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Is this a near-700bhp Porsche 911 GT2 RS?

Spy shots reveal Turbo body, carbon bonnet and big exhaust pipes. New GT2 RS?

Published: 17 Mar 2016

We got a hint that a Porsche 911 GT2 RS is on the way a few weeks ago, when we spoke to Porsche’s GT car boss, Andreas Preuninger.

And now, we appear to have some evidence it’s definitely on, thanks to these spy shots from somewhere snowy and wintry. This, if our eyes don’t deceive us, is that GT2 RS putting in some winter-weather development.

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The clues are all there: it’s got the body of a 911 Turbo, but with the addition of what looks to be a carbon bonnet, a hallmark of the last turbocharged RS of 2010. And the rear bumper is different, allowing it to accommodate a much more serious-looking exhaust system than the Turbo.

Being spy shots rather than official pictures, there is no official information to accompany them. But we can use GT2-badged ancestors to speculate: expect the twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre engine from the 911 Turbo and Turbo S, but with the wick turned up considerably.

The last GT2 RS took its base engine from 493 to 611bhp; apply a similar jump to the 572bhp engine in the current Turbo S and you’re sailing very close to 700bhp. Which is a rather a lot when you consider GT2s always ditch the driven front axle of their Turbo relations, switching from four- to rear-wheel drive. Prepare for a dicey edge to the dynamics if you take liberties, then, and don't envy whoever's driving it in the ice above.

While Preuninger told us he wants to bring manual gearboxes back to the fore in some of his GT models, we’d expect the GT2 RS to stay paddleshift given the Turbo doesn’t have a stick-shift option. You’ll want your hands firmly on the Alcantara wheel at all times, anyway.

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With the 911 R the big news from Porsche GT at the moment - and bearing in mind its limited production capacities - a production GT2 RS is likely a little way off. But these pictures, alongside Preuninger’s quotes, suggest it is happening.

So may we advise you get saving, as something north of £150,000 is what you’ll probably need. Not to mention some previous loyalty to GT products and a good relationship with your Porsche dealer…

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