Permanent Press Fleet 997.2 GT3 RS Still a Thrill Today
Beloved 997.2 GT3 RS once set a Nurburgring time of 7:33 in 2010, remains a part of Porsche’s press fleet after other cars move on.
One of the perks of automotive journalism is access to press loans. It’s even better when it’s access to the fleet Porsche maintains around the world. The chance to get behind the wheel of a 911, a Taycan or Cayenne to see what it can do — and tell you all about it — is an honor.
Eventually, such cars hit their mileage limit, then put on the market for their new owners to enjoy. Unless, of course, a given car is so popular that the company adopts it permanently. Such is the case of a 2010 997.2 GT3 RS, which YouTuber James William Walker (a.k.a. Mr JWW) recently took out at his own private test track in the Cotswolds of England.
“This car is no ordinary GT3 RS,” said Walker. “I want to draw your attention to the number plate. This car is actually a very special car to me personally. These last three characters here — HBY — this is actually Porsche U.K.’s press car, or it was originally their press car.”
As Walker says, the GT3 RS could be seen on the front pages of every publication in the United Kingdom during its time in the spotlight, logging 31,000 miles thus far. It was also a car Walker aspired to one day drive himself, as it was “the last of a generation” of high-performance cars with manual gauges and transmissions. It also helped that it clocked a 7:33 time around the famed Nurburgring in 2010.
“This was the last of a very special engine in the 997-generation Porsche,” said Walker. “It was known as the Metzger engine. This was because it was designed by a clever fellow called Hans Metzger, who effectively applied motorsport-developed technology, and put it into a road car. So, this is the last of the Metzger engines, or, at least, the last of the 3.8 Metzger engines.”
Surrounding the Metzger 3.8-liter is a lightweight (and lightened) body with a wider front and rear track than the standard 997 911. The engine was linked to the asphalt through a pair of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, with carbon ceramic brakes helping to stop the madness when needed. A track-focused aero kit completes the package.
“First of all, look at this,” said Walker. “A key. An actual, real key with a key on it. It’s amazing. You wouldn’t really class it as old, would you? But when you get in it, it’s so spartan.”
How spartan? The satnav was deleted from this GT3 RS, for one. The gauges aren’t electronic apparitions, but physical units with real needles. The steering wheel is just a steering wheel (no additional controls), and it has no air conditioning. In short, it’s a true track-day special.
“First of all, I honestly can’t believe I’m in this car,” said Walker. “This really, really is one of those unicorn cars for me, and for enthusiasts all around the U.K. […] I actually feel a bit of an element of extra responsibility here to look after this car. If there was ever a car you didn’t want to ruin, don’t take off the road, it’s this one.”
Walker makes full use of the GT3 RS’s 444 horses and 317 lb-ft of torque around the test track, whose 3.8-liter engine is far enough behind the rear axle to allow it to drift around corners upon lifting off the accelerator. He notes you can feel through the steering wheel what the tires are feeling on the road, the clutch is heavy, and the shifting is positive.
“I think one thing that will summarize this is the fact that this car still exists on the Porsche Heritage press fleet,” said Walker. “Why that’s important is, historically, when Porsche has a new press car, they use it until it is depleted until the next model comes out […] It should have been taken off the press fleet and sold, but there was just too much love for it.”
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