996 GT3 RS(R) Bellows Around Monza, Paul Ricard, and the ‘Ring!

Thanks to 19Bozzy92 for the great footage and deep digging.

This interesting hodgepodge of parts started life as a 996 GT3 RS. Not the road-legal version, but the kind which was unveiled in 2001 to race in the FIA GT2 class. An upgraded version of the 1999-2000 Porsche 996 GT3 R, this RS sported a 3.6-liter with a restricted 420-435 hp which it sent through a six-speed manual transmission.

However, the trained eye will pick up on the widened bodywork—particularly those massive haunches at the rear—which are one of the visual elements associated with its brawnier younger brother, the 996 GT3 RSR. It seems that this particular car underwent some interesting changes during its brief career.

Born as a GT3 RS in 2003, this machine would eventually enter the 2005 Nürburgring 24h with Mamerow Racing. Interestingly, it was listed in that race a 996 GT3 RSR, but was fielded as a 996 GT in the SP7 class 2007 VLN series. That class is for purpose-built racecars with an engine capacity between 3500 and 3999cc.

This may explain why this car sports wider fenders and different side skirts, plus a completely different rear end compared to a ‘standard’ 996 RSR. While most RSRs had two exhaust tips on either side of the bumper, this sports a center-exit exhaust, as well as a shriller scream than the flatter bark typically associated with these cars. Another video related to this particular 996 suggests it might’ve used a bigger 4.0-liter engine towards the end of its career; perhaps serving as a test mule during the transition from 996 to 4.0-liter 997 racers in mid-2005.

Whatever the makeup, one thing is certain: it’s still fast by modern standards. Plus, it provides plenty for the rest of the sense. Those graceful lines, muscular rump, and yellow headlights are a feast for the eyes, and that sound is unmistakably cool. Even seventeen years after its birth, this GT3 racing car can make the hairs of a fan’s neck stand on end.