3D-Printed GT3 RS Project Is An Ambitious Undertaking

YouTuber plans to build a fully 3D-printed GT3 RS replica on a cheap 986 Porsche Boxster Chassis and, honestly, we’re here for it.

Between the cost of entry and the difficulty of getting an allocation, a 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is not an easy thing to get one’s hands on for most of the world. While most of us just accept that we’re not in that club, others won’t sit down and take their medicine so easily. Some folks are willing to go to extreme lengths to get the things that they want. Or, at least the appearance of the things that they want. This 3D-printed GT3 RS clone project is the epitome of that thought.

Automotive YouTuber Mike Lake is no stranger to the replica car world. He is perhaps most renowned for his Lamborghini Diablo replica body that he grafted onto the chassis of an E36 BMW drift car. Now, though, he wants the iconic styling of the 992 GT3 RS. To achieve this dream, Lake is taking to the world of 3D printing technology. This time, though, he’s keeping it in the family with the donor chassis.

Humble Beginnings: A 986 Boxster

Lake’s first move with this project was to find a donor car. So, after scouring Facebook Marketplace, he found himself an extremely cheap 986 Boxster. Appropriate, given that the 986 Boxster is the Porsche starting point for many folks. Though Lake’s plans don’t quite align with the path most budding Porsche enthusiasts travel. We digress, Lake and crew ventured 2,000 kilometers to purchase this Boxster sight unseen for $13,000 in Sydney, Australia. It’s a decent starting point considering it has upgraded Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs, and Boxster S brakes.

Lake found 3D printable files for the 992 GT3 RS body, which were then scaled and broken into multiple pieces that he can fit one by one onto Elegoo 3D printers. That’s quite the undertaking in its own right. However, it’s even more insane considering Lake had, to this point, never used a 3D printer.

“I’ve never 3D printed a single thing in my life. So, I’ve called in some reinforcements,” said Lake.

With the help of Fat Lip 3D printing, the GT3 RS components began to appear on the print beds. If you’re at all familiar with the 3D printing hobby, though, you likely know what comes next.

3D Printing A Car Isn’t a Trivial Task

Just getting a 3D printer to cooperate with a single print isn’t always an easy thing. Lake unfortunately got to gain plenty of experience with the classic failed-print Spaghetti. Eventually, though, Lake got enough clean prints of the 20 individual pieces that make up a single fender and put them together. From there, the prints start coming out a bit smoother and, piece by piece, the body kit starts to come together. By the end of the video, he’s got himself effectively the entire front end of a 3D-printed GT3 RS.

Across the world, we’ve seen a bit of 3D printing tech involvement with body kits and car components. This will certainly be an entertaining project to watch as it progresses, and we’ll be keeping our eyes on it! For now, check out the first video for a detailed look at what Lake is cooking up with this project!