race7117

So many have spoken about the reviews and lap times and 0-60 speeds and the like, and many have taken glancing shots at some of the feeling surrounding the RS I just thought I would share my experiences after 2800km in Europe on the Autobahn, Ring, Bilsterberg, and Spa.
First I do think this trip would have been more comfortable in my 991 GT3. Less road noise and more compliant for the cities and even on the Autobahn the 3 just has a great road car feel not overly communicative for crazy city streets. The RS was, in my opinion, just fine I enjoy a more harsh feel have no problem with it but it is a step on from the 3. The RS steering simply communicates every little thing to the driver much much more feel and on the road that can be overwhelming and not a benefit but a hindrance. On the track the chassis just speaks volumes to the driver and gives it that much more feel.
The Noises. Yes the 3 has a higher rev limit and sings at higher pitch but is also more refined. The RS engine sounds like a race engine and spools up faster, but also communicates that inside the cabin much more noise in the cabin than I noticed in the 3. I may end up using earplugs at the track which I never required in the 3. The transmission also has way more going on than the 3, very similar to a sequential box and my passenger was constantly asking me if it was a dry clutch like in his Ducati......lots of rattles. That being said the shifts are better in the RS much much more positive engagement and pull from each gear "pulling the pin" as they say in F1. Paddle travel is far less in the RS which is a big help for me as I found the 3 had way too much travel and I often would miss shift because of it, not in the RS.
The Aero: Wow just wow. On the autobahn the car would just sit and sit lower the faster I went and stick to the tarmac. The 3 is very stable especially compared to the 997 but the RS takes it to a whole nother level. At Spa particularly the sweepers like Blanchimont or even pouhon you really feel much more confident as the car just cuts thru the air. Much more confidence inspiring than the 3. It is noisy! the turbulence creates a lot of wind noise both at the rear but especially from the "Shark Gills" at the front fenders. Yes I will now and forever call them Gills!
and the hum as you increase speeds is significant, the 3 is much smoother and as such much, much more quiet.
Side note anyone buying this car I would highly recommend clear bra on the side mirrors as the gills spit a lot of debris at them.......directly. Even if you never track the car just driving on the road will spit a lot of stones thru the gills and onto the mirrors and such...just FYI.
Intake sound from the side intakes is very noticeable and at times dramatic at first I thought is was wheel rub but I have kept the standard factory setup and the only rub noticed is at low speed hard turn of the wheel.
I switched from yellow to red brakes and the pedal feel is very very different once I got used to it though, very good and I don't regret the switch. I def feel more through the pedal on the steels but the bite of the ceramics is gone.
The car is signif wider but doesn't feel so on the road, this created some interesting moments at service stations.

Love the LWB they really lock you in and I feel no need for a aftermarket race seat but my spine was aching after the drive from Liege to Stuttgart.
The RS is harder to drive in my opinion and felt similar to the Cup car as well just nicer and well sorted. For me it was the best solution to my addiction and feel that the step up is well worth it


For me it was the best solution to my addiction and feel that the step up is well worth it

P-Car777

Awesome write up!!!
Enjoy your trip.
Thanks for posting!

signes

Great write up, sounds like you had fun. Would love to see the car when you are back in Denver, love the black!

GregJGT3

I have LWB seats and had the same issue, now solved. For your spine comfort. Try putting a foam piece to your needed thickness and position in your lumbar area. Just pull up the center of the back cushion at its base (the cushion is Velcroed into position in the seat frame), place the foam where you think you want it, then push the cushion back into place. Reposition or augment with more or less foam as needed. It's easy to stop, pull up the back cushion, reposition and resume. No more spline problems.

Macca

Thanks for the write up. Really appreciate your views. Some interesting feedback and pertinent as you obviously have plenty of time under you belt with the GT3 on road and track.

Id be very curious to whether there are any changes with the PDK-S between the cars other than the final drive ratio to offset the rear wheel radius increase.

Id imagine the significantly wider tyres front and rear along with the increased down-force and wider wheel base contribute to the additional road noise. Im going to make an assumption here that those attributes also are adding to the detail you are feeling through the wheel not the electric assisted steering circuit itself which is an area like the paddle switches I think has been confused. I like the positive click and the travel of the GT3 paddles just fine but I can imagine if the travel were shorter it may seem like the box is changing faster. Im almost certain there is no difference in the box.

The additional noise within the cabin has been attributed by some to the additional resonance created on the rear fender panel by air entering the intake at higher rpm. That may be true for USA cars but I think for Euro cars the plastic side windows and rear window will be contributing much of this noise.

Im sure the RS isnt the ideal touring car, and it was never meant to be. My main curiosity is how it performs on the limit of traction particularly on the track. I have only just started to "chuck" my 991 GT3 around on the track (i.e. deliberately rotate it and play with slip angles). This has been a revelation and positively affected my personal best lap times with much more to come now I have the confidence to really throw it around like my older 993RS spec. I have owned the car almost 2 years and up to this point I was concerned the car was "over tired" for teh track and not as fun or as adjustable as the older chassis on the track. I now know that its probably a function of ability and ***** to get the most from the 991 GT3 platform. Im curious as to whether the RS is more or less adjustable than the GT3. The wider footprint and bigger tyres give more grip, yes, but do they allow some fun as well and is the taper off progressive or sudden? Thankfully I have found the GT3 as mostly progressive...

Finally and simply as a passing shot at the media fraternity. The 991 GT3 was pointed at by some as being "too fast for the road". I haven't heard that about the GT3RS. Not sure why. Maybe conditioning?

race7117

I found the RS very adjustable at the track with plenty of play especially near some limits, very predictable. I also felt it had more of a tendency for oversteer not in a bad way, just more ability to get the rear to rotate and predictably get the nose turned in more. The PDK is def different but I'm not sure how hardware or software whatever. The noise that it makes and feels is dramatic. It's like the difference between the old SMG and DSG of the bmw M3s. The SMG was a manual gearbox with a mechanical engagement of the clutch, it felt like a manual yet didn't have a clutch pedal but when you pulled the paddle for upshift it could really pull in each gear. The DSG just felt smooth and simple as if it wasn't doing any work at all. The RS is similar in that it is much more violent at full throttle pulling and popping with each shift. The 3 just is superfast and smooth with great control but much less violent. If you listen to the shifts you will immediately hear the difference.
The 3 also has a real tendency to feel light in the front end and lose a bit of grip as a result. The RS gets the tires down in front and just stays planted for more grip. Steering feel is just a combination of all the changes but the whole seems to be greater than the sum of the parts. I really felt like I was in previous generation car but that may be just perception. again just in steering feel not in how the car drives, definitely a different animal

Macca

Interesting thanks...

fxz

PDK-S Oil pressures in RS is increased to gain
gear shift speed
this why feel more "violent" but the same gearbox

Noise Higher for rear air intaker wider tyres
and in EU rear polycarbonate glass

Front grip obviously from tyres

More oversteer (only below 50mph)
due to rear 21" wheels (there s the RWS effect)

Still thinking 50k is too much for the above
and insane the over MSRP

Anyway as addicted i am
1st on waiting list for the "Cup" edition which i will
throw it away if not at least 500Nm 525Hp (or the equivalent in weight saving..not much faith on this ) to make
me saying yeah it s my beloved GT3 roots but even more track focused and worth the extra money

<3mph

Thanks for that info. That's the first explanation I've seen.

bronson7

Great write up and comparison vs the 3. Thanks!

Kobalt

Good write up!

ipse dixit

[deleted]

ipse dixit

Makes sense.