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Porsche 911 RSR 4.0 (991.2) (2017 – 2019)

The mid-engined version

Porsche 911 991 RSR 4.0 Profile - Large
Model
Porsche 911 991 RSR 4.0 (991)
Years
2017 - 2019
Production
N/A
Engine
4.0 L Watercooled Flat 6
Power
510 bhp
Torque
N/A
0 - 60 mph
N/A
Top Speed
N/A

(2017 – 2019) Porsche 911 RSR 4.0 (991.2) – Ultimate Guide

Official photos: 2016 November 16 (prototype 2016 May 12) / Premiere: 2017 January 28-29, Daytona 24h / Engine: 4.0 B6 normally aspirated, 375 kW (depends on air restrictor) / Gearbox: Sequential, 6-speed with 3-disc clutch, magnesium casing / Weight: 1243 kg/2740 lb by regulations

Two decades after the different 911 GT1 cars – 993 GT1 ’96, 993 GT1 Street, 996 GT1 ’97, 996 GT1 Street, 996 GT1 Evo ’98 – the mid-engined 911 is back! In order to install a proper diffuser under the rear end of the 991, the engine had to make room for it and the engine/transmission unit was rotated 180 degrees. The 911 was Caymanized, so to speak. Now you probably remember when the Cayman came out in 2005, it was said to handle better than the 911. The wheelbase of the 991.2 RSR was extended to 2516 mm. In comparison Cayman GT4 has 2484 mm, 991.2 GT3 Cup has 2456 mm and 991.2 Carrera/Turbo have 2450 mm. So, the rear wheels were moved back 1.3-2.6″/32-66 mm depending on how you look.

The extended rear diffuser, a top-suspended rear wing and the new side mirrors help to increase downforce with reduced drag. While the 911 GT1 cars were the ultimate mid-engined 911s with their turbocharged engines, the FIA rules restrict the engine power and there was no reason to equip the 991.2 RSR with a turbo engine. The normally aspirated 4-litre flat-6 was taken from the 991 GT3 R (used also in the 991 GT3 Cup 4.0).

The 991.2 RSR features a radar-supported Collision Avoid System which means now the faster LMP prototypes are detected behind early enough and misunderstandings can be avoided. On a cockpit monitor arrows indicate when vehicles are behind. Depending on the colour of the arrows, the driver knows whether the trailing car is coming closer or falling back. For the driver safety, the seat is now closer to the center of the car and is rigidly mounted (a new FIA rule). The movable pedal box (as well as brakes), come from AP Racing.

Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
Thanks to quick-release fasteners, a door can be replaced in 15 seconds and a front bumper with underbody in less than a minute.© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
2016 March 3: first prototype ready for rollout in Weissach© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
First prototype has central exhaust© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
Nick Tandy and Jörg Bergmeister© Porsche
Note the regular 911 mirrors on the prototype© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
Director GT Factory Motorsports Marco Ujhasi and his team© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
2016 August 5: wind tunnel with rolling belt. The car already has the new aerodynamic mirrors.© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype
The prototype already has separate exhaust pipes, but rear lining still with the opening for central exhaust© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR testing
2016 October: 50 hour test at Sebring© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR testing
Looks good in white! This is the second car at the 50 hour test at Sebring. Note the different front spoiler.© Porsche

Between March and November 2016, the prototypes were tested for a total of around 22.000 miles/35.000 km which is more than with any previous Porsche GT racing car.

7 RSR were built by Porsche Motorsport for the 2017 racing season: 3 for testing, 2 for the FIA World Endurance Championship and 2 for the IMSA SportsCar Championship. It took 4 employees 10 working days to build one 911 RSR.

