Battle of the Weissachs – GT3 RS vs GT2 RS

The Porsche 911 (991.2) GT3 RS Weissach and Porsche 911 (991) GT2 RS Weissach might look similar, but there is a teeny-tiny very important digit that separates them. These two cars are actually very different in character, performance and price. It’s worth noting that this GT3 RS is from the second batch of deliveries of generation two of the 991, and there are a few notable changes which we will touch on later. This article is really about comparing the GT2 RS with the GT3 RS, the different Weissach packages, the different styling and performance and if you read later on, we will discuss the market on them and compare what might be the better purchase in today’s market.

Let’s start off with the styling on the two cars. The most obvious difference is on the bonnet and the roof. Both cars, as part of the Weissach package, come with a fully exposed Carbon Fibre bonnet and roof. As you can see on the GT2 RS, you get this central decorative strip which is painted in the body colour which runs straight through the bonnet and straight over the roof. There is no other reason for this other than to give the GT2 RS a much more distinctive appearance. It does make the car look more aggressive; a bit wilder which is what ties it in with the character of the car.

When you look at the GT3 RS, you see the whole bonnet is fully exposed in Carbon Fibre as is the roof. Both cars have got Naca Ducts (Bonnet Scoops) in the bonnet – they are there to cool the brakes. It was first on the GT2 RS and then the GT3 RS borrowed that design feature. If you look down on the front bumper, you’ll notice the GT2 RS has much bigger air intakes. That is because the car has got a lot more power, so you need bigger radiators and bigger oil coolers to help cool down the engine and the drivetrain.

Now let’s move on to the wheels. On the GT2 RS you get magnesium wheels as part of the Weissach package. You pay over £21,000 for the Weissach package and we are told over 90% of people ordered it. We have never seen a car without it, but a big part of that cost is the magnesium wheels. They are 11 and a half kilograms lighter than the regular wheels. That is a substantial amount, something you would notice on a track, but we think they look fantastic in this Satin White Gold Metallic paint. You also get Carbon Ceramic brakes as standard on the GT2 RS whereas on the GT3 RS, Carbon Ceramic brakes are an optional extra, as are the magnesium wheels. You pay £12,500 for the Weissach package but for the Magnesium wheels you pay another £8,500. Our GT3 RS doesn’t have it as it comes with the regular aluminium wheels, but we believe you can order the magnesium wheels aftermarket from a Porsche dealer. They cost a little bit more than £8,500 which is the original factory price, but at least the option is there.

As part of the Weissach package, both cars get Carbon Fibre wing mirrors but interestingly, on the GT2 RS you get a lot more Carbon Fibre parts. The GT2 RS features these beautiful Carbon Fibre louvers slats on the front wheel arches, Carbon Fibre window triangles, Carbon Fibre rear air intakes and Carbon Fibre air scoops. On the GT3 RS, all these parts are in plastic, so you get the front wheel arch louvers slats in plastic, window triangles, air intakes and plastic rear boot lid grille which is nothing like the GT2 RS. The GT2 RS is a much more expensive car, so arguably that’s part of how you get your money’s worth.

Moving on to the rear, the standout piece is the huge rear wings. As part of the Weissach package, you get fully exposed Carbon Fibre rear wings. It’s an incredible feature, creating plenty of downforce and you get the Porsche logo across the whole wing. The exhaust systems and diffusers are different. On the GT2 RS, it features lightweight titanium exhausts which are mounted on both sides of the bumper.

The GT3 RS comes with twin central dual exhausts. An important note, as we mentioned at the beginning of the article, is that this is the second batch of GT3 RS’s which were delayed quite significantly. New emission laws that came into play meant that for Porsche to comply, they had to put a gasoline particulate filter in the car to reduce emissions. Porsche had to change the entire exhaust system so it’s now back to a stainless-steel exhaust. Concerns were that it was going to muffle the sound, so we put it to the test and compared how the two cars sound.

After conducting the sound test by starting the cars and revving them, we can safely say the GT2 RS was a lot louder. You feel the vibrations in your chest, it’s a lot deeper and bassier whereas the GT3 RS’s noise has more tune and harmony. The GT3 RS has a sweeter sound but there’s no denying the GT2 RS had a lot more oomph. To get the full extent of the sound, you need to take them on track which we cannot do unfortunately as both cars are currently for sale.

