The Nine eleven is a classic shape that developed through faithful and consistent transformation. It was not one, which delved into new design themes. Yet has defined the way forward for sports cars to come at the time of its introduction. Reserving its berth as one of the most influential cars of the twentieth century.
On the outset Porsche was a driver’s car and change was inevitable when confronted with the question of survival, and numbers dictated. Along with it came distillation, meaning the car went exactly where the driver commanded it to, and accompanying the performance were cleaner less organic surfaces that were as predictable as its competition.
Porsche schemed to enter the 911 into the GT class soon after the introduction of the 996-generation in 98. This meant fostering a race car coupled with cultivating a road legal derivative, as necessitated by GT class homologation rules. Now a Porsche 911 is almost always an object of desire, a fast 911 even more. However take a virtually race-spec Porsche add a touch of nostalgia in the recipe. Like its forerunner, the 1973 911 Carrera RS and you are feasted with the GT3 RS.
What’s the point? Wasn’t the GT3 built with the intention of Motor Racing? Doesn’t it accord with most drivers’ view of perfection? And the GT3RS is only marginally faster but with a gross disparity of figures printed on individual price tags, for the same engine and gearbox!! But hey, welcome to the world inhabited by the fortunate few who are complete strangers to common sense. There's always a reason, despite the tawdry sticker near the doorsill (reminiscent of it’s 73 ancestor), the mammoth rear wing adorning vivid body colours. A few features that encroach into the frontier of being considered design crime on any other car but by virtue of being a Porsche its all fine. But how can we deny the day glow orange, or the viper green body colours with contrasting alloys as not making the statement that this car is all about. Works well. Complete with effervescent alphanumeric model designation in the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It all adds up to be part of the abstruseness.
Porsche designers may have quite often been criticised as being the laziest in the industry when one looks at its styling, famously that of the last boxster in comparison to its former. But how easy is it to maintain the classic 911 shape at all times? Making a statement of pure refined sports car engineering just like the badge (and the elongated square Porsche graphics) that has barely changed since its inception. The GT3RS body shape differs from its mechanical donor car (the GT3) with the beautiful bulging hip at the rear fender, the front lip and the carbon fibre rear wing. The last mentioned being a far cry from the famous 'ducktail' spoiler of the Carrera ancestor. Subtract the aerodynamic aids and peel of the colour and the muscular rear end makes evident the wider track that sharpens directional stability and ups the latent lateral grip on this two-seat coupe. The enamel Porsche shield on the boot lid replaces the earlier 996-based GT3 RS’s sticker; a tiny detail that symbolised its lightweight creed and respecting the back-to-basics formula, devoid of anything unnecessary in its pursuit for agility and speed.
The GT3 RS belongs to that end of the market where one should not steer into arguments about value. Whichever way one looks at it.