© Porsche
© Porsche
2017 Porsche 919 hybrid
The photo shows the size of the 919 compared to the 911 RSR© Porsche
© Porsche
© Porsche
Mirror base contributes to the overall aerodynamics of the car© Porsche
Flat underbody extended to the sides© Porsche
© Porsche
The brake discs are 390 mm front and 355 mm rear. And they are of steel, naturally. Racing is business and there’s no room for solutions with flaws. With ceramic brakes you can pose to your neighbour.© Porsche
12.5″ wide wheels with 300 mm tyres at the front and 13″ wheels with 310 mm tyres at the back.© Porsche
2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
© Porsche
The mirrors are electrically adjustable and have a memory function for each pilot© Porsche
Diffuser is the main reason the rear engine had to go, to make room for the rear end underbody aerodynamics© Porsche
© Porsche
At 80.6″/2048 mm, the body is 6.6″/168 mm wider than that of the 991.2 Turbo© Porsche
2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
© Porsche
2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR Manthey Racing
Manthey Racing© Porsche
100% business© Porsche
2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR engine cover
The top access panel for the engine mimics the rear window. Rear wing is mounted in “swan neck” style.© Porsche
For better aerodynamics under the rear wing, it is hang from top© Porsche
The wheels are in the optimal size, which is 18″, not 19, 20 or 21″ which posers prefer© Porsche
2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
© Porsche
2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR top view, roof hatch
© Porsche
© Porsche
2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
© Porsche
2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR roll cage, cockpit
© Porsche
Safecraft net release© Porsche
© Porsche
© Porsche
2016 November: Los Angeles Auto Show, Patrick Dempsey© Porsche
2017 Daytona 24 Porsche 911 991 RSR in the pits
2017 January, Daytona 24 hours: the car of Estre/Vanthoor/Lietz in the pits. The concrete barrier is a USA-specific thing and if you need to repair the car in the garage, you have to drive to the paddock..© Porsche
 © Porsche
Porsche 911 991 RSR red hot brake disc
 © Porsche

The GT LM class was so competitive at 2017 Daytona 24 hour race that seven (!) competitors finished the race within 7 seconds! While in the middle of the race Porsches were 1-2 in class, the final GT LM result was: 1. Ford GT, 2. 991.2 RSR, 3. Ferrari 488, 4. Corvette, 5. Ford GT, 6. 991.2 RSR, 7. Ford GT. Remember, all they covered 652 laps and were just 7 seconds apart after 24 hours! Thanks to BoP (Balance of Performance) rules the cars are very equal and this makes the races really interesting to follow.

2017 Daytona 24h GTLM class 2nd place 991.2 RSR #911 was driven by Pilet/Werner/Makowiecki© Porsche

Sports car racing is not a subject of public interest in USA and therefore Daytona 24 hour race cannot be compared to the Le Mans 24 and Nürburgring 24 hour races which gather more than 200.000 spectators. No spectators, no money, IMSA has to lean even on alcohol producers. The Daytona 24 drivers had to hold alcohol bottles in their hands on the podium. Really?

2017 January 29, Daytona 24 hour race GT LM class second place drivers Patrick Pilet, Fred Makowiecki and Dirk Werner with alcohol bottles© Porsche
2017 Sebring 12h Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
2017 March 18: 12 hours of bumpy Sebring took their toll on the rear damper of the Porsche #912. The team lost 3 laps while the damper was replaced. They finished just 2 laps behind the winner – do the math!© Porsche
2017 Long Beach, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR transport truck
2017 April 8, Long Beach© Porsche
2017 April 16, Silverstone: the first race of the 2017 FIA WEC season was won by Ford in GTE-Pro class. Porsche 911 RSR #91 finished third after a Ferrari 488 GTO. The #92 Porsche 911 had to retire because of the engine fire.
2017 April 16, Silverstone 6 hour FIA WEC, Porsche 911 991 RSR mid-engine fire
2017 Silverstone 6h: Kévin Estre got out from the car unhurt. As a true Porsche-enthusiast, he agitated the lazy marshals to put out the fire quicker.kk
2017 Austin, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
2017 May 4, Austin© Porsche
2017 Le Mans test day group photo
2017 June 3, Le Mans test day© Porsche
2017 Le Mans scrutineering, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
2017 June 12, Le Mans scrutineering© Porsche
2017 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR under heat shield waiting for the start
2017 June 17, before Le Mans 24h race start, heat shield over the cockpit© Porsche
2017 Lime Rock, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
2017 July 22, Lime Rock: this Porsche is a biohybrid 🙂 Eats biofuel and runs on petrol.© Porsche
© Porsche
2017 Petit Le Mans, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
2017 October 5, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Wow, what a photo!© Porsche
2017 Fuji, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
2017 October 15, Fuji: number 91 Porsche is shared by Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki

2017 Results

Date Championship Race Porsche factory team results for 911 991.2 RSR
2017 Jan 29 IMSA Championship + NA Endur’ Cup Daytona 24 hours 2nd 6th
2017 Mar 18 IMSA Championship + NA Endur’ Cup Sebring 12 hours 3rd 8th
2017 Apr 08 IMSA Championship Long Beach 100 minutes 3rd 6th
2017 Apr 16 FIA World Endurance Championship Silverstone 6 hours 3rd DNF
2017 May 06 IMSA Sportscar Championship Austin 160 minutes 4th DNF
2017 May 06 FIA World Endurance Championship Spa 6 hours 5th 6th
2017 Jun 17 FIA World Endurance Championship Le Mans 24 hours 4th DNF
2017 Jul 02 IMSA Championship + NA Endur’ Cup Watkins Glen 6 hours 6th 7th
2017 Jul 09 IMSA Sportscar Championship Bowmanville 160 minutes 6th 7th
2017 Jul 16 FIA World Endurance Championship Nürburgring 6 hours 2nd 3rd
2017 Jul 22 IMSA Sportscar Championship Lime Rock 160 minutes 2nd 4th
2017 Aug 06 IMSA Sportscar Championship Road America 160 minutes 2nd DNF
2017 Aug 27 IMSA Sportscar Championship Virginia 160 minutes 7th 8th
2017 Sep 03 FIA World Endurance Championship Mexico City 6 hours 3rd 5th
2017 Sep 16 FIA World Endurance Championship COTA 6 hours 2nd 6th
2017 Sep 24 IMSA Sportscar Championship Laguna Seca 160 minutes 3rd 7th
2017 Oct 07 IMSA Championship + NA Endur’ Cup Atlanta Petit Le Mans 5th 6th
2017 Oct 15 FIA World Endurance Championship Fuji 6 hours 2nd 3rd
2017 Nov 5 FIA World Endurance Championship Shanghai 6 hours 2nd DNF
2017 Nov 18 FIA World Endurance Championship Bahrain 6 hours 4th DNF

Although without race victories, Porsche won the 2017 IMSA North American Endurance Cup GT LM class in Drivers and in Teams categories (Ford won in Manufacturers category). At the NAEC the points are awarded many times in one race – after each of 3, 4 or 6 hours depending on the length of the race.

In the 2017 FIA WEC GT Driver’s Championship Porsche drivers Richard Lietz/Frédéric Makowiecki scored second. In the GT Manufacturer’s Championship Porsche scored third after Ferrari, Ford and in front of Aston Martin.

2018/2019 FIA WEC Super Season

FIA is in the process of moving its World Endurance Championship schedule for the seasons to start in the end of the year and to end next summer (the same has been practiced with Formula E from the beginning). To transform from the previous arrangement to the new, there has to be either a very short season or a longer-than-usual season. Instead of the usual 7 month season, the 2018/2019 “super season” will be 11 months long, but will not have more races. Actually there will be 8 races in the 2018/2019 season, while there were 9 races in the 2017 season, but the actual racing time is longer as the super season includes 2 Le Mans 24 hour races!

2018 Sebring 12h GTLM winner
2018 March 17, Sebring 12 hour, GTLM class winner© Porsche
2018 Sebring 12h GTLM winners
2018 March 17, Sebring 12 hour, GTLM class winners Frederic Makowiecki, Pascal Zurlinden (factory GT racing director), Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet© Porsche
2018 Spa-Francorchamps, FIA WEC, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR
2018 May 3, Spa-Francorchamps© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR Mid-Ohio 2018
2018 May 6, IMSA SCC Mid-Ohio 160 minute race: Porsche 911 RSR #912 driven by Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor won the GTLM class in front of a BMW M8 and Chevrolet Corvette© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR 2018 Mid-Ohio
2018 May 6, Mid-Ohio© Porsche