Inside the cabins; other than the different colour schemes they both have, there’s not a lot of differences between them. As part of the Weissach package on both cars, you get a Titanium roll cage which is a 12-kilogram saving over the steel cage from the Club Sport package. Again, this is a significant weight reduction. You also get ultra-lightweight steering wheel trim. On the GT2 RS you get the Carbon Fibre steering wheel trim and Carbon Fibre paddle shifts and both cars have ultra-lightweight carpets. That’s what the Weissach package is all about, it’s all about reducing weight to improve performance. It’s heavily influenced by motor sport and we first saw the Weissach package on the Porsche 918 Spyder.

One thing you will notice on our GT2 RS is it’s got bucket seats which are different to the full bucket seats in the GT3 RS Weissach. One of the benefits of having sports buckets is that they are foldable meaning you can get better rear access if you have things stored in the back. One more thing about the sports bucket seats is that a lot of track day users prefer them as they are a little bit tighter around the hips and a bit more open on the shoulders, so they keep you more planted in the seat. You don’t wiggle around so much and you have more freedom of movement in your arms.

Step inside our GT3 RS and you see the full bucket seats. The big benefit of these seats is that they are height adjustable. By pressing the button on the seat, you can raise and lower the seat. They are a little bit wider in the seat so if you have a smaller figure, there’s more movement in your hips and feels more snug by your shoulders. These are the real deal, by default most people want the full bucket seats. They look better, are more expensive and are from the 918 Spyder so that is always going to appeal. Both cars have similarly high-quality interiors. They have beautiful alcantara, leather and stitching so there’s not much to split them.

Now on to the performance. Undoubtedly, the biggest difference between the two cars is the engine. On the GT2 RS you get a 3.8 litre flat 6 twin-turbocharged engine compared to the GT3 RS’s naturally aspirated 4.0 flat 6. The difference is that the GT2 RS produces 700 bhp compared to 520 bhp in the GT3 RS. The GT2 RS is just an animal and the beauty of that turbo charged engine is you get plenty of torque. This added power proved hugely beneficial as the GT2 RS did an astonishing Nürburgring lap time that was 10 seconds faster than the GT3 RS. It’s got a top speed of 211 mph compared to the top speed of 193 mph in the GT3 RS.

But does speed and power mean it’s a better track car? We haven’t driven these cars around the track so we had to go off what the journalists and experts say and most people would agree that the GT3 RS is a slightly better all-round track car. It’s honed for purists; it’s built more for driver feel and engagement. It’s a more approachable car to drive and we think ultimately; the performance is more rewarding whereas the GT2 RS is just a monster. It’s built to destroy the track. It’s brawny, muscular and slightly intimidating to drive. That power is intoxicating but a little scary.

Finally, let’s talk about the market on these two cars as it’s certainly been very interesting. Let’s start with the GT2 RS as that first came out in 2018 when the market was a lot stronger. When it came out there was a lot of pent-up demand because there hadn’t been a 991 GT2, non-RS and there hadn’t been a generation one or generation two. It had been a long time since the 997 GT2 RS came out. When it finally came out, people were going crazy over it. It smashed the Nürburgring lap record time and when it came on the market, they were selling for pretty much more than double. A few cars sold for over £500,000. We sold quite a few GT2 RS’ when they were late £400,000 but since then, over the last year they have come crashing back down. Today a very good car will sell in the region of £350,000. So still £100,000 over list but in today’s market, we think it’s very good value.

The GT3 RS followed on from the GT2 RS. The car came out later in the year in 2018. Originally, you were not allowed to spec the Weissach package in the UK but when they first came out, they were still fetching in the realms of £250,000. Bear in mind they listed around the £160,000 mark, which is a big premium. They came back down towards the £200,000 mark but then, there was this delay as the new emission laws came into play. Everyone had their cars pushed back but the benefit of this is that the second batch of cars could be specced with the Weissach Package which makes quite a big difference to the car.

Today, the market is a little bit weaker and the premiums are not quite as high. This is our second Weissach GT3 RS and they are in the realms of £230,000 ish, about a £50,000 premium. In today’s market when you compare it to the likes of the Ferrari 488 Pista which is £350,000 to £400,000, Lamborghini SVJ which is the same again; the GT3 RS Weissach does represent very good value for money.

So which is the better buy? It really depends on what you want. There’s no denying the GT2 RS is a more unique recipe, it’s a rarer car, probably more collectable and feels more special. If you are building a collection or you want the best of the best, the GT2 RS is the one to have. If you are more of a purist and you are going to really value driver engagement and a more rewarding experience on the track, then the GT3 RS is going to be a preferable choice.

Check out the full video here on the battle of the Weissachs – GT3 RS vs GT2 RS: