Porsche 911 GT2 RS (997) | Spotted

Another monster 911 is looming; high time we remember what the benchmark looks like...

With images recently emerging of an outrageously bodykitted 911 lapping the Nordschleife, and Porsche repeatedly hinting that something special is coming, it surely won’t be long before a new GT2 RS is shown to the world. They always arrive a long time into the life of a 911 generation; the previous 991 was unveiled at the 2017 Festival of Speed, after the Carrera had debuted at the 2011 Geneva show. The current 992 was first seen at the 2018 LA show, so by recent GT2 standards we’re actually a little overdue.

It has some act to follow, that’s for sure; the previous 700hp 991 was a staggering combination of feel, tactility, and engagement with sledgehammer performance. It felt much more like a twin-turbo GT3 RS than it did a stripped-out, boosted-up Turbo. It felt absolutely sensational, in fact.

So hopes will be high for the new one, given that precedent and the fact that the current range of 992 GT cars have been so very good. Think of what the GT3 RS has achieved with its incredible aero and endlessly configurable chassis; then think what it might be like with another 200hp.

But that’s for another day. Right now we’re considering the 997 GT2 RS, the car that can claim the coveted title of the most powerful manual car ever put on the road by Porsche. This will always be a very cool accolade, especially given that status has stood for 15 years now and looks unlikely to change anytime in the future. (The recent 992 Sport Classic, which brought the manual back to senior turbocharged models, mustered 550hp.)

It was about so much more than the power, though. The RS was significantly lighter (by 70kg, thanks to carbon bits and plastic windows) than the regular GT2, so that extra 90hp really went a long way. The chassis was dramatically overhauled, with new engine mounts alongside the usual spring, damper, and anti-roll bar changes. It was a fierce car even by the standards of 2010; now it promises to be a properly wild ride.

But it’s still a 997, so it has that inherent rightness to the dimensions and the design, plus a very stout, serious dashboard like it’s a proper old 911. If contemporary reports are to be believed, then it was actually reasonably docile at normal speeds as well. Even with no choice but a burly six-speed manual.

This one is a very rare, one-of-24 UK-supplied car; it’s covered 10,000 miles in 15 years with a couple of owners. Number 332 of the 500 made, it’s only ever been cared for by Porsche main dealers and looks… well, looks as good as you’d hope for a GT2 RS maintained in that way. Going without the red Alcantara sometimes seen inside means any wear is less visible, the bolsters still present nicely, and the buttontastic dash doesn’t show much wear.

It’s exceptional, basically, a 911 for the ages that promises to make every single drive borderline momentous. So a 15-year-old GT2 RS costs as much as a new one is likely to, this 2010 car on offer at £360k. The last time we wrote about one, back in 2021, cars with fewer miles than this were around £425k; perhaps a small Covid collector bump. Nevertheless, a car as rare, exciting, and significant as the GT2 RS is always going to be in demand. Expect fervour around the last manual one to rise once more when we see the new car.

SPECIFICATION | PORSCHE 911 GT2 RS (997.2)

Engine: 3,600cc, flat-six, twin-turbocharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 620@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@2,500-5,500rpm
MPG: 23.7
CO2: 284g/km
Year registered: 2010
Recorded mileage: 10,478
Price new: £164,107
Yours for: £359,950

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simundo777

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