2018 Le Mans 24h

After withdrawal from LMP1 top class racing, Porsche factory team entered the 2018 Le Mans 24 hour race with 4 mid-engined 911 RSR – two cars that compete in the FIA WEC series and two IMSA Championship factory team cars:

  • 911 RSR #91 (with “Pink pig” livery): Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz, Frédéric Makowiecki
  • 911 RSR #92 (with “Rothmans” livery): Kévin Estre, Michael Christensen, Laurens Vanthoor
  • 911 RSR #93 (with Porsche Motorsport livery). Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber
  • 911 RSR #94 (with Porsche Motorsport livery): Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Sven Müller

Bamber, Bernhard, Dumas and Tandy are overall Le Mans winners from earlier races, so there’s not exactly anything to win for them. As Porsche factory drivers they cannot drive for other teams entering fast LMP cars, but anyway – Le Mans is Le Mans, an extreme experience always worth repeating, no matter in which car.

Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
2018 May 28 photoshooting of the 2018 Le Mans cars #91 and #92© Porsche

As Porsche wasn’t fighting for the overall victory at the 2018 Le Mans race, they decided to please the fans with historic Porsche Le Mans liveries. The #91 got the livery of the Porsche 917/20 (that didn’t even finish the 1971 Le Mans race, but standed out because of its strange body shape and livery). The #92 car got the “Rothmans” livery known from the Le Mans winning Porsche 956 and Porsche 962.

Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
Interestingly, such a shade of pink looks rather good on a racing 911. Expect this color to become available for the next 911 GTx street cars. The livery is 47 years old and a bit outdated in the sense that in 21st century it is not so cool to present publically how to cut someone’s body into pieces (the original 917 livery showed how to cut a pig).© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
Nice design. Nicer without the Rothmans logos – it is great that the tobacco advertising is not allowed anymore.© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
© Porsche
Porsche 911 RSR with classic livery for Le Mans 2018
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans test day, two Porsche 911 RSR in historic liveries
2018 June 2, Le Mans test day© Porsche
2018 Porsche Le Mans factory team 911 RSR cars
Porsche Motorsport factory team for the 2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro class© Porsche
2018 Le Mans scrutineering, 2x Porsche 911 RSR
2018 June 11, scrutineering© Porsche
2018 Le Mans scrutineering, 2x Porsche 911 RSR
© Porsche
© Porsche
City of Le Mans© Porsche
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans Porsche factory team
2018 Le Mans 24h Porsche factory team© Porsche
2018 Le Mans Porsches
All Porsches of the 2018 Le Mans 24h race© Porsche
2018 Le Mans Porsche 911 RSR
2018 June 13, free practise© Porsche
2018 Le Mans, Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche
2018 June 13, free practise, Dempsey-Proton Racing 911 RSR #77 would win the GTE Am class a few days later© Porsche
2018 Le Mans qualification, Porsches on the pit lane
2018 June 14, second qualification run is about to start© Porsche
2018 Le Mans, Porsche 911 RSR
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24 start, GTE Pro class
2018 June 16, Le Mans 24h start shows GTE Pro class (LMP1 and LMP2 cars have started in front of them)© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 RSR
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2018 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 RSR
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h, Porsches in the night
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h, Felix Porsche, Wolfgang Porsche
Felix Porsche, Wolfgang Porsche and Porsche CEO Oliver Blume© Porsche

The #94 car of Bernhard/Dumas/Müller had to retire because of the rear suspension damage. It could have been repaired, but Porsche was not searching to finish among the last ones. It had entered so many cars, so it just focused on the performance of the running 911s. The #93 car of Pilet/Bamber/Tandy had to pit for an alternator replacement which robbed 25 minutes and the chances for a good result. Both Porsche Motorsport liveried factory team cars had bad luck and the focus switched even more to the two 911s with historic liveries running up front in the GTE Pro category.

