2023 Porsche GT4 RS (STREET Review and TRACK Prep) - 4K

In Part 2 of our "GT4 RS Versus" Series, we pickup Chase's 2023 GT4 RS, spec'd in Shark Blue with the Weissach Package and Magnesium White Gold Wheels. We dive deep into the driving characteristics of the Porsche GT4 RS and prepare it for its' debut track race against a track-built 718 GT4 and a 992 GT3!
If you want to contact us with questions, considerations, or cars that you would be willing to let us review, reach us at [e-mail]
Preferred PPF Shop (Bay Area) - www.yelp.com/biz/precise-auto...
Preferred Porsche Mods Shop (Bay Area) - alekshop.com/
Preferred Porsche Dealer (Bay Area) - Tony Abiog @ www.porscheredwoodcity.com/
0:00 Into
2:11 Driving Position
3:39 Steering Feel
5:27 Throttle
7:11 Braking
8:30 Interlude and Track Setup
9:55 Sound and LAUNCH Control
12:44 Engine Performance
15:26 Gearbox
19:00 Handling
20:55 Outro

[@jeef16]

took delivery of my GT4RS a few weeks ago (gentian blue metallic, weissach, black wheels black calipers. such a sexy look). You guys are spot on with this review, I'm glad someone is willing to say (honestly you're the first youtube review i've seen to do this) that the steering feel is kinda dead. It's true! the car makes you forgive it and it's not *bad* its just not that fun. If only it had the 997 GT2 or 987.1 hydraulic steering, this car would be literally perfect

[@carhoney]

That sounds like a beautiful Spec, and thank you for your feedback on the steering! I can't tell you how many times we went back and forth about whether or not we were accurately judging the steering, so it's helpful to hear from a GT4RS owner that you feel the same way. Porsche's electronic steering is one of the best ever and has generally been acceptable/good for a long time, but they seem to have strayed from the formula here for some reason? Regardless, we agree the car is amazing despite that and daydream about hydraulic steering on it!

[@jeef16]

@@carhoney the electric steering that has impressed me the most lately from porsche has been the taycan interestingly (the 4s is the only one I have experience with). I found it to be better than the non-turbo S/GT 992 cars. Has surprisingly great feedback. I wish I knew someone who had the power steering plus upgrade to see if it really makes the difference. Sadly, the GT4RS is kept in south florida anyways, where there isn't a single curvy road for a 100 mile radius lol so I wouldnt be able to even properly tell what it changes

[@carhoney]

Luckily one of its best party tricks is listening to it at 9k as you ring out the gears in a straight line!

[@jeef16]

@@carhoney thats true haha. windows up, radio off and A/C low, the resonance created in the cabin's air from the vibrating intakes hits your ear like a subwoofer. its a feeling that cant be captured on video, it makes the car such a different experience from most other cars. The engine presence in the cabin with you is something you can only really get from a skeleton miata kit or an ariel atom. Personally I think this car will be the big winner from the post-997 GT/RS era, I easily see this hitting the high 6 figures in the future. if you guys ever figure out a suspension setup that livens up the steering feel, make that video! I'm going to look and see what the GT4 track enthusiasts have to say about which aftermarket parts are best. I'm personally very excited for what fabspeed is cooking up. IMO the GT4RS is the most fun non-analog porsche's ever made and probably will ever make into perpetuity with the way the 911 is going. Although, I will be picking up the EV boxster when it comes out, a literal porsche go-kart!

[@carhoney]

Couldn’t agree more, perfectly said!

[@alvaro37nf]

imagine Porsche making a limited edition with a manual transmission. Probably would be among the top 3 best Porsche ever made

[@carhoney]

That would be epic!

[@JoseMorales-ld6er]

Congrats! And thank you for your review I enjoyed a lot. Very good comments and opions. Thanks

[@carhoney]

Thanks for watching!

[@WayApp]

Porsche has once again outdone themselves.

[@evo18]

The look on your faces at 9k…Priceless! Awesome guys.

[@carhoney]

Hahah thanks! 9k is addicting now…

[@nicolasdujardin5691]

Was the car allready run in when hitting that 9k ? 'Cause it looks like you just got it ?

[@thehallermans]

@@nicolasdujardin5691 yep! ~900+ miles (1500km)

[@nicolasdujardin5691]

@@thehallermans nice 😉 Go for the best oilchange of them all and go enjoy your car to the fullest! 997.1 gt3 owner here !

[@carhoney]

Thanks Nicolas! Changing the oil this week and then headed to Thunderhill on Sunday and Monday!

[@bMX4ever9]

4th cracked sounds so good the cops can’t even get mad about the speed.

[@carhoney]

Woop woop 🙌

[@stefanomarchi3542]

Congrats! This car is a masterpiece, a must have

[@carhoney]

Thanks Stefano!

[@yd5016]

Way to go guys Yes you’ve got that lovin feelin

[@carhoney]

Thanks!

[@michaelmathew8417]

What roads are you guys driving? Looks like bay area and looks fun. Love the video!

