Though Marcus Vandenberg’s Roads Untraveled tends to focus on Japanese performance cars, he occasionally highlights the odd domestic or European car. He’s admitted to having a soft spot for 911s in the past, but they’re not exactly within his wheelhouse.
He’s sampled quite a few turbocharged 911s, and a 991.1 GT3 RS, but this is arguably the wildest of Porsche’s offerings he’s sampled. This 991.2 RS sports a series of modifications that convince its Nurburgring-frequenting owner he’s fulfilled the potential of this Lizard Green RS.
The aptly dubbed Kermit—yes, named after an amphibian and not a lizard—sports an Akraprovic exhaust for a little more power, presence, and noise. Aftermarket coilovers, a Nurburgring-spec alignment, smaller wheels, and Trofeo R tires fulfill the potential of this street-legal track toy. On a cold morning somewhere outside Vancouver, Vandenberg gets to flirt with the limit of this green GT3 RS and a spirited country blast. What a lucky man.
Vandenberg is given to a bit of hyperbole, but it’s still clear that he’s not making a puff piece here. The car’s urgency and directness obviously resonates with him. Along with a brief history of the GT models for the last twenty years, Vandenberg describes why the car speaks to him, the merits of natural aspiration, and the refinement of the latest version with no shortage of enthusiasm. There aren’t many cars which get people to giggle quite like this one.
Considering his experience with Supras, Lancer Evos, and Skylines making twice the power, he’s still staggered by the straightline speed. These desensitized days, a 520-horsepower Porsche doesn’t raise eyebrows like it used to, but it’s obvious the grunt of the 4.0-liter and the urgency of the PDK leave him smitten. Needless to say, he’s already saving his shekels for the day he can make one of these his own.
Launching the car puts Vanderberg somewhere in between the realms of terror and ecstasy.
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If you have the money you would buy the GT2RS over the GT3RS, that's no saying the GT3RS is a lesser of a car, but different. Both can be driven everyday in traffic and to the track, hammered all day and slowly drive home on the speed limit.
I had the good fortune last Sunday at Phillip Island GP Track Melbourne Australia to get 3 laps as passenger in a Club members new GT2RS, the track was wet and damp in places so i did not experience all of what it can do, but i got the feel of what it is capable of. The Club member a very experience driver, i could tell he knew how to drive. I have driven the GT3RS .1 on the track as hard as it can go so the GT3RS .2 would be better, but the GT2RS from the passenger seat felt so different.
The best way to explain the difference is the GT3RS is like a "angry bee" due to it's engine, were the GT2RS has this relaxed feel about, but it is so much quicker between corners and straights over the GT3RS. You know that you are going fast and faster in the GT3RS where as the GT2RS because it does it's thing so much easier, until you get used the quick acceleration of the 3.8 Twin Turbo's 700 horsepower you don't realise how quick your are going. Down the main straight of Phillip Island wet track, slower than normal coming onto the main straight and a lot earlier braking for corner one it was 20 to 25 K's faster than the a GT3RS.1, if dry you would be looking at 35 to 40 K's faster.
Not only just quicker it had the air of a relaxed easy to drive car, i could say the driver had something to do with it as i have been with aggressive drivers and relaxed drivers and both can get great times depends on i suppose their personality.
I do remember a few years ago having a Hot lap with Mark Winterbottom pro driver in a Ford V8 Super Car on the same track and he was super smooth even climbing the curbs and the Super Car touched 290 K's down the main straight, i would think on a dry track and a good run out on to the main straight and late braking "that brings me to another point" the brakes on the GT2RS just wash off speed with a quick hard jab, just brilliant, the GT2RS would be able to get to 290 K's
It was a pleaser to experience such a refined Porsche i could have sat there all day, i loved it