2018 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 RSR
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 RSR
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 RSR #92
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h, front brake of the Porsche 911 RSR #92
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 RSR
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro winner Porsche 911 RSR #92
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro winner Porsche 911 RSR #92
© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro winner Porsche 911 RSR #92
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro winner, 17th overall (344 laps)© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Am winner Porsche 911 RSR #77
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Am winner, 28th overall (335 laps)© Porsche

Porsches managed to win both GT classes. Dempsey-Proton Racing 911 RSR #77 driven by Matt Campbell, Christian Ried and Julien Andlauer won the GTE Am class. 18-year-old Andlauer became the youngest class winner in Le Mans history.

The #92 “Pink Pig” won the GTE Pro class, followed by the #91 “Rothmans” in front of Ford GTs, Corvette C7Rs, Ferrari 488 GTE Evos, Aston Martin Vantage AMRs and BMW M8 GTEs. The GTE Pro class was the most interesting and most competitive class at the 2018 Le Mans race as in the top LMP1-Hybrid class only one manufacturer (Toyota) had remained.

2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro winners, Michael Christensen, Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro class winners Michael Christensen, Laurens Vanthoor and Kévin Estre (photo made before the race)© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro 2nd place: Richard Lietz, Fred Makowiecki, Gianmaria Bruni
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro class 2nd place drivers Richard Lietz, Frédéric Makowiecki and Gianmaria Bruni (photo made before the race)© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro winners Michael Christensen, Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre
GTE Pro winners Michael Christensen, Laurens Vanthoor (“Today is one of the most beautiful, no, the most beautiful day of my career”), Kévin Estre (“Today is the best day of my life”)© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Pro podium - Porsche 1-2
GTE Pro 1-2 victory for Porsche Motorsport: Fred Makowiecki, Richard Lietz, Gianmaria Bruni, Frank-Steffen Walliser (Head of Porsche Motorsport), Michael Christensen, Kèvin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor© Porsche
2018 Le Mans 24h GTE Am winners (Dempsey-Proton Racing)
GTE Am winners Christian Ried, Julien Andlauer, Patrick Dempsey (team owner), Matt Campbell© Porsche

2018 July 1, Watkins Glen 6h, Porsche 911 RSR of Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy
2018 July 1, Watkins Glen 6h, Tandy/Pilet finish 3rd after Ford GT and Corvette and in front of sister car driven by Vanthoor/Bamber (all 190 laps)© Porsche
2018 IMSA SCC, Elkhart Lake, Porsche 911 RSR
2018 August 3, Elkhart Lake, RSR unloaded from the truck© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR cockpit/dashboard
The office© Porsche

 

2018 Petit Le Mans class victory with 1998 livery

2018 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
© Porsche

The livery seen here, was used on the 1998 Le Mans winning Porsche 911 GT1 aswell as in the 1998 Petit Le Mans race on Road Atlanta, where one of the cars got airborne because of the flaw in aerodynamics design. Like the 991.2 RSR, the 996 GT1 was mid-engined. Just that the 911 GT1 was actually a prototype that raced in the GT category, while the 991.2 RSR is closer to Porsche street cars. At least shape-wise.

Porsche 911 991.2 RSR cockpit
© Porsche
2018 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
© Porsche
2018 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
© Porsche
2018 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
© Porsche
2018 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
© Porsche
2018 Road Atlanta, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
2018 October 11 training on Road Atlanta for the Petit Le Mans© Porsche
2018 Road Atlanta, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
Training. The prototype class cars (seen behind the GT class Porsche) are naturally the fastest.© Porsche
2018 Road Atlanta, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
Posing. A day before the race.© Porsche
2018 Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
2018 October 13, Petit Le Mans 10 hour race is on. Nice shot!© Porsche
2018 Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
© Porsche
2018 Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
Nick Tandy out, Fred Makowiecki in© Porsche
2018 Road Atlanta, Petit Le Mans winner, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
GT class winning (and 12th overall) Porsche #911 is covered with rubber residuals© Porsche

Overall victory went to a Cadillac DPi prototype followed by two Mazda DPi prototypes (all 443 laps). 7 cars finished the race on the same lap. The GTLM category saw similarly tense competition with 6 cars finishing on the same lap after 419 laps: Porsche 911 #911, Corvette, 2x BMW M8, Ford GT and the #912 Porsche.

