New Porsche 911 RSR: technology, data, facts, pictures

I n Porsche's GT department will dawn a new era from September. Then the newly developed 911 RSR will have its first race appearance in the Sports Car World Championship (WEC). The new one follows in the footsteps of the old RSR. And they're pretty big. In the past season, the so-called Super Season with two 24-hour races in Le Mans, Porsche celebrated a one-two and a second place with him in the GT Le Mans class. Weissach also won the manufacturers 'and drivers' championship titles.

95 percent new or revised

Despite the success, the GT department in Weissach has practically reinvented the RSR. You only take over the bare essentials from the predecessor. That would be the headlights, brake system, clutch, the driver's seat and parts of the chassis. In contrast, 95 percent of the car is new.

The new Porsche 911 RSR should be able to do nothing less than anything better than the old one. That is the stated goal. It has to be pinned so high. In motorsport, standing still means going backwards. At the top of the specification sheet were the usual parameters for long-distance sport. The car must be easy to drive. Because professional racers and amateurs alike move it.

It has to be efficient. Downforce and drag must be in a healthy relationship. It has to be stable. For this, Porsche has unwound thousands of test kilometers. First in Weissach on the company's own test site. Later on other racetracks. The new Porsche 911 RSR passed a 30-hour test in Paul Ricard in March. According to Porsche, they have unwound more than 6,000 kilometers without any technical problems. The car should be easy to service. Say easy to handle for the drivers. And broken parts must be able to be changed quickly.

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The hot exhaust gases come out in front of the rear wheels.

OthersExhaust system

At Porsche, they still refuse to speak of a mid-engine. Although the heart sits in front of the rear axle. Weissach continues to rely on a naturally aspirated engine with six cylinders. In contrast to the competition from Ferrari and Aston Martin, for example, who charge their four-liter V8 engines. But Porsche installs a new engine. The boxer was drilled open. The displacement grows from four to 4.2 liters. “The new power unit is the largest boxer engine that has ever been installed ex works in a Porsche 911,” says Porsche.

The output is specified as 515 hp. It depends on the restrictor installed. In GT racing, there is a well-known balance of performance. Different vehicle concepts - turbo vs. Naturally aspirated engine, front engine versus mid-engine and so on - brought into harmony so that they can compete with one another on different racetracks.

To put it another way: The balance of performance captures the fastest racing cars. That is why the developers are not primarily concentrating on the last tenth of a second, not on the ultimate speed. It's about reproducibility. The drivers and teams should be able to be consistently fast over an entire racing stint. For this, aerodynamic efficiency and stability are important. This in turn results in good tire management. If you keep your tires in good condition, you can drive fast for a long time.

That's why Porsche has revised the aerodynamics on all fronts. And this is where the engine comes into play again, which is tied to a sequential six-speed claw transmission. The boxer no longer blows the hot exhaust gases out at the rear, but at the side just in front of the rear wheels. This creates space in the diffuser, which can be shaped differently and thus creates more contact pressure. More downforce, in turn, has a positive effect on the condition of the rear tires. Because the car slips less on the rear axle. On the other side, the corresponding contact pressure must be saddled on. Otherwise the aerodynamic balance between the front and rear will not be right and the car will understeer. A shorter exhaust has another advantage: it saves weight.

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The cockpit of the new Porsche 911 RSR.

Improved safety in the 911 RSR

The new Porsche 911 RSR weighs 1,245 kilograms. The weight is not fixed. Depending on the vehicle classification (compared to the competition) it can be higher or lower. The new racing car grows by 3.6 centimeters in length (4.593 meters without splinters, rear wing and diffuser), but cuts the wheelbase by three millimeters.

The driver steers the 911 RSR on a rigidly connected to the body Racing bucket seat. A six-point belt holds it in place. Porsche has worked on safety. The collision warning system now gives the pilots an even better overview, so that they can recognize approaching vehicles of the prototype classes earlier. The optimized roll cage, the FIA ​​side-impact panel between the door and the cage and additional impact protection for the legs improve passive safety in the event of an accident, says Porsche. There is also the removable roof hatch through which the driver can be rescued in an emergency.

The new RSR will be homologated for the next three years. We show you the fastest racing elf in our photo show.