Aside from that little engine fire incident at its launch, the Porsche 911 GT3 has been a phenomenal success. But when it comes to the even more potent upcoming GT3 RS, the GT3's 3.8-liter flat-six simply isn't good enough. Porsche believes it's vital to get the GT3 RS absolutely perfect, therefore it'll come equipped with its own unique naturally-aspirated engine. This has just been confirmed by Porsche R&D boss Wolfgang Hatz at Detroit. Basically, Hatz wanted to create a larger distinction between the GT3 and GT3 RS.

The best way to accomplish this was to build that new engine. As we previously reported with some fresh spy shots, the new GT3 RS will likely come powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six producing around 520 horsepower. The GT3 features a 3.8-liter flat-six with 475 hp. Hatz also confirmed a PDK dual-clutch will once again come standard, but a manual hasn't been ruled out either. "Performance has to be the main objective. Customers love the current GT3. The RS has to be the peak. The 991 GT3 was very much a surprise for everybody because it's a very usable car for every day. The GT3 RS will be more extreme," Hatz summarized.