Most cars have a habit of depreciating from the moment they roll off the dealer’s lot up until the point they land in a scrapyard where they live out their remaining days being parted out. Some cars, however, eventually start to appreciate in value, and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS you see here is a prime example of just how much a car can appreciate over time.
With just 45,000 miles on the clock, which some might argue is a lot for a car like the GT3 RS, its current auction price sits at $210,000. That is a huge increase over the original MSRP of around $132,000 or about $188,000 if you adjust for inflation today. Now that’s what we’d call a nice investment, but why is it worth so much now? The answer might surprise you.
The Last 911 GT3 RS To Be Sold With A Manual Transmission
The 997.2 911 GT3 RS was the very last of its kind to be sold with a six-speed manual transmission, with future 911 GT3 RS models sold exclusively with Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. This alone is most likely one of the reasons that people are willing to pay so much for this particular model, but that’s not really the only reason.
The legendary and now hard-to-find manual transmission is paired with a 3.8-liter Mezger flat-six that was good for 450 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque straight from the factory. It’s not GT2 RS wild, but it is able to hit 60 mph in as fast as 3.8 seconds (according to Porsche), and tops out at 193 mph. Back in 2011, however, Motortrend tested a 2011 model with this exact engine and transmission and was able to make the 60-mph sprint in 2.5 seconds and a quarter-mile sprint in 11.8 seconds at 120.7 mph.
An Epic Package
This particular example is finished in a Carrara White exterior color with the light-gold livery that includes the GT3 RS name on the rear quarter panel and hood to go with the checkered flag logo across the lower side. The 19-inch multi-spoke wheels tie the exterior package together with an additional layer of contrast.
The interior, while simple by modern-day standards, harkens back to a time when manual buttons, analog gauge clusters, and race-car style cockpits reigned supreme. For the 911 GT3, the interior wasn’t really any more sophisticated than a modern, affordable sports car at the time. It did feature some premium features, however, like the CD radio, automatic climate control, Alcántara-wrapped steering wheel, and the bucket seats wrapped in leather and Alcántara. Outside of these things, however, the interior wasn’t all that special at the time, but today, that old interior is a breath of fresh air in comparison to what we’re used to.
The 997.2 911 GT3 RS Is More Desirable Than You Realize
Obviously, homologation specials like the 997.2 GT3 RS we’re looking at here hold a special place in enthusiast and purist hearts. That becomes truly evident when you start looking at the numbers. Over the course of 2 years (2010-2011), Porsche built a total of 1,619 examples of the 911 GT3 RS before it was succeeded by the 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0. As such, this model is fairly rare in its own right, but the current auction price of $210,000 might be a bit of a bargain.
Looking at Classic.com, this particular version of the GT3 RS doesn’t come cheap. There are currently four listed for sale on the platform with an average price of $243,891. A total of 46 have changed hands on the platform for a total of $11.2 million, with sales prices ranging from $120,000 to as much as $412,000. The most recent one sold for $256,000, making $210,000 sound a little more like a bargain, even with 45,000 miles on the odometer.
Considering the potentially increasing value of the 997.2 GT3 RS and the fact that it’s the last to be offered with a manual transmission, finding a cheap example is going to be downright impossible. So, if you’re in the market for one of these legendary race cars for the road, now is the time to pounce, as there’s a good chance the entry price is only going to go up from here.
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