WATCH: Superb Porsche 911 GT3 RS the ultimate driving machine?

The official Porsche press release starts with a heading that states: “The 911 GT3 RS sets the benchmark for driving precision”. There is absolutely no argument here.

This is the car that blasts around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a time of 6 minutes 56.4 seconds. The Nordschleife is seen as the ultimate test for proving that your car has the goods to out muscle the competition when the road is not straight and flat. To better understand just how fast this car is, the time posted by the Porsche puts it ahead of much more powerful supercars such as Ferrari’s 488 Pista, Mercedes-AMG’s GT R Pro and McLaren’s 720S.

This is the big boy handling test, and the 911 GT3 RS has already proven that nothing else in its class can touch it. We know that the lightweight composition of many of the components on the car along with added downforce and rear-axle steering all play a huge part in this feat, but what about the other benchmark test criteria of just how fast a car is off the line from a standing start? The famed, and always revered 0 to 100 km/h sprint.

To set benchmark times and break records here, you once again need less weight and more power, and the electronic and mechanical support to put the power to the tar. The GT3 RS weighs in at just 1 430kg, thanks to the use of carbon fibre for the large rear wing, the widened front wings with ventilation slits, and for the uncompromising yet snug, ultra-lightweight full bucket seats on the inside.

You can take this high-tech diet one step further with the optional Weissach package, which our test car came fitted with, and this means you get more carbon fibre in the form of the roll cage, a lightweight roof, bonnet and exterior mirrors all with carbon-weave finish.

Opt for the magnesium wheels that come wrapped in 20-inch 265 front and 21-inch 325 rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 rubber and you will see around 30 kg saved at the scales. With the weight taken care of, now we need power, and here you have a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat six-cylinder engine producing 383 kW of power and 470 Nm of torque.

These numbers are impressive, but the part that excites even more than this, is the soundtrack as this powerplant wails up to a heady 9 000rpm in a way that gives you goose flesh each and every time you chase the rev counter around the dial.

You would think getting this sort of power to the ground via the rear wheels only would be a problem. It’s not. Once you have what is basically road legal race rubber up to temperature, you simple engage launch control and the GT3 RS blasts off the line without a hint of wheelspin or fuss.

Obviously try the same trick on cold tyres and the traction control switched off and you are then dealing with an altogether different beast. Making use of the electronics saw the GT3 RS hit 100 km/h in a record time of 3.57 sec, and thus relegating Audi’s more powerful all-wheel-drive R8 V10 plus to second place on our leader board.

The car continues through the quarter miles mark in just 11.5 sec at almost 200 km/h and the 1km mark is crossed at just over 250 km/h, on the way to a claimed top speed of 312 km/h. Despite being an everyday track weapon of the highest order, the straight-line numbers achieved comprehensively backed up its class leading track time with a record breaking sprint run.

The most emotionally satisfying road test of my career thus far, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS could be the ultimate driving machine for true performance purists.

To see the full results of the road test, click here.

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