In technical parlance, the new Porsche 911 GT3 R rennsport improves on a number of its donor car’s key metrics, including aerodynamics and the power emitted from its 4.2-litre flat-six combustion engine.

In layman’s parlance, this thing is off the scale. Even Porsche – never one to overstate that which can be better described by using aforementioned key metrics – describes this nutjob as “probably the hottest track tool Porsche has ever made available as a collectors’ item”.

Of course it’s a collectors’ item. A USD$1,046,000 plaything for 77 of Porsche’s very luckiest – and track-savvy – customers.

What they get for their money isn’t just raw numbers, though we’ll come to those in a tick, but also history.

The rennsport’s apparently a ‘logical’ successor to the GT2 RS-based 935 from a few years back, and uses the already potent 911 GT3 R as a base.

Aside from the bonnet and the roof, every other body panel on the limited edition has been changed over a not-at-all-regular GT3 R.

There’s a new nose. Tweaked air intakes and ducts. A side cowl. Reworked wheel arches. Digital wing mirrors. And a huge rear wing, which is where the ‘history’ bit comes in – it apparently harks back to the 935/77 Brumos Porsche that raced at the Daytona 24hrs in 1978. There are whispers of the Porsche 962 Le Mans racer around the back, too.

A larger rear apron sans grille covers and panelling (to save weight) sits underneath an LED light bar.

The flared arches house 18in BBS ‘racing’ wheels, which not only look quite fantastic, but meet proper competition standards.

Speaking of which, the engine’s been derestricted because of course, this car isn’t in competition.

Such freedom from the Balance of Performance requirements its sibling is subject to means the 4.2-litre boxer punches out 620hp – up from the GT3 R’s 565hp – and revs out to 9,400rpm.

It’s running bespoke pistons and cams, and is able to power along on E25 fuels, said to allow for advanced ignition angles and increased compression.

Those 620 horsies are sent rearwards (and then possibly sideways) via a six-speed ‘constant-mesh’ gearbox carried over from the GT3 R but tweaked, resulting in sixth gear giving the car a little more flat-out speed.

There’s an unsilenced racing exhaust providing flat-out noise, said to offer an “extremely emotional engine sound”. That’s the polite way of putting it.

It’s a single seater of course, featuring a driver’s display, central console panel, ambient lighting and a “particularly rigid roll cage design”.

Overall the entire vehicle concept weighs just 1,240kg.

Naturally, a range of special, exclusive body colours and patterns are on offer.

Which you’d expect for its USD$1,046,000 asking price – not including tax or any other options.

But then, in the words of Porsche’s motorsport vice president Thomas Laudenbach: "The new Porsche 911 GT3 R rennsport offers the experience of driving a nine-eleven-based racing car in what is probably the most primal form.

“It gives you goosebumps whenever you look at it,” he adds, in layman’s terms we fully understand.

STORY Vijay Pattni