The Geneva Motor Show is just around the corner, and Porsche and Ferrari both have something special up their sleeves. Yes, it's a pair of track-focused supercars that promise to lap faster and thrill more than anything either company has built in the past. Meet the new 911 GT3 RS and 488 Pista, two cars that herald the end of the "regular" production models they're derived from—in this case the 991 generation Porsche 911 and the Ferrari 488, each of which is due for replacement in the near future.

In the red corner, from Maranello, Italy, weighing in at 2,800lbs...

We'll start with the Ferrari. The 488 Pista is the latest in a line that started with the 360 Challenge Stradale back in the early 2000s. Pista is Italian for track, and that's what this car has been optimized for.

It's not a race car, but it does incorporate a lot of the lessons that Ferrari has learned racing the 488 GTE and 488 GT3. In fact, Ferrari says that the Pista "marks a significant step forward from the previous special series... for the level of technological carry-over from racing."

The 488 GTB road car was already pretty special, but Ferrari obviously needed to outdo itself with this one. So the Pista has been on a diet, losing 199lbs (90kg) for a dry weight of just 2,822lbs/1,280kg. The body has even more advanced aerodynamics, including new diffusers at the front and rear that increase downforce by 20 percent over the standard car.

Ferrari

Ferrari

Ferrari

Ferrari

Ferrari

Ferrari

Ferrari

Ferrari

There's also more power. A lot more power, in fact. The 3.9L twin-turbo V8 now pumps out 710hp (529kW), an extra 49hp (36kW) over the version I drove last summer. And like that car, you don't have to have Sebastian Vettel's skill to drive it hard. The 488 Pisto has the latest version of Ferrari's Side-Slip Angle Control system, which coordinates the various electronic brains that govern the traction control, gearbox, engine, suspension, differential, and now even the brakes. Ferrari says this last one is called the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer, and it uses software to adjust brake pressure.

Ferrari hasn't announced pricing for the 488 Pista yet, but considering the base 488 GTB starts at $245,000, I'd be surprised if the price didn't begin with a three.

In the green corner, from Weissach, Germany, weighing in at 3,200lbs...

Porsche has an even longer history of stripping out its road cars to make road-legal track machines; mention the words "ducktail" and "Carrera RS" to most Porschephiles if you don't believe me. The latest RS—or Renn Sport—911 takes the existing GT3 and turns everything up to 11.

Unlike the Ferrari, it still has a naturally aspirated engine—one of the last naturally aspirated engines Porsche will build. It too has been tuned, although perhaps not as fiercely; it's still a 4L flat-six, but it now makes 520hp (383kw), 20hp/15kW more than before. And it should sound spectacular, given the 9,000rpm redline.

As befits a road car coming from the motorsports department, the 911 GT3 also benefits from the lessons Porsche has learned racing 911s. (No, not the one where it moves the engine ahead of the rear axle.) The suspension uses ball joints instead of conventional bearings with bushings and is fully adjustable for things like camber and caster that most people only ever mess with in Forza.

Like the Ferrari, the GT3 RS has plenty of electronic helpers to get you around the lap, including an electronically controlled rear diff, active engine mounts, and even rear-wheel steering.

Porsche

Porsche

Porsche

Porsche

Porsche

Porsche

Porsche

Porsche

It also makes more downforce, courtesy of additions like a new underfloor diffuser and that big old rear wing. In fact, Porsche says that the GT3 RS makes double the downforce of a regular GT3 at 124mph. And it too has been on a diet. The roof is magnesium and the trunk lid and fenders are carbon fiber. The side and rear windows use lightweight glass.

On the interior, some of the sound insulation has been left out, and things like the door panels are stripped down to save weight. It doesn't even have door handles on the inside, preferring instead to use a loop you pull to unlock the mechanism. All told, it should tip the scales at around 3,191lbs (1,447kg)

And if that's not enough for you, the optional ($18,000) Weissach Pack trims things even more. This spendy extra includes carbon fiber front and rear sway bars and coupling rods, plus some carbon fiber bits on the interior, dropping another 13lbs. And if you really must have the lightest car possible, another $13,000 will get you forged magnesium wheels that drop another 25lbs.

That's on top of a base price of $187,500—assuming you're good enough friends with your local Porsche dealer to get a spot on the order list. Demand will almost certainly outstrip supply, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a 911 GT3 RS changing hands for $100,000 over list price as they start to leave the factory.