The Isle of Man is wrapped by a seemingly endless twisting, undulating sliver of tarmac that's as beautiful as it is dangerous. Certain sections of the road have no speed limits. It's the home of the most dangerous event on the motorsports calendar. It's also the perfect place to grab a 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS by the scruff, ring its neck a bit, and film what happens.
Andreas Preuninger is the director of the Porsche GT product line. He calls the Isle of Man "one of the most amazing places for a motorsport enthusiast." And he's right, though the island is typically reserved for those who love all things on two wheels. The International Isle of Man TT sees average speeds above 130 mph...over the course of nearly 38 miles.
For this video, Porsche has trotted out some of the greatest hits of RS lineage. To help put these cars through the proper paces, Isle of Man expert Mark Higgins is on hand. He's the skilled wheelman who's set lap records behind the wheel of a variety of Subarus. Now he gets to explore his homeland in something with a slightly different boxer engine.
The 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS packs a 4.0-liter flat-6 engine rated at 520 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque. There's no manual gearbox on this one, as Porsche has fitted the car with a 7-speed dual clutch unit. The car is fast and the PDK is faster.
Speaking of fast, Porsche also brings Steve Plater on this island adventure. Plater is a two-time Isle of Man TT winner, and Porsche invited him because he rides a Ducati bike that the automaker feels is akin to a two-wheel 911 GT3 RS. It's race-ready yet road-friendly.
The video is beautifully shot and the cars stand out vibrantly against the scenery of this small island in the Irish Sea. What we really want to see, however, is Higgins having a go at the four-wheel lap record. We think the GT3 RS might best the time he set in a Subaru.
