After the 997-gen GT2 RS, it was PDK gearboxes only.
Matt Farah generally seems to live the life that many gearheads could only fantasize about. He’s recently unveiled a futuristic vending machine-style automotive storage facility in Los Angeles that will, no doubt, end up being home for some of the world’s best cars. That project hasn’t kept him from going out and testing exactly cars, like those of his custoers, such as a late Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R he took for a spin the week before last. And now, Farah’s latest videos have all featured a trip down to the Porsche Experience Center in Carson, California, where he got the chance to drive some legends like the 997-generation 911 GT2 RS. This model will likely go down in history as the fastest factory stick-shift car ever to emerge from Porsche.
The Widowmaker Moniker
Any Porsche with GT in the name immediately commands respect, but the GT2 RS sits at the top of the heap these days ever since the Carrera GT went out of production back in 2007. The 997-gen GT2 RS remains special, however, because the 991 (and presumably, the forthcoming 992) generations switched over to PDK gearboxes only. Porsche also kept production to only 500 units worldwide. But Farah found that despite the GT2’s long history of earning the “Widowmaker” moniker thanks to beastly turbochargers pumping gobs of power to the rear wheels only (in a rear-engined car), the 997 gen proved itself quite tameable.
Matt’s Take
The 997 GT2 RS introduced Porsche’s Variable Turbine Geometry to the world, allowing it to produce 620 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque from a 3.6-liter flat-six, the latter figure available way down at 2,250 RPM in a car that weighs right around 3,000 pounds.
Farah had previously driven a modified 997 GT2 RS, so the opportunity to take the car through its paces at PEC probably sounded like a dream. He admits his own driving skills probably wouldn’t allow him to take the GT2 to the limits of its own performance, though it sounds like the car’s turbocharged delivery allows for a bit more cushion than the GT3 4.0 that Farah drove previously, especially when blipping the throttle on downshifts thanks to a different flywheel. All told, Farah comes away from the quick drive impressed with the driveability of this stick-shift supercar, only wishing he had been able to take it out on a longer circuit to appreciate every last drop of its immense power at higher speeds.
Sources: youtube.com and porschedriving.com.
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