2018 Road Atlanta, Petit Le Mans winners, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR with 1998 livery
2018 Petit Le Mans GTLM category winners Fred Makowiecki, Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet© Porsche
Porsche 911 991.2 RSR Gulf, 2018 Shanghai FIA WEC
Gulf Porsche at 2018 FIA WEC in Shanghai© Porsche
2019 Daytona, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR in Brumos Racing livery
Brumos Racing theme livery was used for the 2019 Daytona 24 hour race© Porsche
2019 Daytona, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR in Brumos Racing livery, rear view
© Porsche
2019 Daytona, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR in Brumos Racing livery
© Porsche
2019 Daytona, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR in Brumos Racing livery
© Porsche
2019 Daytona, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR in Brumos Racing livery, top view
© Porsche
2019 Daytona, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR in Brumos Racing livery, in the dark
2019 Daytona 24 hours: Porsche #912 scored 3rd driven by Bamber/Vanthoor/Jaminet© Porsche
2019 Sebring 1000 mile race winner Porsche 911 RSR
2019 March 15 Sebring WEC 1000 mile race, GT category winning (10th overall) Porsche 911 RSR #91 was driven by Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz© Porsche
2019 Sebring 12 hour winning Porsche 911 RSR
2019 March 16 Sebring 12h, GT category winning (10th overall) Porsche 911 RSR #911 was driven by Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet and Frédéric Makowiecki© Porsche
2019 Long Beach IMSA SCC 100 minutes winning Porsche 911 RSR
2019 April, shortest race in the IMSA SCC calendar – just 100 minutes – was held on the Long Beach street course. Porsche #912 driven by Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor won the GT category (8th overall).© Porsche
2018/2019 FIA WEC Super Season GT winner: Porsche Motorsport team
2019 May 4, Spa (Belgium), Porsche Motorsport secured the 2018/2019 FIA WEC Super Season GT category championship title before the last race of the season© Porsche
2018/2019 FIA WEC Super Season GT winners: Michael Christensen, Kevin Estre, Porsche Motorsport
2019 May 4, Spa, Michael Christensen and Kévin Estre won the 2018/2019 FIA WEC Super Season in GT category© Porsche

 

2019 Le Mans

2019 Le Mans test day
2019 June 1, Le Mans test day© Porsche
2019 Le Mans: ten Porsche 911 RSR
Photoshoot of the 2019 Le Mans Porsches: the first row shows factory team GTE Pro class cars and the second row shows GTE Am class cars of private racing teams. The #99 Am car on the right didn’t start the race as Tracy Krohn crashed it before the race and was adviced by doctors not to race. In GTE Pro, #91 of Lietz/Bruni/Makowiecki would score second and #93 of Pilet/Bamber/Tandy would score third.© Porsche
2019 Le Mans practise, pit stop of Brumos liveried Porsches
Practice© Porsche

For the second year in a row, after Porsche had terminated its LMP1-Hybrid program, the most interesting and rivalling category at the Le Mans 24 hour race has been the GTE Pro. Thanks to the Balance of Performance (BoP) system all the cars are made really equal. The work of the BoP specialists can be appreciated when top 5 cars finish the 24 hour race on the same lap. Considering they did 342 laps and were on the same lap, their performance was within 0.3%. The GTE Pro 4th place Ford GT was disqualified after the race when it was found out that its fuel tank could carry 0.83 litres more fuel. Sounds like a bit too harsh judgement, but that’s how the quality of BoP is ensured.

Then, it was decided that the GTE Am winning Ford GT will also be disqualified. Its fuel tank could carry just 0.1 litres more fuel than allowed. Such a disqualification sounds already like unfair, but the judge’s decision is the judge’s decision. The second place Porsche 911 RSR #56 of Bergmeister/Lindsey/Perfetti became the 2019 Le Mans GTE Am class winner.

