Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 unveiled - the biggest 911 model

Limited to 600 vehicles, the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 Porsche brings together in a road car all the attributes that have made the Porsche 911 GT3 a serial winner on the racetrack.

It is, and topping the list of impressive highlights is a new 4.0-litre flat-six engine. The 102.7mm bore remains the same as the GT3 RS’s 3.8-litre engine, but to create the new 4.0 it’s been stroked out from 3797cc to 3996cc.

The four-litre displacement sports engine, the biggest 911 model line engine ever, is also the most powerful naturally aspirated engine with 125 hp/litre (92 kW). It achieves its maximum power of 368 kW (500 hp) at 8,250 revs per minute. The engine delivers its maximum torque of 460 Newton metres at 5,750 rpm.

The 911 GT3 RS 4.0 offers truly impressive performance. The most eloquent figure: It makes it round the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 7:27 minutes. The 911 GT3 4.0, available exclusively with a six-speed sports transmission, sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standing start in 3.9 seconds, its gearing designed for the racing circuit taking it to the 200 km/h (124 mph) mark in under 12 seconds.

Equipped as standard with light weight components such as bucket seats, bonnet and front wings made of carbon fibre, plastic rear windows and weight-optimised carpets, the two-seater’s ready-for-road weight is a mere 1,360 kilograms with a full tank of fuel. At 2.72 kg/hp, the 911 GT3 RS 4.0’s power-to-weight ratio thereby dips below the magical threshold of 3 kilograms per hp.

Inside, the RS 4.0 gets a stripped out, lightweight design which mimics the exterior’s white, red and grey design. The seats are made of alcantara and leather while the sat-nav, radio and air-conditioning are all left out to cut weight.

The market launch of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 begins in Germany in July 2011. The basic list price is 178,596 euro including 19 per cent value added tax and country-specific equipment.

• Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS Explained
• Video: Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 is tested by Car magazine
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• Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS Explained
• Video: Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 is tested by Car magazine
• Ferrari 430 Scuderia wrecked in Autobahn crash