2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport

Mar 13

Written By Katelyn McSherry

Lights: Bi-Xenon with Projectors

The first 911 came to fruition in 1964, and while much has evolved over the last five decades, the basic 911 recipe has remained mostly the same since the start. From 1964 until the 1990’s, the 911 headlight technology remained virtually unchanged. Owners frequently complained about poor nighttime vision, and added additional fog lights whenever possible. The 993 generation was the first 911 with a different headlight style, offered with more advanced projector headlamps and xenon bulbs.

Lighting technology has progressed at a rapid pace since the mid-1990’s, and the latest generation 911 - known as the 991 - offered buyers different headlight options based on their preference. The newest (and more expensive) technology available was a dual projector setup, which rotated the projectors as the steering wheel turned. This Clubsport on display is not equipped with the dual projector lamps, it uses the base model headlights with one projector in each lamp and a more regular halogen bulb for high beams. The main reason for this revolves around weight savings; during the development of the GT2 RS Clubsport, engineers looked to shave weight wherever possible, and the headlights equipped on the car have less moving components and weigh less overall than the dual projector setup.

Since the first iteration of the GT2 was released in 1993, the model has stood as the most track oriented Porsche road car in the company’s lineup. The GT2 has traditionally evolved from the 911 Turbo, with many changes to improve performance. The Turbo’s all-wheel drive is substituted for rear-wheel drive, unnecessary weight is removed, and power is increased through numerous improvements to engine components. Known by many as the ‘widow maker,’ the GT2 has always been a dangerous car to drive quickly, offering a true race car experience for the road.

The 991 generation of the GT2 RS was initially unveiled at the Xbox 2017 E3 briefing along with the announcement of the Forza Motorsport 7 video game where it was revealed as the cover car. The 991 GT2 RS is powered by the 911 Turbo-derived 3.8 L twin-turbocharged flat-6 engine that produces a maximum power of 690 hp at 7,000 rpm and 550 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful 911 ever built. Unlike the previous GT2 versions, this car is only available with a 7-speed PDK automatic transmission to handle the excessive torque produced from the engine.

As production for the 991 generation was coming to a close, Porsche’s motorsport department began a secretive mission to create the most outrageous GT2 yet: The Clubsport. Over 300 lbs. of unnecessary weight was stripped out of the already slim GT2 RS, with just a few race features like a digital Cosworth dashboard safety net and Recaro seats seen in the interior. After building unique molds by hand, they crafted a roof, hood, doors, decklid, bumpers, and many interior panels. The roof panel even incorporates an escape hatch! Limited to 200 examples for the world, each Clubsport was hand assembled by racers and engineers at Porsche’s motorsport facility adjacent to their Weissach test track.