Porsche Debuts the 911 GT3 RS in Geneva

2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (Credit: © Porsche )

After a slew of leaks, the 2015 Geneva Auto Show is upon us, and Porsche has officially unveiled the 2016 911 GT3 RS. Not only does this bad-boy feature a good bit more power than the base GT3, but it also managed to lap the Nurburgring in just seven minutes and 20 seconds, which bests the GT3 by five seconds.

Under the hood of the newest addition to the 911 family is a 4.0-liter flat-six engine that cranks out 500 horsepower and 338 pound-feet of torque. These numbers give the RS 25 more horsepower and 13 pound-feet more torque than the GT3. The engine pairs with a PDK transmission to sprint the 911 GT3 RS to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds – 0.2 seconds quicker than the GT3 — and to a quarter mile in just 11.2 seconds.

2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (Credit: © Porsche )

On top of being faster than the GT3, the GT3 RS has cool features like “paddle neutral,” which acts like depressing the clutch on a traditional manual transmission. Additionally, it comes with a “Pit Speed” button that prevents you from exceeding the speed limit in pit lane, should you choose to race your model.

Porsche also went to great lengths to lighten the GT3 RS. These lengths include a magnesium roof, and a carbon-fiber trunk lid and hood, which drop 22 pounds from the curb weight of the 911 Turbo it is based upon. Additionally, Porsche added in RS-exclusive aero components, including a front lip spoiler, and a huge rear wing.

Other unique touches on the exterior of the 911 GT3 RS include the 11.8-inch-wide recess in the center of the roof and hood, which harks back to the water-cooled 911s of yesteryear, and the front wheel arch air vents that stretch into the upper portions of the front fender to help increase downforce on the front end.

2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (Credit: © Porsche )

Inside the cabin, the GT3 RS has plenty of Alcantara to keep it stylish and light, while it also has carbon-fiber bucket seats from the 918 Spyder.

The 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS will hit dealers in the U.S. in July 2015 at a starting price of $175,900, plus a $995 delivery charge.