賽道試駕GT3 RS
2009-07-21 02:07:54   来源：汽車世界專稿   评论：0 点击：

Test drive 2008 Porsche GT3 RS

Porsche is world famous for making some of the most high performance cars on the planet.  Anyone with sufficient funds can walk into a Porsche dealership and drive away with one of the most refined classic sport cars ever produced.  Most notably of the Porsche line is the infamous 911 series. These rear engine beasts can satisfy the most hardened sports car enthusiast. Every now and then Porsche along with other auto manufacturers release a hybrid street/race car to show that they mean business when it comes to racing. If you are lucky and I mean IF... you may get to drive or even better yet own one of these rare enigmas you will be in a class of your own. Half street half racing machine but yet legal to drive on the road.  How is this possible? Don't ask me I am just beyond words that it is available in this day and age of more efficiency, less horsepower, boring cars.  Not that it is a bad thing for everyday motoring. But at this moment we don't care about that, we are here right now to have our super caffeinated cup of coffee in the form of a car!

ENTER the 911 GT3 RS. It is the embodiment of Porsche's hardened racing cup car softened just a bid for it to be more docile for street use. Don't get me wrong though if not driven with proper respect it will bite. Just imagine a Rear Wheel Drive, 8400rpm, 415bhp engine, with no traction control… It is purely up to the driver to maintain control. It can be a nightmare for some as it is a rear engine car and when pushed near its limits can be a handful. But that's why it is fun. If it is not someone's cup of tea you can turn on the traction control to help tame the car. Now why would we do that?

The 911 GT3 RS is the perfect balance of racing and street sensibility. It comes in bright racing colors, it has a roll cage, it has a low center of gravity, it has a close ratio transmission for quicker shifting, a widened rear end to hold the power to the road, it has a light weight carbon fiber wing, fully adjustable suspension, and its been put on a diet being lighter then most street Porsches. So what makes it street? It still has carpeting, door panels and a classy dash layout. When you first see the interior it is just like any other street Porsche right along with having a nice car stereo system. I am not sure about hearing any music over the loud engine revs but maybe when you are parked in traffic you can enjoy it. Having an interior is a good thing as sometimes you may take a friend or whoever. It is nice when they have an interior to look at, not just sheet metal and carbon fiber. I am sure some of us think it is cool to have a stripped interior but having rattling metal noises is not so fun for the non-hardcore racer type passenger or driver. So yes having the full interior gets a thumbs up.

Now for the fun part the test drive. We were lucky enough to have one very gracious owner let me whip the car around the Streets of Willow Springs racetrack. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS I tested was bright Orange very easily allowing every body line to be seen, every vent to be noticed, and most of all it screamed I am not this flashy color for no reason. Many creatures in nature are bright colored to warn of danger like a black window spider has its bright red hourglass to warn that it can be lethal if provoked and this GT3 RS has the same image when you first see it. As the driver door is opened full bucket race seats are exposed. You take a seat and strap in. The first thing you notice is the race steering wheel with a yellow line at the top as a reference point to where the steering wheel should be when unwinding it through a turn, very race style. Past the steering wheel are the beautifully laid out gauges. As always they are easy to read this is good when you need to check them at speed. The dash is perfectly arranged just the basics no need for anything else this is almost a racecar and so it feels. The first thing you notice when adjusting the rear view mirror is the matching bright orange roll bar further enforcing the notion that this car means business on a track.

OK ignition on. Turn key. The flat 6 engine roars to life. I pause for a few seconds as the engine's sound beckons like a mystic sirens call to passing sailors entrapped by their song. I depress the clutch, its resistance tells me that it is heavy duty as to lock down the 415bhp engine to the transmission. Now staged at the entrance of the track the ok is giving by the official, good to go. Engage the clutch mash the throttle the car jolts forward and we are off. A blast of acceleration hits as the RPMs on the tachometer needle cross the field of increasing numbers like the front line of warriors in Rome about to crush their enemy. Into second gear and again the RPMs fly up as the GT3 RS does 0-60 in 4 seconds flat, into 3rd the engine sound is amazing like a symphony hitting its climax.

Into the first braking zone the ceramic brakes and sticky tires are starting to warm up. Next corner you can feel the brakes really working. Off the brakes, smoothly turn in the wheel like driving a Formula 1 car, the front end responds beautifully pointing to the exit of the corner. Now out through the exit of the turn mash the gas pedal the RPMs scream the chassis lunges forward again. Nothing but smiles on your face as you blast down the strait to your next target another corner. Hard on the brakes, turn in and accelerate out of the corner into a small set of turns softly lifting off the accelerator now approaching the main right turn. Hard onto the brakes again turning a little bit towards the left now lifting off the brakes quickly causing the rear end to swing out pointing the front end into the right hand turn, on the accelerator quickly drifting the car through the turn using opposite lock on the steering and onto the strait. Wow!

For a car that can be purchase from a dealership with out having to dump more money into it so it is track ready, this car is truly amazing and a blast to drive. For many of us that race our street cars it is to be expected that to make a car somewhat track ready meaning adding more power, better suspension and better brakes I can honestly say that I am happy the way the GT3 RS is right out of the dealership. Porsche has done their homework when making a street legal track ready car.

The only downside is that using the GT3 RS for daily street driving can be uncomfortable. The stiff suspension, hard race seats and tight clutch will after time on city streets become less fun as the miles pass by. So keep that in mind before getting any type of track ready car. These types of cars are not made for comfortable daily driving.  They are made to make your heart race on a curvy road.

Bryan Norris

911 GT3 RS Specs:

Base price $124,000 but more likely in the $140,00 area with options.

Rear engine, rear wheel drive 2 passenger 2 door coupe. Its curb weight is 3180 lbs.

It is powered by an alum block and head flat 6 cylinder engine producing 415bhp @ 7600rpm.  Torque is rated at 300 ft lbs @ 5500rpm. The displacement is 220 cu inches or 3600cc with a compression ratio of 12.0:1 for high rpm power. The engine is chain driven with double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder using hydraulic lifters with variable intake valve timing. Power is transferred via a 6 speed manual transmission to a Limited Slip Differential. Traction control is available and can be turned off.

The brakes are anti lock using a 15 x 1.3 inch vented/drilled ceramic disk, Rear are 13.8 x 1.1 inch vented/drilled ceramic disk. The brakes are covered by special aluminum wheels Front size 8.5 x 19 inch and Rear size 12 x 19inch. They are wrapped by Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires Front size 235/35/19inch and Rear 305/30/19inch.