Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

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Lore & Background

The 993 GT2 was initially built to meet homologation requirements for GT2 class racing, and road cars were named accordingly (but badged as the 911 GT). It featured widened plastic fenders and a larger rear wing with air scoops in the struts for improved engine cooling. The 993 GT2's original 3.6 L engine generated 316 kW (430 PS; 424 hp); in 1998 it was upgraded to 331 kW (450 PS; 444 hp). Only 57 road cars were built, thirteen of which were right-hand drive. The 996 generation abandoned motorsports use, instead concentrating on Le Mans GT class racing with the new naturally aspirated 911 GT3. Developed primarily as a road car, the 996 GT2 featured a twin-turbocharged version of the GT3's 3.6 L flat-six engine, generating 340 kW (462 PS; 456 hp), later increased to 355 kW (483 PS; 476 hp). According to Car and Driver magazine, the GT2 suffers from hardly any turbo lag. Despite a 10-millimeter reduction in ride height from the 911 Turbo, the drag coefficient is slightly higher — Cd=0.34 vs. the Turbo's 0.33 — due to the fixed rear wing.

In Their Own Story

The 997 GT2 arrived at dealerships in November 2007 after an official launch at the 62nd Frankfurt Motor Show. Its engine featured two variable geometry turbochargers, generating 390 kW (530 PS; 523 hp) at 6,500 rpm and 680 N⋅m (502 lb⋅ft) of torque at 2,200 rpm. It accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.6 seconds and on to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 10.6 seconds, with a top speed of 328 km/h (204 mph). This made it the third Porsche production road car to exceed the 322 km/h (200 mph) barrier, with the exception of the 1998 911 GT1. Motor Trend tested a 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 and achieved a 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) acceleration time of 3.4 seconds, a quarter mile time of 11.4 seconds at 127.9 mph (205.8 km/h), a braking distance from 60 to 0 mph of 98 feet (30 m), and 1.10g of lateral grip. German Porsche test driver Walter Röhrl lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife on a public day in 7 minutes, 32 seconds. A total of 194 units were sold in the United States and 19 units in Canada.

Reader's Guide

The 997 GT2 RS was announced on 4 May 2010 to German dealers in Leipzig. Its engine generated 456 kW (620 PS; 612 hp) and 700 N⋅m (516 lb⋅ft) of torque. Weighing 70 kg (154 lb) less than the GT2, it achieved a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph) and a 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) acceleration time of 3.3 seconds. According to Porsche Motorsports manager Andreas Preuninger, the RS was conceived around 2007 as a skunk-works effort. The 727 code number selected for the project corresponds to one of the Nissan GT-R's lap times around the Nürburgring's Nordschleife. Porsche claimed that test driver Timo Kluck had supposedly eclipsed that target by an impressive nine seconds. Only 500 units of the 997 GT2 RS were produced globally. The 991 GT2 RS was unveiled at the Xbox 2017 E3 briefing along with Forza Motorsport 7, where it was revealed as the cover car. It is powered by a 3.8 L twin-turbocharged flat-6 engine with 515 kW (700 PS; 691 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 750 N⋅m (553 lb⋅ft) of torque, making it the most powerful production 911 variant ever built. It is fitted with a 7-speed PDK transmission. Porsche claims 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 340 km/h (211 mph). The car has a magnesium roof, carbon-fibre front lid, front and rear wings and boot lid, lightweight polyurethane front and rear aprons, polycarbonate rear and side windows, and a titanium exhaust system. Wet weight is 1,470 kg (3,241 lb). A Weissach package reduces weight by 30 kg (66 lb) with carbon-fibre and titanium parts. A production run of 1,000 units was planned. The production run was to end by February 2019 but four units were lost in transit to Brazil due to the sinking of the ship Grande America in March 2019; Porsche restarted production to reproduce the lost cars. In late September 2017, test driver Lars Kern set a 6:47.3 minute lap time around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, averaging 184.11 km/h (114.40 mph), making it the fastest production car lap time recorded at the time. On 25 October 2018, Kern set a 6:40.33 minute lap time in a 911 GT2 RS MR prepared by Manthey Racing, surpassing the previous record holder—an unmodified Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. In 2019, Porsche set further production lap records at Road Atlanta (1:24.88), Road America (2:15.17), and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (1:22.36).

Did You Know?

• The 993 GT2 was initially built to meet homologation requirements for GT2 class racing, and only 57 road cars were built.
• The 997 GT2 was the third Porsche production road car to exceed 200 mph (322 km/h), after the 1998 911 GT1.
• Porsche test driver Walter Röhrl lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes, 32 seconds in the 997 GT2.
• The 997 GT2 RS project was code-named 727, corresponding to one of the Nissan GT-R's lap times around the Nürburgring.
• Four 991 GT2 RS units were lost at sea in March 2019 when the ship Grande America sank, prompting Porsche to restart production.