Lodged in the rear of one of the most harrowed vehicles of all time sits the holy grail of engines. Porsche hasn't been the pinnacle of sports cars for years for no reason. Instead, they somehow manage to one-up themselves every time they release a new variant of the long-established 911. The 2023 GT3 RS is no exception.

Porsche has maintained their status as the unmatched king of the racetrack for production cars for over 30 years now. Enthusiasts and weekend racers who work at an investment bank have long been infatuated with the distinctive design of the 911, and now the company has taken it to the next level with the GT3 RS.

The Rear Mounted Flat Six Engine Is Iconic

2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Weissach - Rear
Porsche

What makes a car isn't the car, it's the driver... except when the car is a GT3 RS. Propelled by a 4.0 L flat-six that howls its way up to 9,000 rpm shattering eardrums in the process, the GT3 RS' pulls 518 horses. While the centerpiece of the GT3 RS isn't necessarily its engine it still plays a critical role in developing such a special vehicle's character. Instead, the majority of its personality is marked by its marvels in automotive engineering. Yet, its engine is an integral part of its aura as a pioneering sports car.

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Used in the highest forms of the 911, the flat six is the backbone of the track-oriented 911s. While most car manufacturers would develop a whole new powertrain for a car of this caliber, Porsche had an otherworldly amount of faith in its flagship engine they decided to reuse it. While other variants of the engine made 502 horsepower in both the regular GT3 and the sans-wing Touring variant, the RS version got a 15 horsepower bump. The flat-six format has been used in the 911 family for years, nearly 60, since its inception in 1963.

Porsche's Flat-Six Engine Is Very Special

GT3 RS Top
Porsche

Unlike nearly every other production engine, the flat-six is unique in the way it sits... well, flat, and hasn't resorted to other means of forced induction. Most supercars in its class use turbochargers, some use superchargers, and even fewer use a hybrid system, yet the GT3 RS uses natural aspiration, a vestige of Porsche's racing heritage and a bastion of a pure driving experience.

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While being smaller than some other production engines in the RS' competition list, it certainly isn't for the faint of heart. The screams and hoons the powerplant makes as it roars its way up to a thousand rpm short of 10k is unmatched by anything in the automotive world. An unworldly experience that could take some getting used to if one isn't prepared for the glares you'll get accelerating down I-95. Porsche notes that the top speed of the GT3 RS is a governed 184 mph, but don't pin the comparably obscene number on the engine, instead it more has to do with the crazy aero the RS employs.

The Naturally Aspirated Flax-Six Will Be The Last Of Its Kind

Porsche 911 GT3 RS Front View Head On
Porsche

The recurring theme in the automotive industry is that the internal combustion engine won't be around for much longer. With states like California banning the sale of gas powered vehicles after 2035 and more and more manufacturers drifting into the deep world of electrification, it doesn't take Einstein to figure out that a prized powertrain like the naturally aspirated flat-six will soon be a remnant of what once was. The end all be all is this: cherish the vehicle we have now, because sooner or later, it'll become history. The engine of a car is its beating heart, just as much alive as the vehicle itself. Its soul is integral to its development, and knowing that we're in a dying era is the GT3 RS' calling card to be great.

With prices starting at just over $225,000 for the 911 GT3 RS, not everyone can get their hands on such a heavenly vehicle. However, until 2035 when Cali nixes the sale of all gasoline cars, you have plenty of time to save up and get your hands dirty in order to purchase one of these. While electric cars may be quicker and more efficient, no battery will ever top a perfectly sounding engine, and especially not the GT3 RS.