Ten things we’ve learned about the 991 GT2 RS prototype

It’s Porsche’s worst kept secret – of this year at least. The 991 GT2 RS is on its way, marking a return for the turbocharged Rennsport moniker after a seven-year hiatus. The final production version of this hugely anticipated 911 is due for release soon but, in the meantime, one Andreas Preuninger invited Total 911 along to Germany to ride shotgun in a heavily-developed prototype. As you can imagine, final facts and figures of the new ‘Widdowmaker’ are still to be fully ratified, but our passenger ride out of Weissach did at least reveal some key snippets of information ahead of launch. Here’s ten ‘facts’ we learned about the new 911 GT2 RS:

1. The new GT2 RS will have at least 650hp

You’ll recall the previous 997 GT2 RS had what is still a mighty 620hp (it actually remains the most powerful 911 of all time). However, the new 991 GT2 RS looks set to eclipse that, Preuninger telling us the car will be good for at least 650hp.

2. The new GT2 RS will boast more than 750Nm torque

That monster torque figure is actually the work of Porsche’s latest 991.2 Turbo S, which to this point takes the title of being the 911 with the most twist (the 997 GT2 RS has 700Nm). The 991 GT2 RS looks set to sail past that figure too, though Herr Preuninger remains tight-lipped – for now – as to what the final figure may be.

3. The GT2 RS’s engine size is 3.8-litres

That’s right, whereas the naturally aspirated GT3 RS and 991 R utilise a bigger, 4.0-litre version of Porsche’s 9A1-coded flat six, the GT2 RS uses a heavily revised version of the 3.8-litre flat six found in the current 991 Turbo S. Porsche is quick to stress the new GT2 RS has had far more than a mere remap of the Turbo S’s unit, though.

4. The new GT2 RS’s intercoolers are spray-cooled

Similar to the technology currently utilised by BMW, the GT2 RS’s intercoolers are spray-cooled, with a fine mist sprayed onto their netting. We’re told the ensuing evaporation effect reduces intake temperature by as much as 15 degrees.

5. The new GT2 RS is PDK-only

Want a manual GT car? Then the GT2 RS isn’t for you. Porsche will only offer its turbocharged Rennsport with PDK only, Mr Preuninger telling us the Weissach philosophy is that an RS means precision and lap times over any romanticist proclamations of driver purity. We applaud that.

6. The new GT2 RS will weigh under 1,500 kilograms

Porsche’s goal is to keep the turbocharged Rennsport under 1,500kg (incredible when you think the 991.2 Turbo S weighs 1,675kg). As such PCCB’s will be fitted as standard and, though there is rear-axle steering, the car will remain a rear-wheel-drive car.

7. The new GT2 RS will lap the ‘Ring in around seven minutes flat

Again, Porsche is quick to stress that no official time has been set yet. However, The new 991.2 GT3 recorded seven minutes 12 seconds, and we’d expect the GT2 RS to beat that. Remember, Porsche’s 918 e-hybrid hypercar famously lapped the ‘Ring in just six minutes 57 seconds in 2013, a record for a production car at the time. Could the GT2 RS get near that?

8. The 991 GT2 RS features a new exterior design…

…for a 991 GT car, at least. While its body is based on the naturally aspirated GT3 RS, you’ll see a number of new tweaks, including air inlet ducts in the front bonnet to aid brake cooling, as well as new side air inlets unique to the 991 GT2 RS.

9. The new GT2 RS will be fully rose-jointed

That means it’ll be a super-stiff, focused ride, but we were surprised by how compliant the car felt. That said, the dampers are mounted upside-down, in true race-car guise, and the GT2 RS’s spring rates will be ‘the most extreme ever for a Porsche road car’.

10. The new GT2 RS will be offered with an optional Weissach Pack

This cool weight-saving option, which we expect many owners to take, will see the GT2 RS’s kerb weight reduced by around 30 kilograms. GT2 RS’s with the Weissach Pack will come with a carbon fibre roof rather than a magnesium number found on the GT3 RS and R.