Attack of the lightweights: Porsche GT3 RS VS Ferrari 488 Pista

PORSCHE 991.2 GT3 RS

It’s a good day when Porsche unveils a new model. Even more so when that new model is a 911 GT3 RS. Built for performance addicts who enjoy rocking the occasional trackday, the new 991.2 GT3 RS comes armed with a more potent (+15kW) version of that now familiar 4.0-litre boxer motor that did duty in the old GT3 RS.

Indeed, Porsche claims that this engine now delivers 383kW – a number that makes the GT3 RS the most powerful road-going, naturally aspirated 911 ever built. Respect. Maximum speed is a claimed 312km/h. Expect to hit 100km/h in 3.2-seconds thanks to the savagely quick PDK gearbox, which is, at this stage, the only transmission available for the RS.

On the chassis side of things highlights include a re-calibrated rear-axle steering system as well as new ball joints inspired by the mighty GT2 RS. The Porsche Clubsport package is a no-cost option that, when ticked, bolts in a roll-over bar, manual fire extinguisher, preparation for a battery-disconnect switch plus a six-point safety-harness.

If this doesn’t sound racy enough then you can always specify the optional Weissach package for increased weight reduction and extra trackside kudos. For a yet-to-be-confirmed price it’ll add in additional carbon-fibre components for the chassis, interior and exterior, as well as optional magnesium wheels. In its lightest configuration, this package slashes the weight of the 911 GT3 RS down to 1,430kg.

So how much will it set me back, you ask? Well with a 3-year/100 000km Drive Plan the new 911 GT3 RS commands R3,220,000.

FERRARI 488 PISTA:

Ferrari is bringing their racing knowhow to the street with its new 488 Pista. Following on from past special editions such as the 360 Challenge Stradale, 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale, the 488 Pista is a lightweight, stripped down road-rocket that can used on the track.

Using the lessons learnt in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), this newcomer is a full 90kg lighter than the standard 488 GTB. Indeed, tipping the scales at 1 280kg dry the 488 Pista is also lighter than the new Porsche.

It's more powerful too. The turbocharged 3.9-litre V8 engine now whacks out 530kW and 770Nm: numbers that guarantee a 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.85-seconds. Top speed is a claimed 340km/h.  Ferrari has also made some changes to the car's aerodynamics. Thanks to a longer rear spoiler, new front air ducts and F1-inspired S-duct, the 488 Pista generates 20% more downforce than the standard 488 GTB.

Want one? Well unfortunately you’ll just have to wait because the Pista is destined only to reach South Africa in the first quarter of 2019. As of yet there’s no clear indication of how much it will cost either.

WHICH FEATHER FOR OUR CAP?

Well if we were to choose we’d probably pick the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It might not be packing quite as much muscle but it looks a whole lot meaner (especially in that spitting-mad shade of mamba green) and will undoubtedly undercut the Ferrari considerably in terms of price. It also comes married to one of the best gearboxes in the world and a naturally aspirated screamer of an engine that, at 9,000rpm, sounds like two beautiful, nymph-inhabited worlds colliding in outer space. Sure, the Porsche might not pack quite as much power but around a racetrack, piloted by the right pair of hands, we think it will be similarly rapid.