The Porsche 911 997 GT3 RS 4.0

If there was one car which stole motoring journalists’ hearts back in 2011, it was the Porsche GT3 RS 4.0, the glorious last hurrah for both the fabled motorsport-derived flat-six designed by the late Hans Mezger and the much-loved 997-generation of the world’s most famous sports car.

This was so much more than a GT3 RS 3.8 with a bit more poke. The 4.0 boasted an engine comprising parts cherry-picked from Porsche’s racing 911s. The block and the crankshaft, for example, were from the Le Mans-winning GT3 RSR, for example, and the induction system originated in the GT3 R Hybrid. A titanium exhaust was the proverbial cherry on the cake.

The result was a naturally-aspirated engine that produced 494bhp at a dizzying 8,250rpm and propelled the car from a standstill to 62mph in a scant 3.9sec. BBC Top Gear’s Chris Harris described it as the best production car engine he’d ever experienced. “It’s so responsive,” he said. “It has torque from 2,000rpm and yet it’s still going like a bastard at 8,500rpm. I can’t fault it!”

If the engine played the lead role, it was supported by an incredible dynamic cast – the bonnet and aero-laden front wings were crafted from lightweight carbon-fibre, the rose-joined rear arms were straight from the mighty GT2 RS and the PASM dampers were tuned specifically for this car.

Porsche built just 600 GT3 RS 4.0 RSs for its ‘most loyal’ customers and, perhaps unsurprisingly, they sold out instantly. For 911 buffs, of which there are millions around the world, the ‘Four-Litre’ was and remains the finest expression of the modern-era ‘Elfer’. It seems its future classic status was sealed the moment it was greenlit for production.

This Porsche 911 997 GT3 RS 4.0

This GT3 RS 4.0 is the 19th of the 600 built by Porsche. It left the factory 22 June 2011 and was supplied to Germany, where it was issued the registration ‘PEB1054’. Its stealthy black-over-black colour combination was contrasted with wheels painted in GT Silver Metallic.

Other boxes ticked on the options list included the must-have Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), three-point seatbelts finished in black, a matching black roll cage, a carbon-fibre rear centre console and the lightweight halogen headlamps, which saved a hefty 13.2lbs alone.

Sold new to Autocras GMBH, this GT3 RS 4.0 remained in Germany for five years, during which time it was serviced thrice by an Official Porsche Centre. In 2016, the car was sold to the Porsche Centre Gelderland BV in the Netherlands, when the mileage was noted as 19,757km.

The car’s third and final owner acquired the car on 10 July 2018, importing it to his native Italy and assigning the Italian registration ‘FR682WR’. A further main-dealer service was carried out in August of 2020. Today, the odometer reads 27,688km and, as you’d expect from a car that’s been used sparingly and serviced regularly, presents virtually as good as the day it left the factory.

Service history

• 2 July 2011 – Serviced by Porsche main dealer – 6,982km
• 24 June 2013 – Serviced by Porsche main dealer – 10,820km
• 11 June 2014 – Serviced by Porsche main dealer – 17,980km
• 4 June 2016 – Serviced by Porsche main dealer – 19,757km
• 5 July 2018 – Serviced by Porsche main dealer – 22,759km
• 4 August 2020 – Serviced by Porsche main dealer – 27,354km

Price: £250,000 (GBP)