Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 - a limited edition 500 bhp RSR racecar for the road

               

There aren't many vehicles which can be guaranteed instant classics the moment they're announced, but the Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 announced overnight, is one of them. Only 600 will be made for worldwide consumption, going on sale in July at GBP128,466, EUR178,596 across Europe and AUD$409,000 in Australia. A roadgoing version of the GT3 RSR race car, the RS sports the biggest 911 engine ever at 4.0 liters, and the most powerful non-turbo 911 engine ever at 500 bhp. It can lap the Nurburgring-Nordschleife circuit in 7:27 if you're good enough, hits 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, and comes ready with a half roll cage, seat belt harnesses, fire extinguisher, and a battery cut-off switch if, or maybe when, you get it rubber side up.

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The 125 bhp per liter engine is pure RSR, right down to the titanium con-rods, with maximum power at 8,250 rpm and maximum torque of 460 Nm at 5,750 rpm. It all runs through a six-speed manual sports transmission and even the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system (an electronic adjustment system for each of the four wheels that that monitors and controls the suspension damping independently for each wheel in real time) has been given revised settings while the rear axle has extra ball-joints for greater adjustability.

Like its racing sibling, the RS features light weight everything as standard – carbon fiber seats, bonnet and front wing, plastic rear windows and even the carpets are "weight-optimized." The diet has yielded a car with a kerb weight of 1,360 kg.

The aerodynamic Carrera White GT3 RS 4.0 will be easily recognizable, both inside and out. It's the first production Porsche to wear "flics" (the distinctive lateral front air deflection vanes previously only seen on race cars), and has a big, steeply-inclined rear wing with adapted side plates, all designed to bring the vehicle into what Porsche terms "aerodynamic equilibrium" – the aerodynamics add 190kg of downforce at top speed.

For passengers who might miss the not-so-subtle external styling cues, the red and black Alcantara-covered sports seats are emblazoned with the words "RS 4.0" in red on the headrests, with suitably prominent RS 4.0 logos on the carbon fiber door entry guards and also the carbon fiber dashboard trim.