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Porsche 991 Turbo S Vs. 991.2 GT3 RS Drag Race Can Only Have One Winner

The all-new Porsche 992 Turbo S has recently been launched, and it sure didn't waste any time proving what a capable drag racing machine it can be with its 650 horsepower and, probably even more importantly, 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque and all-wheel-drive system.
Porsche 991 Turbo S and 991.2 GT3 RS drag racing 73 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
But that's the newer 992 model. The one we have here is the 991 version that was produced between 2013 and 2016 before the 991.2 revamp was introduced. It may only be one full-generation gap, but as it turns out, it makes for quite a big difference.

Like the 992, the 991 is also powered by a 3.8-liter turbocharged flat-six engine, but here it only develops 560 horsepower, which is 90 hp short of the new model's output. Maximum torque was also significantly lower in the previous generation, with the 991 having just 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) to show for. It's still impressive, don't get us wrong, it's just the all-new 992 that makes it seem somewhat underwhelming.

In the opposite corner, we have a 991.2 GT3 RS, the track-oriented version of the Neunelfer from that in-between generations model. Unlike the Turbo, the GT3 RS gets a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter boxer engine with 500 hp and significantly lower torque: 339 lb-ft (460 Nm). In order to keep its weight down and its handling through corners unaltered, it's also rear-wheel-drive only. And since we touched on the weight issue, the GT3 RS is 3,131 lbs (1,420 kg) heavy, whereas the 991 Turbo S weighs over 400 lbs more at 3,538 lbs (1,605 kg).

However, as we've seen time and time again, it takes a lot more pounds than that to make up for the lower torque output and the traction deficit off the line caused by the absence of an all-wheel-drive system. So, it's not hard to predict a winner, the question remaining is only "by how much." Take these two out on a track, though, and you're looking at a totally different situation.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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