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"It was two short years ago that I found myself in a similar setting, signing the visitor clearance form at Werk Gate 1 off Porscheplatz in Stuttgart, Zuffenhausen. I consider this a sort of homecoming\u2014the return of a secret prodigal son\u2014after a previous trip here with a borrowed 997 GT3 that segued into an impulsive trip to and around the N\u00FCrburgring Nordschleife (see September 2009 issue). This time around, however, it&amp;#039;s all business. We&amp;#039;ve been granted a tiny window in which to explore the latest GT3 RS 4.0, one of the last 997s to be produced, and what many regard to be the greatest 911 to roll off the Porsche production line. I&amp;#039;m told by our cordial German host, just before the keys switch hands, that our car (bearing the number plate 000 of 600) will eventually join the other historically significant cars currently on display in the Porsche museum a couple of blocks away. I surmise from his German-English that this translates to: &amp;quot;Don&amp;#039;t screw it up.&amp;quot;   Video window may take a few moments to load...        As logic would serve, the &amp;quot;4.0&amp;quot; in this GT3&amp;#039;s moniker represents the augmented engine displacement in liters. It&amp;#039;s what makes this GT3 special; it&amp;#039;s the largest and most powerful naturally aspirated flat-6 production engine Porsche has ever manufactured. The engine, which has lineage to the 1988 GT1 Le Mans car, has reached its physical limits of bore size. So Porsche gained cylinder volume by adding 4 mm of stroke for the forged titanium connecting rods and aluminum pistons through a crankshaft lifted directly from the GT3 RSR.   The engine is fed through thinner, twin-cone air filters developed for the GT3 R Hybrid race car that increase airflow by 10 percent over the previous units and are housed within a sleek, weight-saving carbon intake box. This carbon lightening initiative continues through the hood, front fenders and rear wing, camouflaged under white paint because a transparent gel coat would&amp;#039;ve been heavier\u2014commendably mad efforts to save 22 lb. that are immediately offset if you specify a/c. The triple-zero car here, however, has even greater weight savings thanks to the non-U.S.-compliant plastic rear windows that look very much like glass until they begin vibrating at speed.    As we make our way out of the small bustling city that&amp;#039;s seen its fair share of exotic Porsches, pedestrians and motorists ogle the 4.0 as if it were levitating just above the scrum of traffic. Small children wave enthusiastically like you&amp;#039;re a superhero, which isn&amp;#039;t far off the sentiment behind the wheel. Every input in the RS requires deliberate effort\u2014from the 100-lb. clutch pedal to the stiff throws past the transmission&amp;#039;s steel synchros\u2014but the response and resolution of its actions are so telepathic, it belies this physicality.   Arriving at Lahr airport, it&amp;#039;s a bright and sticky 83 degrees in the shade, the tarmac taxiway a few degrees warmer. I make some passes down the 2-mile stretch to scrub in the brand-new Michelin Cup tires and ensure no curious Cessnas would be sauntering across unannounced. I&amp;#039;ve never really felt the RS needed more power, but this newfound midrange torque of the 4.0 is beginning to change my mind. Through the magic of Weissach, 22 more lb.-ft. (339 lb.-ft. total) is on tap and available 1000 rpm lower on the tach. I can see this being a boon around a road course (as the 4.0 matched the Carrera GT&amp;#039;s 7-minute, 27-second lap around the Nordschleife) but in some situations, it&amp;#039;s more of a handful to manage delicate exercises (like the slalom) on unseasoned surfaces (like this taxiway). The 4.0&amp;#039;s fully adjustable suspension benefits from aluminum wheel bearings, lighter front and rear springs (with small helper springs in the rear that work in compression and rebound), and flex-free balljoints connecting the majority of the suspension arms to the unibody. Porsche is one of the few providing separation between traction and stability control that allows for essential yaw movements while still mitigating wheelspin from an anxious foot. But even with this superhero technology, I fail to find the grip and speed the 3.8 RS discovered back in California.    Eager to move on to the high-speed stuff, I seek out a gravel-free launch box in which to lay down some rubber. The gear clatter from the single-mass flywheel dissipates the moment you blip the throttle as it&amp;#039;s replaced with something much more glorious. The resonance from the variable intake manifold and bellow of the titanium exhaust are spellbinding; fierce sounds that startle you, and compel your foot to stay planted through the crescendo of sound and shrinking road ahead. Torque is what turns tires into white smoke, but 494 bhp at 8250 rpm turns grown men into giggling girls.   Upon downloading the data, I&amp;#039;m dumbfounded, despite weather conditions, by near identical performances of the 3.8 and 4.0 cars. Numbers don&amp;#039;t lie, which is why even some of the most calibrated butts should be backed up with cold, hard data.   Wrapped for the day, fed and a little disappointed, we high-tail it back toward the home factory. Late night Autobahn hours are open season for high-speed runs if you can find a good stretch\u2014and we have. Here is where the extra downforce and stability from the new front canards and rear-wing endplates shine. Even as we approach redline in 6th gear, the 4.0 can be driven with fingertips (though not recommended), 260 km/h...280 km/h...300 km/h...323 km/h (200 mph)! And just like that, I&amp;#039;m hooked again. Perhaps the digital speedometer is a little off\u2014Porsche says the top speed of the car is 193, on a flat road. But even that doesn&amp;#039;t matter. This is the 4.0 and it&amp;#039;s perfect. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/reviews/a17467/2011-porsche-911-gt3-rs-40-1/>