[@marlonforde7376]

Loving the content! Where do drive? 84?

[@mrh6577]

PPF on new paint? Your faces were brilliant 😂

[@elcentinela3434]

Great video

[@carhoney]

Thank you!

[@Murphy252000]

Health to drive, what a car. Slan from Ireland

[@carhoney]

Cheers Murphy!

[@rossmackinlay]

How on earth do you guys not even have 700 subscribers?! Great video. Subscribed.

[@carhoney]

Thanks Ross! We’re wondering the same lol. Jk 😁 we’re still new here!

[@theman7095]

@@carhoney I have a feeling that your number of subscribers is about to go EXPONENTIAL!

[@carhoney]

@@theman7095 Thanks Man!!!

[@jesusthewaytruthandlight7558]

I have one too but still wish it was manual !!

[@jeffscott2246]

Looks great in shark blue!

[@carhoney]

Agreed! Thanks Jeff

[@PardoJ24]

I installed the same dash cam from Porsche on my Gt4 RS. Have you turned the microphone on? And how is the sound. I hear a bit of distortion. Can you tell me if yours do that.

[@theunkownmr.562]

So what do you do for a living? Congrats on an awesome ride! 👌

[@trigganometry168]

I redline my GTS 4.0 when leaving Oakland too! 😅

[@carhoney]

Send a pic of your GTS to our IG if you have one! @carhoneymedia

[@DrSlideit]

Nice pilotis Griffin!

[@carhoney]

Pilotis are the best!

[@Xxyion86]

I thought that dealership looked familiar. Hope to see it on the road or at a meet one of these days.

[@jm-alan]

It's like you're actively trying to talk me out of my Targa 4 GTS 😅 I'm only in a position to afford one very nice car at the moment though so I have to hold strong. Awesome video, thanks for sharing! Can't wait to see the GT4RS v GT3 shakedown from actual owners rather than just some big press channel

[@carhoney]

Haha stay strong friend!! You’ll love the Targa GTS and honestly its a way more usable street or weekend car! Look forward to posting that video in a couple weeks!

[@christopheralabi8255]

Nice video. Mind sharing the scenic driving road location?

[@carhoney]

Thanks! Point Reyes Station North on the 1 to Bodega and also west towards Point Reyes Lighthouse

[@christopheralabi8255]

@@carhoney Thanks!

[@ultimatist]

Nice review! On the dead steering, can you comment in comparison to the GT4 or the GTS? Or is it just dead compared to the double wishbone GT3? And on street handling, open roads like Lucas Valley seem fine, but how would this do at pace on something more choppy like Page Mill?

[@carhoney]

The GT4 steering is comparatively lighter with maybe slightly more feedback, which combined gives the sensation of noticeably more feedback than the RS. However, the RS being necessarily heavier (but not heavy overall) does not actually fall that far behind on feedback alone. It's just heavier and tighter. And, it is overall preferred on the track despite these features because of the controllability. The track alignment too helped with the speed of it. Regarding choppy back roads, the GT4 RS is certainly capable there of course, but you can tell it's not at home there. We found significant oscillating/bouncing and traction control kick-in situations on bumpy back roads in the RS where we did not with a standard GT4 or even a GT3. The 4RS feels bred and tuned for the track, which is completely fine by me, but personally I enjoy some other Porsches on back roads more.

[@ultimatist]

@@carhoney that makes sense on steering, it was optimized to come alive at track forces, not at slower street g's. And I've seen a clear pattern of lower-spring rate cars being faster in canyons and on undulating roads. Either way, enjoy that RS masterpiece. You two have a knack of communicating technical and subtle aspects of the car, better than most auto journalists. Keep reviewing more cool cars!

[@carhoney]

@@ultimatist we absolutely will! Thank you Jonathan. That is exactly what we’re trying to emulate with our content. Cheers.

[@z06van21]

@@carhoney I love my MCS 2-ways on my 718 GT4 on the Bay Area's crappy roads & freeways. No doubt the GT4 RS would also benefit from it.

[@carhoney]

@@z06van21 That would definitely give a lot more flexibility on setup! I have those on my 718 GT4 as well and they are great, although I have them tuned for the track at the moment.

[@dswift4989]

Would be cool to see this thing head to head against the new M4 CSL

[@carhoney]

That would be awesome! We need to find a CSL owner willing and then would make a track day happen!

[@user-ky3wu5ge4s]

One day🤞

[@joelrowland1168]

was negative -2.8 up front camber maxed out for stock suspension set up? Or why those numbers upfront and in back? Does your GT4 have more negative camber than your RS?

[@nicolasdujardin5691]

I'm guessing that was the optimum alignement they went to... Also , you chat with your alignement shop guy about your driving style , if you want less or more understeer, less or more oversteer , set up for stability on straights or more precise cornering...and to what track your going... Then taking all that info and translate it into an alignement that suits the car & suits your needs

[@carhoney]

Hey Guys! Both GT4’s are at -2.8 in front currently. You can go a little more but the reality is that would probably only benefit an expert driver who can truly push the car that hard! As soon as we get to that point we may increase to -3. We measure our tire temps inside, center and outside each session to see how well balanced the tire is heating and -2.8 seems to match our ability to push for now, along with a balanced and slightly oversteer biased setup (other suspensions components affecting that obviously).

