The upcoming 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS will be the most powerful car ever to wear the 911 badge, with an official power output of 700bhp and 750Nm of torque.
After months of speculation, Porsche’s new flagship was unveiled at the E3 gaming convention last week, but all that Porsche’s engineers would say was that the car made at least 650bhp.
However, the latest iteration of the German sports car manufacturer’s infamous ‘Widowmaker’ eclipses the previous 611bhp GT2 RS as the biggest monster in the 911 range.
Power comes from an uprated version of the same 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six engine that powers the 911 Turbo S, linked exclusively to a PDK automatic gearbox.
Keen 911 fans will note that the new GT3 now comes with a manual, but Porsche’s dedication to making the GT2 RS as balls-out as possible means that only an automatic could handle that much torque and deliver fast enough shifts.
It’s powerful enough to hit 0-62mph in just 2.9 seconds, will blast its way to 124mph in just 9.8 seconds and will power all the way on to a top speed of 217mph.
Those are insane figures for any car, let alone one which is rear-wheel drive only and which wears such an aggressive aerodynamic package as the GT2 RS.
Speaking of aerodynamics, the car’s huge rear aerofoil is estimated to generate up to 350kg of downforce over the rear wheels: roughly the weight of six people.
Thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre, the car weighs in at under 1,500kg though buyers can specify a 918-style Weissach package to further wick out as much weight as possible.
Weissach package cars feature additional carbon fibre elements, magnesium wheels and extensive use of titanium, while the air conditioning can be removed to shed more than 20kg in total.
The new Porsche GT2 RS is expected to cost approximately £230,000 when it goes on sale later this year, though further details are likely to be announced in the near future.
