Among the many variants of the iconic Porsche 911, there is perhaps no model more highly sought after than the original Carrera RS. The year was 1972 when the RS was born as an homologation special – that is, a production variant of a car specifically designed to race in a certain class (other famous homologation specials you might be familiar with include the Porsche 959, Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, Ferrari 288 GTO, and the very rare Porsche 911 GT1).

Being an actual race car for the road, this very first Carrera RS was completely stripped down, with only one goal in mind – absolute performance. Powered by the classic 2.7-liter flat-six motor, this Porsche could rocket to 62 miles per hour in only 5.8 seconds. Remember, this was in 1972; these figures are still great, even fifty years later. When combined with a curb weight of just over one ton and supreme weight balance, it’s no surprise that the original Carrera RS was immediately regarded as one of the greatest and best-driving sports cars of all time, and its legend has only grown to this day. Many RS clones have been, and still are, fashioned out of other contemporary 911s, slapping on a spoiler in the front and the iconic ducktail in the rear. With the price of an original RS approaching a half-million dollars, a factory vehicle is out of reach for most enthusiasts, even if they can find one for sale. Suffice it to say, going over every facet of what makes the 2.7 Carrera RS such an incredible masterwork in automotive design is far beyond the scope of this article. Since then, Porsche has reserved the fabled RS badge for it’s most extreme road-going offerings, which brings us to the present day.

Enter the 992

With the 911 line approaching sixty years old now, Porsche introduced its latest chassis in the lineup in 2018, and dubbed it the 992 generation. It took a few years of bated breath from automotive enthusiasts everywhere, but the new 992-based GT3 hit the streets in 2021. This generation brought some significant changes to the GT3; most notably, an incredibly unique “swan neck” rear wing, shark nose-inspired vents on the hood, and a wide body kit are now included on all models of the GT3.

It’s not surprising then that the ultimate GT3, the GT3 RS, has just made another appearance, and much like the newest GT3, it puts out the biggest numbers of any GT3 RS, ever. The 992 GT3 RS keeps the naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter motor that is a mainstay of the GT3 cars, which spins to a ludicrous 9,000 RPM and puts out 518 horsepower (many drivers favor this driving experience over the turbocharged engines found in the Turbos and the GT2 RSs).

With its active aerodynamic features built into the bodywork, it is also capable of generating over 900 pounds of downforce at 124 miles per hour. Additionally, it also comes with much more aggressive styling than the standard GT3, including massive vents for the front and rear brakes, and an unpainted carbon fiber hood. There’s no fake scoops or intakes here; everything you see here is pure function. All of the motor work and trick aerodynamic features, along with the seven-speed PDK automatic transmission, enable this RS to circle the Nurburgring in 6:49. Remember when a 7-minute Nurburgring time seemed impossible?

Homage to a Legend

The base GT3 is already uncommon and highly desirable, and all RS variants are undoubtedly more so. However, there will be another trim level on top that is sure to take customers’ breaths away, literally and figuratively. Enter the just-announced “Tribute to Carrera RS” package, available exclusively to those customers who have already received an allocation for a new GT3 RS. For a total MSRP of $312,550, the lucky customers will receive all of the above, plus an exclusive combination of options meant to pay homage to one of the greatest Porsches of all time.

The “Tribute to Carrera RS” edition starts off with a brand-new GT3 RS equipped with the Weissach Package. The Weissach Package is the most desirable option for the modern RS Porsches, and is generally easy to discern by the amount of raw carbon fiber adorning the vehicle. From there, the Tribute Package takes the wow-factor of the car up another notch. All vehicles sport crisp white paint with special Python Green accents, which are carried throughout the rest of the vehicle. Magnesium wheels come painted with the special green color, as well as the GT3 RS graphics, mirrors, and Porsche graphics on the wing. Those accents carry over to the car’s interior, which is finished in leather and Race-Tex. Green contrast stitching is featured throughout the interior, and illuminated plates on the door sill spell out the name of this special trim level. The Weissach embroidery is also included, in green, on the headrests, and features the outline of the Nurburgring’s Nordschleife that this beast has conquered.

Nice Car, if You Can Get It

Given that the GT3 RS is in such high demand that prospective owners must first obtain an allocation from Porsche themselves to even purchase one, these “Tribute to Carrera RS” cars are sure to be a rare bird at your local Cars and Coffee. They check all of the boxes that made the original Carrera a milestone in automotive history: exclusivity, performance, and wicked good looks. Although this special car might be priced north of $300,000, the Porsche’s modern RS cars have always presented quite the value proposition compared to other sports cars when looking at the sheer performance figures. The new GT3 RS, clad in the “Tribute to Carrera RS” livery along with the complete Weissach package, is already a worthy successor to the history of Porsche’s ultimate RS cars, and will no doubt be the highlight of any collection lucky enough to sport one.

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