Originally published at: Auto Trader just loves the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS | Boing Boing
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Related, just this morning I saw an older model 911 on the streets of Tijuana, just begging to lose some parts on the way to wherever they were going. Tijuana streets are hell on low-slung vehicles.
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Filmicly, that had the tone of a documentary or even Planet-Earth-style nature doc. Really well done, shot and edited. It was also pleasing to see how much the 911 still looks like the classic 911s. I mean, if it ain’t broke… Loved in particular the comparison of the downforce to a “fully grown giraffe”
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I believe they’re going for a late Top Gear/Grand Tour aesthetic.
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I know I can’t afford it because I have to ask… ok, how much?
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Give it a sweet orange paint job, and I’d superglue my hands to the steering wheel any day.
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Since you asked…
$224k for the base model (not including destination fees).
There’s plenty of options that can bump the price well into the $300k range.
You can get the Weissach package that replaces some parts with carbon fiber which drops about 33 lbs of vehicle weight. It adds “only” $33k to the price.
You can spend another $10k for upgraded brakes. $5k for leather seating. $5k for a metallic paint option. $1k for proximity sensors. $3k for a height adjustable suspension. $500 to get your key fob painted. $2k for premium audio. $4k for upgraded headlights. (And lots more…)
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I was on the fence about buying one, but that sells it for me. /s
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This car is just bonkers. But TBH - not like I could buy one - I’d go for the GT3 Touring. I just can’t get past that huge wing, plus the RS is pretty much a race car.
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Right? I drive a sporty car, and things like loud tires, loud exhaust, road noise, and stiff suspension can get pretty tiresome after a while. (But I still love it.)
I can’t imagine anything like this as a daily driver, but I’m going to guess every one of these sold will probably spend much of their lives in some rich person’s climate controlled garage.
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Thanks for the price list, @ficuswhisperer. Only $2k for premium audio, that actually doesn’t sound unreasonable, relative to everything else on that list!
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Right? If it were a true track monster, any audio system would be optional.
I just think back to the Top Gear episode where James May was driving an Aston Martin Vantage N24 in Italy. With its single seat (passenger seat is an extra cost option), no AC, crank windows, no radio, no sound deadening, and full roll cage. It had all the comfort and luxury of a Turkish prison. I remember how miserable he was driving it.
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@jlw still has the prettiest 911 ever, though I’ve yet to hear the story about how he managed to get his licence plate approved…
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A high-end Cayman would seem like a more practical choice, if one had the funds and was determined to get a Porsce. But even then, they’ve made them so track-oriented they are miserable to drive on real roads. The Cayman GT4 gearing runs to 84 kph in first and 137 kph in second. So you’ve got a six-speed gearbox that only really lets you use 2 gears on a public road. Ok, I guess you can shift to 3rd as an overdrive gear on the highway, but it takes all the fun out of having a manual transmission to have such silly tall gears.
I have a friend that has a Cayman GT4, as a matter of fact. But it’s not his daily driver and he does track it a lot.
They handle a lot better/different than the 911 because they’re mid-engine as opposed to the motor hanging out beyond the rear axle…
Personally, I can’t even imagine having a car with so much power. I have a lead foot, that’s the last thing I need. My wife’s car is a non-M modern BMW with a turbo 6 and that’s MORE than enough to get into trouble. And it rides with a lot more comfort. It’s a brilliant combo of sportiness and daily drivability.
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The original Lotus Elise re-release offered in the US in 2005 was similar. You could pay extra for deleting the A/C, crank windows were standard, and the “sound deadening” option consisted of a block of styrofoam behind the seats which did nothing at all.
I loved that car and it absolutely was a track monster, but on the highway I could last about two hours in it. You felt like you lost a fight after a long drive.
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I had one of those non-M turbo BMWs for half a year. The biggest issue is the open rear diff, and the resulting uneven rear tire wear, especially with $$$$ run flat Michelins.
TLDR:
“I’ll take that,” I said.
I have an excellent letter and response with the DMV from a few years back when they tried to revoke my plates as “offensive,” but as I won the fight, I felt it better not to take a victory lap that might explode into flame.
Due to my Ford being a Ford, I was driving her today. Fantastic car. Just so much fun. The 997.2 is brilliant.
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My wife’s car has those Bridgestone run flat summer tires - staggered. Fun times when they have to be replaced.
It’s a 2019 with only 10K miles on it, though, because not too long after we got it, she started working really close to home, then 100% FROM home. Just took it in for service and the guy was like “wait, is the mileage correct?” hahaha.
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