driveopolis

What. A. Beast.

Crossposting on here so that you GT4 boys can check it out! The other thread is here.

I had a chance to spend some quality time with a GT3RS. I own a GT4 and I've driven the regular 991 GT3 extensively.

I put together this video review to share the experience and to spread the word about my good friend and fellow Rennlister mjraval's charity. Manoj is raising money for colorectal cancer care at St. Paul's hospital using his GT3RS at the 2016 Diamond Rally. That's the reason for his car's sick livery.

You can find out more about the Faith Hope Love charity at the link below and consider making a donation. I'm behind it because it's a good cause and all of the proceeds go directly into the hospital with no overhead.

http://diamondcarrally.kintera.org/f...80132F577AC97D

Now, about that GT3RS...

The GT3RS has a truly sensational drivetrain experience. The way its engine revs and sounds as it hurls you towards the horizon is both thrilling and life affirming. Based on what I experienced so far, everything I love about the regular 991 GT3 is taken up a notch in the RS. However, I would not say that the driving experience is massively different on the street. I expect that when speeds increase and you have more room to explore on a circuit, the additional power, aerodynamics and grip will become apparent. But on the street, less so. I fully appreciate the exclusivity and the looks though. It's more mean and purposeful with the wider tires, taller sidewalls and staggered rear wheels fully stuffed into the wheel arches. It has so much presence and that big wing actually impvoves visiblity out the rear glass.

Comparisons with the GT4:

1. Engine
The 3.8 in the GT4 sounds great on its own and actually sounds louder than both the 3 and 3RS at lowish revs. I heard this inside the cabin and my camera crew also pointed this out as I drove by them repeatedly from the outside in each car. However, when the 3RS is unleashed, the decibel level spears through the roof and it sounds like nothing else I've ever experienced. It's a screaming, shrieking buzzsaw of a motor and my vocabulary is inept at describing the way it sounds at full song. Please watch my video for the full effect. The closest I can compare this to is an inline four sportbike and I made this same description when I first set foot in the regular 991 GT3. However, the RS serves this particular dish even more savagely.

If not overshadowed by the high rev screamers in the GT3 and 3RS, the GT4 engine is actually superb. It makes solid torque, revs with authority and is shouty and boisterous. But put even the best of engines against an RS and it can't help but fall a bit short in drama and savagery. The GT3/3RS sisters win in the engine department, hands down.

2. Steering and Chassis
What I love most about the Porsche GT cars is that they have always allowed the inherent nature of their chassis' to show through. This means that GT3 and 3RS feel ***-engined without any apparent attempt to smother or sanitize the experience, unlike the regular Carreras. Their rear-wheel-steering makes turn-in sweeter without taking the experience away and I really appreciate that. The 3RS feels a lot like the regular GT3 in the bends. This means the front end is very light and pointy, you need to work the wheel a tad to get the front end settled as you load up the tires and when all that's sorted out, you roll hard on the throttle and eject yourself on to the straight using all of that juicy rear traction. Then you're delighted by the sound and savagery of that gorgeous powertrain. Once you figure out how this works, you can't help but do it over and over. It is thoroughly addictive and hugely satisfying.

The GT4 on the other hand is more point and shoot. It's more intuitive to drive, requires a less specialized technique and lets you take corners in a range of styles. It's more progressive and forgiving and feels like an extension of your body, so good is its human and machine interface. You 'think' it around corners. The car's mass rotates perfectly around the driver and its CG feels a tad lower than the RS. It rails around corners with the grip running right along the outside edges of the car and it does this immediately from turn in. No muss, no fuss. It is brilliantly precise and feels laser guided in all of its responses.

I couldn't think of any better way to make a car handle. What a peach. What a total sweetheart. I love driving the GT3 for the engine, but I love driving the GT4 for the chassis.

Because of its perfection, some will say they prefer the mid-engined character as it is indeed less messy and technically superior. Me, I think it's two different flavours to achieve the same purpose of going around corners quickly and confidently. In either car, you're fully involved and submersed in the mechanical experience. The 911 needs more work but that is part of the appeal. I give them a near tie in what I like better overall, but I think I will need to become a better driver to fully exploit the GT3/3RS. The GT4 is much easier to enjoy right away.