[@joelrowland1168]

@@carhoney I am currently doing the same thing on my Cayman GTS with checking tire temps between sessions looking for the sweet spot on alignment settings. I will check back with you guys on your temps via instagram. I go to big willow and streets of willow at willow springs.

[@carhoney]

Sounds great, Joel, really interested to see what you end up at as well! Let's stay in touch on it! We need to make a trip down there soon, we're mostly up here at Laguna, Sonoma, or Thunderhill but really want to get to Willow Springs.

[@nicolasdujardin5691]

Was the car allready run in when hitting that 9k ? 'Cause it looks like you just got it ?

[@carhoney]

Yessir! It was at 900+ miles after a torturing break-in period without doing that!

[@Mike-qq8iy]

Curious to see how gt4 vs gt4 rs and gt3 compares! Just wish your gt4 had headers. They add quite a bit of power.

[@carhoney]

A power upgrade and a bit more Aero may be up next to completely finish out the GT4…

[@Mike-qq8iy]

@carhoney Cool! I know jcr was able to get there gt4 faster than a 991.2 gt3 rs around a track. So the capability of the gt4 is pretty impressive

[@carhoney]

Yeah the JCR car is awesome! The GT4 is just so intuitive and balanced around a track I’m not surprised with a few key upgrades a lot of time can be squeezed out of it

[@truejayoh]

Can you walk into a dealer and buy a gt4rs? How long is the wait?

[@carhoney]

Sadly, no. Depending on the dealership, you either have to be a long standing customer there or be willing to pay a premium over msrp for the special cars (like GT4RS). Your best bet is to go on the Porsche website or DuPont registry and buy one that is slightly used. There are a few for sale currently with very low miles. You will, however, be paying a hefty premium over msrp at this time :/.

[@Jeremyyy412]

What was the ADM from Carlsen Porsche?

[@carhoney]

Just about Bay Area Market…so too much

[@Mike-qq8iy]

Did the alignment help the gt4 rs on center steering feel?

[@carhoney]

It definitely helped reduce some of the dead-band and increased the sensitivity but I can’t say that it added any more road feel unfortunately

[@Mike-qq8iy]

Ahh awesome that makes sense. Thanks!

[@carhoney]

Cheers Mike!

[@bengrabenstein2929]

Financing by Silicon Valley Bank?

[@carhoney]

Haha exactly

[@petrolexis]

Which color is the car? PTS?

[@carhoney]

Shark Blue

[@petrolexis]

@@carhoney awesome. The same as my GT3 but with the video and light it looked like maritime blue, or even Miami blue. I’m expecting to have in the end of the year a GT4RS and I don’t think is gonna be as good as the 992 GT3 platform. I’m really convinced that the 992 GT3 it’s one of the best multi purpose petrolhead car. Having almost 20.000kms in it and having checked 4 track days, Nurburgring, alps passes and multiple b-roads all over Portugal state my argument and own opinion. I drive my dream car and love it. Let’s see what the GT4RS has to show in the near future…

[@carhoney]

In the Full Sun Shark blue has an awesome look that is closer to those colors you mentioned! It’s nearly impossible to compare the two cars, but certainly the GT3 is a far more capable and technologically advanced car. It can be driven way faster on track but requires higher sustained skill to do so. I would agree it’s the best multipurpose Porsche out there, as it handles bumps on the street surprisingly well and comes in a manual transmission! The GT4RS is special because of its sound and confidence inspiring balance, it’s RS hardness and as the best Cayman example that will ever exist. I hope you enjoy both!

[@petrolexis]

@@carhoney the GT4RS it’s also special for one thing. It’s the car that PORSCHE didn’t need to create and did it for us. For the enthusiasts. And that’s awesome 💪🏽

[@petrolexis]

BTW my 992 GT3 it’s manual. And the 4RS I think it belongs to PDK

[@michaelpoworoznik3159]

I’ll keep my 6spd 2016 GT4 Sounds better and I don’t need to flip my air cleaner

[@bapchannel9762]

I have a 2016 GT4 and GT4RS in my garage together. Honestly, GT4RS sounds much better. The sound tone is different. However, I just installed GT4 Clubsports header on my GT4. Now, the sound is almost neck to neck. I love both cars.

[@michaelpoworoznik3159]

@@bapchannel9762 my friend has a 2022 GT4 and it sound too synthetic ..if you know what l mean

[@scon1425]

Uhh where does chase get all this money 😂

[@carhoney]

Only Fans

[@Tracertme]

In 2023 I would much rather have a pretty car like the Lotus Emira which has a far better analogue driving experience

[@carhoney]

The Lotus is a beautiful car and the steering is definitely a stand out feature on it!

[@roger9836]

You should learn left foot breaking....

[@GethinJames]

"By accident" Enjoy the car...