Chassis No. WP0AF2A90BS785588

Engine No. M96/7461B31686

Allocations, waiting lists, and deposits. These are all part of purchasing any special Porsche over the past decade. It's unthinkable now, but in the early 2010s those interested in placing an order for an RS 4.0 could spec one new at their local dealership - usually at MSRP. It's not that the RS 4.0 was unappreciated; most specialty automotive magazines ranked the regular 3.8 RS as the car of the year.

As the ultimate swan song for the beloved 997-generation, 911 Porsche's engineers honed and updated the RS 3.8 creating the limited edition RS 4.0. The RS 4.0 featured lightweight carbon body panels, a wider body, increased downforce, and unique suspension geometry with monoball components to create a feel unmatched by the RS 3.8 or any other Rennsport 911 at the time.

It was also the finale for the seemingly eternal flat-six Metzger engine. Hans Metzger's masterpiece of engineering has been located at the back of every Porsche 911 since 1964. In its various forms it has been the powerplant for winning race cars from the Le Mans 24 Hours to the Paris-Dakar Rally. To illustrate how vitally important this engine was, the head of GT cars for Porsche, Andreas Preuninger, described the RS 4.0 as having been 'built around the engine'. Upgraded engine parts included a crankshaft borrowed from the 911 GT3 RSR racing car and forged titanium pistons. At four liters, it was the largest displacement 911 engine ever produced, creating 125 hp/liter with 500 total horsepower at 8,250 rpm. These are stunning numbers from a normally-aspirated engine, especially one pushing its power through a six-speed manual transmission – the last Rennsport 911 to feature three pedals and a stick.

Recognized as a special, limited edition it was also a driver's car, and people drove them – frequently hard at the track. In fact, all of Porsche's marketing materials show stripped out RS 4.0s in a blur, racing around tracks of the world, touting an extremely impressive Nürburgring lap time of 7:27.

This single-owner GT3 RS 4.0, by comparison, lived a sedate existence when compared to its track-bound siblings. With only 1,794 miles shown at time of cataloging this RS 4.0 has been cherished since new. Ordered with a generous list of options not normally seen on track-focused RS models it features full leather interior, lightweight lithium-ion battery, carbon brakes (PCCB), front axle lift, and Sport Chrono package plus. At assembly line completion this special RS 4.0 visited Porsche's Exclusive Manufaktur department where it received an additional $5,530 of special wishes, bringing the total price to a substantial $215,175.

As expected, a single-owner car of this quality includes many items that often go missing over time and ownership changes. This RS 4.0 retains both main keys, its owner's manual set, window sticker, and uninstalled front license plate panel. It also includes a full history file, clean CarFax report, and paint meter sheet indicating that all factory paintwork remains undisturbed. Rare is the opportunity to purchase a well-ordered, untracked, low-mileage example of Porsche's finest Metzger engined creation.