New Porsche 911 GT3 RS set for 17th August reveal

Anything less than that would be a disappointment – that is the rod that Porsche has made for itself with its highest performing 911, the most track capable of the family and a car with a glorious heritage back to the Carrera RS of the 1970s.

As we have seen with RS variants in the past, a big power hike is unlikely for the first 992-gen RS. The current standard GT3 has 510PS (380kW) and the last 991-gen GT3 RS had 520PS (388kW), so for the sake of appearances the new machine is likely to up the ante, but perhaps not by much.

The engine is the 4.0-litre flat six, but in a form inspired by the RSR and GT3 R GT race cars, so expect engine response to die for, a 9,000rpm-plus redline and cool extras like a pit lane speed limiter. Transmission is likely to be PDK only.

Optimising the GT3 for the track in ways greater than its RS predecessors will mean more emphasis on light weight, and further development of both the chassis and suspension.

“Approximately 500PS has proven ideal for use at track days and club sport events,” Porsche GT line chief Andreas Preuninger tells us. “That's why we focused primarily on aerodynamics and chassis questions in the development of the new 911 GT3 RS.”

The pictures show the race-inspired rear wing and some shadowy extra aero details, but are too dark to make out much more. Past RS ingredients have included NACA ducts for brake cooling and modified front apron and side skirts.

Expect materials like magnesium and carbon along with lightweight glass to bring kerb weight down. We can also probably expect rear axle steering, torque vectoring, stiffer springs and ball-jointed suspension links. Just two bucket seats and a roll cage, plus other necessary track gear, are likely too.

Performance? Nothing official, but 0-62mph should be around 3.2 seconds while a sub seven-minute lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife is an absolute certainty. We will know all on 17^th August.