2019 Le Mans GTE Am class winning Porsche 911 RSR
2019 June 16, Le Mans GTE Am class surprise winner: the 911 RSR of Team Project 1 driven by Jörg Bergmeister/Patrick Lindsey/Egidio Perfetti© Porsche

2019 IMSA Lime Rock, mid-engine Porsche 911 991 RSR 4.0 #911 and #912
2019 July 20, nice shot taken at the Lime Rock IMSA race© Porsche

 

Porsche Motorsport sponsors 2018

Press Release

New 911 RSR for Le Mans. 16/11/2016
The most spectacular nine-eleven ever: Porsche will tackle the 2017 racing season with an all-out newly developed GT racer.

The new 911 RSR makes full use of the breadth of the Le Mans 24 Hours GT regulations, and in addition to systematic lightweight design, features the ultra-modern, flat-six unit positioned in front of the rear axle. The four-litre, extremely light aggregate features direct fuel injection as well as a rigid valve drive and is characterised by outstanding efficiency. The new 911 RSR will make its debut at the Daytona 24-hour race in January 2017.

“While retaining the typical 911 design, this is the biggest evolution by now in the history of our top GT model,” says Head of Porsche Motorsport Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser. The new 911 RSR is a completely new development: the suspension, body structure, aerodynamic concept, engine and transmission have all been designed from scratch. The engine concept has enabled the designers to install a particularly large rear diffuser. Combined with a top-mounted rear wing adopted from the LMP1 race car, the 919 Hybrid, the level of downforce and the aerodynamic efficiency were significantly improved.

Porsche 911 RSR is powered by six-cylinder boxer engine family

“For the 911 RSR, we deliberately focussed on a particularly modern and light normally-aspirated engine, as this gave our engineers immense latitude in developing the vehicle,” explains Dr Walliser. “Apart from that, in principle, the LM-GTE regulations stipulate the absolute equality of various drive concepts, as the torque characteristics of turbo and normally aspirated engines are aligned.” Depending on the size of the restrictor, the new normally-aspirated unit puts out around 375 kW (510 hp).

The new 911 for the racetrack

Shift paddles on the steering wheel actuate the sequential six-speed gearbox with a magnesium housing, which delivers power to the 31-centimentre-wide rear wheels. The changeover to the new engine generation is now complete. After the 911 GT3 R and the 911 GT3 Cup, the spearhead of Porsche GT racing cars is now also powered by the same cutting-edge six-cylinder boxer engine family.

For the first time, the GT racer bears the new factory design

In the past, Porsche has already thoroughly pushed the limits with the concept of the 911 – in 1996 with the 911 GT1. With great success: In 1998 the 911 GT1 achieved the 16th overall victory for Porsche at the Le Mans 24-hour race. Back then, the fastest vehicle in the field emerged from the GT1 class.

For the first time, a Porsche GT race car features state-of-the-art assistance systems: the new 911 RSR is equipped with a radar-supported collision warning system, the so-called “Collision Avoid System”. Even in the dark, the faster LMP prototypes are detected early enough and misunderstandings can be avoided. A new safety cage concept and a new, rigidly-mounted racing seat enhance driver safety. With the seat fixed to the chassis, the pedalry can now been moved and adjusted to fit the driver.

The new 911 RSR’s serviceability has also been significantly improved: Entire elements of the carbon-fibre body can be exchanged completely in a very short time thanks to clever quick-release fasteners. Moreover, changes to the suspension setup can be performed much more quickly and easily.

With the look of the body wrapping, the 911 RSR is striking out in a new direction: For the first time, the GT racer bears the new factory design that has further developed the clear and dynamic design language of Porsche Motorsport. From a bird’s eye view, a hint of the Porsche emblem silhouette can be seen. The basic colours remain white, red and black.

The 911 RSR will celebrate its debut at the IMSA season opener in Daytona

In the 2017 season, the factory is expected to run the new 911 RSR at 19 outings which equates to more than 140 hours of racing. With two factory-entries, Porsche will tackle the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) including the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the American IMSA Weathertech Championship. The new racer will celebrate its debut under the toughest conditions at the IMSA season opener in Daytona on 28-29 January. “We’re very well prepared for this,” says Marco Ujhasi, Head of GT Works Sport. “Since its first rollout in Weissach in March this year we’ve covered 35,000 test kilometres on racetracks in Europe and North America – that’s more than in the development of any other Porsche GT racer.”