Thursday 12th March 2015

911 GT3 RS stickers: PH Blog

Oi, GT3 RS, what happened to the stickers?

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I've written about this before but I've always considered the truly awful sticker sets applied to 911 GT3 RS models as the final 'qualifier' for the prospective customer. Sure, you love the car. You can stomach the idea of driving round in a loud Porsche with a big plank on the back and plastic windows. But can you really live with decals your stereotypical Saxo driving modder might consider a bit naff?

Naff graphics a GT3 RS feature for years

You can? You're sure? OK, you may proceed.

But for the first time the new GT3 RS seems to have escaped application of unnecessary logos, stripes, chequer boards or other 'decoration'. For why?

I was chatting with GT boss Andreas Preuninger about this on the Cayman GT4 launch. He chuckled as I described wincing as the covers came off the new GT3 RS at Geneva, bracing myself for the one surprise left about the way the car looked - its graphics. Yet there were none! Leaving me in the curious position of feeling underwhelmed by an engorged roadgoing 911 boasting race car aero, bright orange paint and a 4.0-litre flat-six revving to 9,000rpm. Because it didn't have any stickers on it.

Like it wasn't attention seeking enough...

He looked half apologetic, the RS decals thing clearly a bit of an in-joke among the team. "Every time we launch a new RS people complain about the graphics," he said, "and they say 'why aren't they like the old graphics'. But they complained about those when they were new too!"

So why doesn't the 991 RS have any? Preuninger makes the reasonable point that the looks are wild enough as they are with the wing vents and side intakes not to require any further embellishment. And also says the distinctive indent in the carbon bonnet and magnesium roof and runs the length of the car catches the light in such a way as to look like a stripe anyway.

997 GT3 RS's set a new standard of tackiness

All fair enough. But driving a truly magnificent car while being made to look like a bit of a tit was all part of the RS experience. I'm not sure I feel entirely comfortable with this mature new vibe. I'm sure we've got some PH Le Mans viper stripes knocking about somewhere in the office. Maybe I should knock something up ahead of the launch, as and when it happens. Anyone care to get busy in Photoshop and suggest some ideas?

Dan

 

An excuse to watch the GT3 RS promo...

[pSynrg]

I'm very comfortable with the idea!

I think a parallel that could be considered is the utterly diabolical stickering they did to the 918. Especially the white with red gobbing all over press-car we saw quite a lot of.

The 918 without any MaxSticker is a truly beautiful - if not the most beautiful of the hyper's. The 991 GT3 may well be its equivalent in that particular segment...