Also worthy of note is that despite having the same front suspension and steering calibration, the two cars have different steering feel. The GT4's is a touch heavier and more muscular -- some of you will love this -- but the GT3/3RS have a shade more feedback and delicacy. The GT4 you steer more with your arms; the GT3/3RS you steer more with your fingertips. The difference is subtle, but once you spend a bit of time going back and forth between the two, it's very tangible. This makes sense as the 911 just has less weight on its front axle, which contributes to this light pointy feel. I think I give the nod to the GT3/3RS on this one.

3. Transmission and Gearing
I'm a hardcore manual guy. I will take the 3 pedal just about every time and the GT4 has one of the best gearboxes in existence. The gearstick is an easy reach away from the steering wheel, the throws are rifle bolt short and crisply mechanical. All of the control weights and placements are precisely calibrated and a model of engineering perfection. It is splendidly fun to row through the gears. It also comes with optional rev-match downshifts which bridge the gap to the PDK.

Where the PDK really blows me away is in the upshifts. In both the GT3 and the RS they are so blazing fast and so lacking in interruption that you only hear the shifts rather than feel them. The sound is an angry mechanical burp as you burn through the rev range. I'm still a manual guy, but if there's ever a car to woo me with its PDK, the 3 and 3RS are it. Between the manic engine and the shorter gears, the RS makes the full 9krpm experience so accessible.

In my time driving these cars, I did not detect any difference in shift speed or feel between the 3 and the 3RS. If there is a difference, I did not feel it.

Overall, I still have more fun and feel more involved in the GT4's manual box. And while we've heard just about every reviewer complain about its tall gearing, I think these comments are well overblown. My previous car, the 997.1 GT3, had gears that were equally as tall and I don't recall anyone making a fuss about it back then. Also, many other cars of this type like the NSX had tall gearing and we enjoyed them happily. I think short gearing has become a 'thing' recently thanks to PDK and its additional forward gears, making it easy to lower gearing without sacrifice. Either that, or people have so little to complain about on the GT4 that the gearing is the only thing they could muster up. I'm not sure, but I don't really care.

I think both the PDK-S on the GT3/3RS and the manual gearbox on the GT4 have their pros and cons and will have their proponents, but I'm going with the manual on this one. Bring on the next generation 991.2 GT3 with an optional manual... I know which one I'd choose.

So there you go, here are my quick impressions on the GT3RS and how I think it compares to the GT4. I would love a GT3 or RS to add to the stable, but I won't be willing to give up my GT4 for one, because manual and because I'm having too much fun in the corners!

If you missed it, my GT4 review video is below.

Jimmy-D

Nice video on both models. You speak very clearly and articulate in such a way that makes it easy to understand what your feeling when your driving.

Sam- where did you get that "GT4" sticker for the back of your car. Would like to get that in black?? It also looks bigger than the raised ones that come standard

Thanks

user1029

I speak as clearly and articulately as

in real life

35Mugen

Great review, informative and articulate as always. There is definitely a clear path of GT cars for owners to progress through along with ones budget and skill level. It's nice to see that there is some strong commonalities in the DNA of the GT4, GT3 and GT3RS along with enough character and capability differentiation to separate all three.

Are you going to have any track time soon with any of these GT cars? Would love to see a track oriented review along the same vein as the M2 review.

Halfshaft

Awesome video, thanks for posting!

konaforever

Nice review and comparo!

ChrisF

GT4 is fabulous. 991 RS is insane; a GT car turned up to 11.

Is it worth 3x GT4? Not for me...2x maybe

GrantG

The sticker price is almost exactly 2x more.

Da Hapa

Another great video Sam. And prop's to you for supporting a great cause.

Slightly off topic question for you and/or anyone else that might know...

I noticed the bright red seat belt warning light was on in the instrument cluster throughout this video. I'm assuming that's a function of the harnesses in this car. Is that something one has to live with if you use harnesses? That would drive me crazy.

Da Hapa

Good luck getting one at sticker. The last GT3RS that I saw purchased at my dealer (the owner took delivery the same day I bought my GT4) was at just under twice sticker. I thought that was insane.

The Pope

True. An Ultraviolet RS just sold at a So Cal dealership for $389k plus tax and license. Pretty typical for them to fetch $100k+ over sticker.

ChrisF

Thanks for beating me to posting this and making my point.

ChrisF

You mean $289K?

ShakeNBake

hard to justify the market price for an RS when the 675LT is similar money and MUCH more exciting.

GT4VR

Excellent review! Loved the howl of that insane GT3RS engine.

I did chuckle at one of your comments though


Overall I think this may have been your best video yet. Well done.