turbofreeFLAT6

I re-read an old article and saw that my comment applied only to the 996 GT3 (non-RS), which had had its Carrera suspension geometry altered beyond its optimum operating window. For the RS the mounting points were relocated and stiffened.

isv

the 6rs suspension mounting points were a homologation issue for the race car. Not relevant at road ride heights. the 'standard' 6gt3 will perform very similarly to the 6rs in terms of handling. Plus mooty's experience with the 6 as he mentions would most likely be with the 6gt3 as the 6rs was iirc never brought to the US.

turbofreeFLAT6

I was just repeating Dickie Meaden's comments re the two cars in an Evo road test.

997rs4.0

turbofreeFLAT6

As you say. Setting the rear bar to stiff on my GT4 (sold to buy the 4.0) cured that problem and made the steering feel more connected (but still feedback-free in the wet).

turbofreeFLAT6

My dream (unaffordable) 911 garage: 2.7 RS Lightweight, 964 RS 3.8, RS 4.0. Given that I've barely driven a 2.7 RS and only in Touring form and haven't driven a 964 in any form I'm happy to be told where I've gone wrong.

raclaims

I have to say my 996 cup was a blast...but I prefer my 997 cup big time...same for the 996 vs 997 GT3rs

Finlander

You have a very special car!


"The elephant in the room is a Porsche 911 GT3 RS 3.8 parked on the moor, ticking noisily beside the road having been given one final blast by the evo team.

Jethro eventually volunteers to be the one to put his thoughts into words: Every time I think I've just experienced motoring nirvana in one of the other cars, I drive the Porsche and think,No, this is it.
SO THIS IS it. This is evo. This is the car that we hold aloft as the one that has reached the highest heights in this crazy mixed-up world we call the Thrill of Driving. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS 3.8.
That it fights and almost wins against a car that is so aligned with the more analogue leanings of the team is remarkable, and while the GT3 RS should be celebrated as the best of the past 200 issues, it's the Speciale that sets the benchmark for the next 200.
So what is it about the GT3 RS that elevates it above the others? John Barker explains: Take the best bits of everything else in this whole test, cram them into a ridiculously compact shell and you've got the 911 GT3 RS. If the Speciale is a masterclass in response, the GT3 RS is the definitive lesson in feedback; adds Jethro; The steering; I know we're forever banging on about bloody steering! It is truly special, bubbling and wriggling with the most wonderful detail. Not just of the road surface but flowing information about weight transfer, the shifts in balance that are at the core of this car.
At this point Henry chips in: The way its damping copes with the Welsh roads is just perfect and not once did I feel like the mighty Mezger wasn't strong enough. What's more, the suppleness in the suspension set-up means that I could enjoy all these lovely adjustable 911 feelings even when we were just pottering along in the morning at five- or six-tenths.
Back to Barker: This is the best balanced of all RSs for me. The ride and handling are perfectly balanced, the crazy top end of the 3.8 is plenty crazy enough, the heft of the hefty gearshift is as hefty as I'd want it and there's nothing I want more of from an RS.
It's alive at all times, explains Jethro, and you feel the weight shifting around, the slight softness of response as you guide it gently into easy curves. But then the transformation when you decide to snap between direction changes is incredible. Suddenly the front-end is pinned and the traction is, of course, almost surreal.
The final words go to Dickie: As much as I love the Speciale, the RS is a tougher, grittier experience. Of course you have to drive the Speciale to get the best from it, but ultimately there's less to get to know. The RS demands a broader skill set and greater intimacy with its ways and foibles before you're able or confident enough to push it.
Essentially these cars perfectly illustrate the difference between the analogue and digital ages. We just happen to be living through the transitional phase, so while it's brilliant that a car like the Speciale can deliver such a vibrant and all-consuming experience, the appeal of cars that require you to use hard-won skills and the satisfaction they deliver when you do so to the best of your ability, remains irresistible.

The epic Speciale proves the future is in good hands, but looking back over the last 200 issues the GT3 RS is the defining car, the pinnacle of an extraordinary era."

Steve Theodore

One of the greatest accolades I can personally give my own RS 3.8 is that I truly enjoy the car as much at 30 mph as 130 mph, meaning it just feels alive at all speeds, always busy trying to communicate with you about what it's doing. I've never been able to say that about another car that I've owned as some cars really have to be driven hard to be enjoyed, whereas others show all their demerits when you push them hard. The RS 3.8 is magnificent at every speed, the perfect dance partner...the one I never get tired of dancing with, and the one that occupies my dreams.

Not all of us can drive Carrera GT's, and I know enough about them to know that that would be a very different type of dance...one where every wrong move was full of absolute peril if you mis-stepped. My RS 3.8 doesn't punish me like that. It's the truest form of automotive love.

bweSteve

so true. well said Steve T. .... and thanks for the Evo article Brandon.

I agree Steve, especially the part about making mistakes. When I bumble a shift it just laughs a bit & says TRY AGAIN!!

I'm having trouble with this winter solstice. Confession: "Forgive me Father, I have not driven my GT3 in 2 months.... "

=Steve

turbofreeFLAT6

Anyone driven a Singer or Ruf SCR?

MerlinRS

by Mr JWW. I really enjoy his production quality and passion for cars. One of my favourite 4.0 videos together with "Driving the Dream" which has already been posted o this thread.

turbofreeFLAT6

An interesting post by Stout, who has vast experience of Porsches, comparing the 4.0 to the 3.8 on the 997 gt3 4.0 rear suspension ? thread:

Everyone wants 4.0 for the engine, I want it for the chassis tweaks. Not night and day, but they do make a difference in a critical area: Driver confidence. The 4.0 chassis achieves something that has nothing to do with percentages and on-paper performance: It is better sorted, more approachable, does a better job of keeping the tires in better contact, and provides crystal clear feedback to the driver. On smooth pavement, or with a full pro at the wheel, I am not sure how much the difference would be. But for this mere mortal, on real-world back roads, the 4.0 is in a different category of fun and pace—and not as a result of its engine. On the old loop, I had to stop not once, but twice, to let air out of the rear tires—a first for me away from the track. Yet I felt safer at that pace than I had in the 3.8 on the same road. 4.0 was also quite good in the rain once the tires were up to temp. Got into a 991.1S that day, and immediately wanted to be back in the RS 4.0. These are not quantifiables, but they make a difference. At least for me. I like the 997 RS 3.8. I lust after the 997 RS 4.0. One is in my top five modern Porsches, the other is not.

neurotic

I'm having a brain fart--but has their been a write-up on the .2RS4.0 or 3.8 in 000?

Mr. Adair