they want to
see the 720 s see if we can get a 722
take care of it might do might be very
very close but it was too cold so we
will run the 720s before I've got to
think of 720 s is probably a few tenths
quicker than a 675 that
halma clan work they need to keep moving
forward yeah so it'd be close when it
would be yet area very now the thing
that keeps playing on my mind is where
does this leave the 911 I can't see how
a hundred more horsepower and more
downforce could improve this car where
the games going to be made sure it's a
911 specific question that is it this is
for all performance cars okay I think
right now cars like this and the perform
on Tay and the 488 pista that's coming
they reek of car manufacturers enjoying
the last of these pre hybrid times yeah
this is them all saying this is what we
can do we know that there's not going to
be any more purely gasoline-powered
performance cars coming so this is it
it's not enjoy this is yeah quite sadly
this is the end of an era and I think
they're showing us what they can do but
I think power outputs could continue to
rise the problem is the weights gonna
start rising as well
yes I'm strapped you strap some electric
motors onto this thing and you add
another hundred fifty exactly so this
you could probably have a car like this
with 800 horsepower but it's going to
waste 1,600 700 kilograms yeah and then
I'm not sure they're quite as clever at
that point on what a wonderful car it is
a special thing finally one word to
describe this car scintillating