Key Points: Limited to 500 Examples Worldwide, Sports Bucket Seat.

The Porsche 911 (997.2) GT2 RS was unveiled to German Porsche dealers in Leipzig in 2010, and just 500 units were delivered worldwide. The most powerful 911 that Porsche had ever built at the time of its release, the GT2 RS is powered by the Le Mans-derived 3.6-litre dry-sump twin-turbocharged flat-six, which delivers 612bhp and 516lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The base engine is identical to the 997 GT2, but features new turbochargers, intercoolers, pistons and a new engine management system, running at 1.6 bar of boost rather than the standard car’s 1.4 bar.

In total, the GT2 RS weighs just 1,370kg, exactly the same as the naturally aspirated GT3 RS, and 70kg less than the standard GT2. It can reach 62mph from a standstill in 3.4 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 205mph.

The GT2 RS uses Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and Porsche Stability Management (PSM), while visual changes include a rear wing, wider front and rear tracks, a stripped interior with fixed bucket seats, and carbon fibre for the bonnet, spoilers and air intakes. Stopping power comes from carbon ceramic brakes, framed inside centre-locking 19-inch alloy wheels.

According to Porsche Motorsport manager Andreas Preuninger, the RS was conceived around 2007 as a skunk-works effort. The 727 code number selected for the project corresponds to one of the Nissan GT-R's lap times around the Nürburgring's Nordschleife, which Porsche claimed to beat by 9 seconds, with a final lap time of 7 minutes and 18 seconds.