The World's Slowest Porsche Probably Doesn't Look Like You'd Expect
The Ferdinand GT3 RS might look like a shiny, gilded 911 GT3 RS, but it's actually the slowest Porsche road car in the world. Porsche's 911 GT3 RS was regarded as an iconic sports car with record-breaking lap times under its name (via Porsche). In 2010, however, a variant came onto the scene sporting the same looks as a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, albeit with performance that achieves quite the opposite.
This deceptively slow 911 GT3 RS lookalike is the product of Austrian cyclist Hannes Langeder, according to TopGear. Despite moving at a snail's pace, it's still among the lightest GT3 RS builds to ever lap around a test track. Langeder's Ferdinand GT3 RS was often described as the most eco-friendly car ever given its zero-emission design and the extremely economical driving experience it brings. In fact, the car doesn't even come with an engine to begin with. The question now is: Just how slow can the Ferdinand GT3 RS actually go?
A car that's fueled by its driver
Well, it turns out that the Ferdinand GT3 RS can only go as fast as its driver can push it. That's because it utilizes bicycle parts, according to autoevolution. While its chassis might have the appearance of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, it literally has the makeup of a bicycle on the inside, complete with pedals and the like. In order to steer it, drivers would actually have to use a bicycle handlebar instead of a steering wheel.
As for its construction, the Ferdinand GT3 RS is made out of plastic tube frames, with wheels comprised of thin bicycle rims, all wrapped in gold-painted duct tape. This also makes the world's slowest Porsche incredibly light, weighing in at just a little under 220 lbs. Although its design maintained the Porsche 911 GT3 RS' wide spoiler and air vents, they aren't used for aerodynamic purposes, but rather, they're to prevent its driver from sweating too much.
How does the slowest Porsche compare to the real thing?
The real Porsche 911 GT3 RS production vehicle was introduced in 2003, coming out with a revamped design and increased power output (via Porsche). It's capable of accelerating from 0 to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds, with a top speed reaching 190mph. By comparison, the Ferdinand 911 GT3 RS has a frame that's heavier than a conventional bicycle, making it a chore to even reach 10mph without exerting a lot of effort in pedaling it.
However, it does have a distinct feature not found on any other Porsche 911: It has an empty, spacious rear trunk, something the rear-engine Porsche 911 doesn't have the luxury to make room for. Of course, the Ferdinand 911 GT3 RS isn't meant to race on a track, but instead, it belongs in a museum, particularly in an art exhibition in the Lentos Museum of Arts in Austria. Despite looking strikingly similar to the real thing, the world's slowest Porsche is more akin to an artistic take on 'modified bicycles' than a racing machine.