√2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS leaked ahead of reveal

Photos of the fastest version of the current Porsche 911 to date, the new GT3 RS, have surfaced online ahead of its full reveal on Thursday.

The 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS has made an early debut in patent images, ahead of its full reveal on 18 August 2022 at 1:00am AEST.

Images shared widely on social media overnight show the hottest iteration of Porsche’s latest-generation 911 to date, sporting a hardcore racing-inspired look with a tall rear wing, wider quarter-panels and aggressive wheel-arch cooling vents.

Key upgrades over the ‘standard’ 911 GT3 include enlarged vents in the front decklid (the bonnet), the GT3 RS’ signature brake cooling vents over the front wheel, fins on the roof, and wider wheel arches housing new-design centre-locking alloy wheels.

Star of the show is a new ‘swan neck’ rear wing seemingly plucked from a race car – and one of the largest of any current road car – which photos confirm will be adjustable to suit different race tracks.

It’s unclear if the new car will offer active aerodynamics – as rumoured – with a deployable flap that lifts up to reduce drag at high speeds, akin to a Formula One car’s Drag Reduction System (DRS).

The GT3 RS ditches the powered pop-out handles of all other 992-generation 911 variants for traditional mechanical units – likely to save weight – while the vents and black fins behind each wheel are more aggressive than any other production 911 ever built.

Other highlights include what appears to be a carbon-fibre roof, and a large front air intake, rear diffuser, and centre-mounted dual exhaust tips shared with the non-RS 911 GT3.

The car pictured also wears a white and red colour scheme (with red wheels) inspired by the original ‘996.2’ 911 GT3 RS of 2003, and the later ‘997.2’ 911 GT3 RS (3.8-litre) of 2010.

Inside, upgrades over the ‘standard’ 911 GT3 include red door pulls in place of mechanical handles, a yellow 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel, and GT3 RS-specific instrument cluster and infotainment screen graphics.

The steering wheel is home to four rotary dials, rather than just one, allowing for manual control of the car’s performance systems.

While the resolution of the leaked photo makes the functions of these dials difficult to identify, it appears the red-accented switch alters the adaptive suspension, the blue-accented dial controls the car’s torque vectoring system, and the white-accented dial changes the overall drive mode (the yellow dial’s function is unknown).

Powering the new GT3 RS is set to be a version of the latest GT3’s 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six engine – though if comments from executives are anything to go by, it may be 7kW down on the regular GT3, with an output of 368kW (vs 375kW).

“The new 911 GT3 RS is even more optimised for track use than its predecessors. The spontaneously responsive, high-revving four-litre, six-cylinder boxer engine with approximately 500 PS [368kW, down on the standard GT3’s 375kW] has proven ideal for use at trackdays and club sport events,” said Andreas Preuninger, director of Porsche GT cars.

“That’s why we focused primarily on aerodynamics and chassis questions in the development of the new 911 GT3 RS,” said Preuninger in a media statement, hinting the GT3’s engine won’t be modified for the RS.

The GT3 RS was previously rumoured to develop about 390kW – 7kW more than the model it replaces – given the GT3 below it received a similar power boost for its latest generation.

Power is slated to be sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission only – rather than the GT3’s available six-speed manual, given the race track focus of RS-branded Porsche models, driving which favours faster-shifting auto gearboxes.

Full details of the new 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS are set to be revealed this Thursday, August 18, at 1am AEST. An Australian launch is likely to occur sometime next year.

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