Porsche 911 GT3 RS snatches evo COTY 2023 award

Evo is the world's premier performance car magazine known for car reviews that hold nothing back. The magazine believes that since its readers want the greatest driving experience that they can have through the car that they fancy, it has become evo's mission to point them to cars that can deliver.

This connection with performance car owners and would be buyers around the world has also endeared the magazine to automotive manufacturers who want evo's seal of approval.

Every year, experts at evo gather what they consider as the best cars released within the past 12 months, and repeatedly drive these until they narrow the field to just nine contenders. Finally, the seven-member evo jury assigns each of the nine contenders a score, and the one that receives the highest is declared the evo Car of the Year winner.

For 2023, Porsche's 911 GT3 RS (992 generation) was declared the winner, solidifying the model's status as a performance icon and a true standout in a highly competitive field.

"This isn't a conventional group test. Neither is there any circuit work or lap timing done. Instead, this is all about how the cars make us feel when we drive them, and how successfully they nail their original design briefs in their specific niches. Remember, there are no bad cars in the field. But there is only one that is named evo Car of the Year," explained evo editor Adam Towler.

The judges from evo added that they were already aware that the Porsche 911 GT3 RS's capabilities have set new standards on the track. Yet they were still "astounded" by its performance over wet and twisty roads, citing the sports car's ability to be tuned on the fly and the "genuine magical work in the way it appears to have very little in the way of wheel travel, yet could cope with any bump or ridge." This, the evaluators said, generated sheer confidence from them.

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is directly linked to the 911 GT3 R race car as it combines a naturally aspirated engine with a lightweight structure and track-focused cooling and aerodynamic systems.

Powering it is a 4.0-liter engine that generates 525 hp, thanks to new camshafts with modified profiles, and motorsports-derived single-throttle intake system and rigid valve drive. Matched to the engine is a seven-speed PDK with a shorter gear ratio. The combination lets the sports car accelerate from a standstill to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.2 seconds, and to reach a top speed of 296 km/h.

Contributing to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS's performance are advanced aerodynamic features including a number of continuously adjustable elements in the front wing and on the two-part rear wing. All these generate twice the downforce compared to the previous model.

Most notable is the huge, swan-neck-supported rear wing that is made up of a fixed main wing and another hydraulically adjustable one. A front splitter divides the air flowing over and underneath the car while side blades direct air outwards.

No doubt about it, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS deserves evo's Car of the Year for 2023.