Porsche test pilot and all-around legend Walter Röhrl will be competing in next year's Nürburgring 24-Hour race for the first time in 17 years. His weapon of choice for the event: the 2010 Porsche GT3 RS. That's the rear-wheel drive one with the 450 horsepower 3.8-liter that runs up to 8,500 RPM. The one with the track-specific, lightweight lithium-ion battery and dynamic engine mounts. The one that did the Kessel Run 'Ring in 12 parsecs 7:33 in light traffic.
Röhrl says the street-legal production car is the closest thing to a race car he's ever driven, so he wants to find out what it can ultimately do from gun-to-flag. It probably won't hand comeuppance to the four-liter, $494,000 GT3 RSR, but with the same horsepower as the dedicated racer we figure Röhrl plans to keep it close.
Turn off the mobile, close your email and get yourself a nice warm beverage, because the following 8 minutes is nothing but pure tarmac goodness with a revving soundtrack that is just as satisfying. Compiled at various rallies in Germany, Spain and Belgium, this video captures the fury of the 911 GT3 unleashed. Enjoy!

Aston Martin is accelerating development on the upcoming One-77 supercar. During top secret high-speed testing in the south of France the car comfortably achieved a top speed of 220.007mph (354.86 km/h) under dry but windy conditions. More tests will be conducted in the new year, including dynamic testing.
The One-77 is powered by a 7.3-litre V12 engine and will be Aston's most powerful and of course expensive road car ever. It is a two-door, two-seat coupe with a carbon fibre monocoque body structure.