Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997)
2006–2011 (RS 4.0 = 2011) · Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) — Sports Car, Flat-6, designed by Pinky Lai.
The Story
The 997 GT3 RS line peaked with the 2011 GT3 RS 4.0 — the swan song of the legendary Mezger engine and, to many, the greatest naturally-aspirated 911 ever built. Where the standard RS used the 3.8, the 4.0 took the Mezger flat-six to its limit: a 4.0-litre, individual-throttle-body, 500-PS screamer revving to 8,250 rpm, using the crankshaft from the RSR race car. Just 600 were made. It is the LAST production Porsche to use the dry-sump, motorsport-derived Mezger block (no IMS, bulletproof, race-bred) before the GT cars moved to the 9A1-based engine — and that lineage, plus its rawness and rarity, has made it a seven-figure grail.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Sports Car class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Pinky Lai
Born in Hong Kong and trained in Rome and London, Lai is best known for the controversial-but-crucial 996 — the first 911 designed from scratch since 1964 — whose platform-sharing with the Boxster helped save the company.
Studio Motors POV
The last and greatest of the Mezger GT3s — the high-water mark of the naturally-aspirated, analog 911. A 600-car grail that only appreciates; buy the most original example you can find.
The Engine
Mezger flat-six (water-cooled)
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 911 GT3 RS (997)
Worth Knowing About the 911 GT3 RS (997)
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1) It uses the RSR race car's crankshaft to safely spin a 4.0-litre flat-six to 8,250 rpm — built to a different standard than any road Carrera. 2) It's the LAST Mezger — every GT3 / Turbo since uses the 9A1-derived engine, which is exactly why Mezger cars carry a premium. 3) The front 'flicks' / dive planes and the carbon rear wing make real downforce — a homologation-era track weapon you could register.
5 Fast Facts
- • 600 built, 2011 (the 997.2 swan song). • 4.0L NA Mezger flat-six (M97/74), 500 PS (493 hp) @ 8,250 rpm; ~2,998 lb. • The LAST production Porsche with a Mezger engine. • 6-speed manual, RWD — pure GT3 RS. • A blue-chip grail: an 842-mile car sold for $1.26M (2025).
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
FLAG: no documented/citable celebrity owner found — excluded rather than guessed. The 600-car run is held by serious collectors worldwide.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Originality and low mileage are everything on a 600-car grail. Verify it’s a genuine RS 4.0 (not a 3.8 RS) with matching numbers and full Porsche history; the Mezger engine is robust but records matter. Unmodified, low-owner cars in the signature white-with-red/green script command the most. As the last Mezger, it’s a buy-and-hold blue-chip.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997)
- Class
- Sports Car
- Production years
- 2006–2011 (RS 4.0 = 2011)
- Units built
- 600 (RS 4.0); plus RS 3.6 (2006) & RS 3.8 (2009)
- Variants
- RS 3.6 (2006), RS 3.8 (2009), RS 4.0 (2011, 600 units)
- Engine layout
- Rear
- Engine
- Flat-6
- Engine family
- Mezger flat-six (water-cooled)
- Displacement
- 4.0L / 3996 cc
- Power
- 493 hp
- Torque
- 339 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 3.5 s
- Top speed
- 193 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 363 hp/tonne · 6.1 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 6-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 2998 lb
Questions
911 GT3 RS (997) FAQ
What engine does the Porsche 997 GT3 RS 4.0 use?
The 997 GT3 RS 4.0 (2011) uses a naturally aspirated Mezger M97/74 4.0-litre flat-six producing 493 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, revving to 8,500 rpm. It drives the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual only. The 4.0-litre displacement makes it the largest naturally aspirated engine ever fitted to a road-going 911.
Why is the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 considered a grail Porsche?
Only 600 examples of the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 were built in 2011, representing the apex of the Mezger engine lineage in a road car — the ultimate Mezger GT3 RS. (Naturally aspirated 911 GT3/GT3 RS variants continued into the 991 generation, so it wasn’t the last NA 911, but it was the last Mezger-powered one.)
What is a Porsche 997 GT3 RS 4.0 worth today?
The 997 GT3 RS 4.0 is one of the most valuable modern Porsches. Hagerty places the average around $700,000, and a $1,260,000 sale via PCARMARKET / Merit Partners set a record for the model. The combination of naturally aspirated 4.0-litre Mezger engine, 600-unit production cap, and last-of-line grail status supports its position.
How does the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 differ from the 997 GT3 RS 3.8?
The RS 4.0 displaces 4.0 litres versus the RS 3.8’s 3.8 litres, adding approximately 49 hp (500 PS/493 hp vs the RS 3.8’s ~450 PS/444-450 hp) and raising the rev ceiling to 8,500 rpm. Production was capped at 600 units. It also introduced titanium con-rods and other race-derived hardware.
Can I source a Porsche 997 GT3 RS 4.0 through Studio Motors?
Yes.
The Porsche Lineup
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911 Turbo (996) ’00911 GT2 (996) ’01Cayenne (955) ’02911 (997) ’04Boxster / Cayman (987) ’04Carrera GT ’04911 Turbo (997) ’06911 GT3 (997) ’06911 GT3 RS (997) ’06911 GT2 (997) ’07911 Sport Classic (997) ’09Panamera (970) ’09
911 GT2 RS (997) ’10911 Speedster (997) ’10Cayenne (958) ’10911 (991.1) ’11Boxster / Cayman (981) ’12911 Turbo (991) ’13911 GT3 (991) ’13918 Spyder ’13Macan (95B) ’14911 GT3 RS (991) ’15Cayman GT4 / Boxster Spyder (981) ’15911 (991.2) ’16911 R (991) ’16718 Cayman / Boxster (982) ’16911 GT2 RS (991) ’17Panamera (971) ’17Cayenne (9Y0) ’17911 Speedster (991) ’19911 (992.1) ’19718 Cayman GT4 / Spyder (982) ’19Taycan ’19
911 Turbo (992) ’20911 GT3 (992) ’21Cayenne Turbo GT (9Y0) ’21911 Dakar (992) ’22911 GT3 RS (992) ’22911 Sport Classic (992) ’22718 Cayman GT4 RS / Spyder RS (982) ’22911 S/T (992) ’23911 (992.2) ’24911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid (992.2) ’24Panamera (972) ’24Macan Electric ’24
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