The Updated Car Will Make Its Competition Debut in the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The new Porsche 911 GT3 R that makes its competition debut in six months at the Rolex 24 At Daytona was unveiled Friday evening during the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps weekend in Belgium.
The updated 911 GT3 R is based on the latest 992-generation 911 and adheres to global GT3 regulations. It features a larger engine producing up to 565 horsepower, a more constant aerodynamic performance and optimized vehicle balance. Porsche customer teams will be able to race the new 911 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting with the 2023 season.
“In North America, GT3 is the top category of GT racing, as it soon will be around the world,” said Volker Holzmeyer, president and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America. “This made the new generation of the 911 GT3 R especially important to our market. Its development, which incorporates not only lessons learned from the previous generation GT3 R but also from the GT3 Cup one-make car as well as the 911 RSR, has made this car very appealing to our customer teams.”
Development of the new 911 GT3 R began in 2019. Priority was given to further improving drivability for drivers with various skillsets, as well as tapping larger performance reserves for different Balance of Performance (BoP) classifications. Another focus was on streamlining the handling of the car for teams and reducing running costs. Porsche Motorsport is offering the new 911 GT3 R to North American customers at a price of $567,210 and optional extras. In the United States and Canada, the new racer is available through Porsche Motorsport North America.
“Drivability is remarkably important to the wide range of drivers that we have competing here and that was a focus of the type 992 911 GT3 R,” Holzmeyer said. “We have already had overwhelming interest in the car, and we are looking forward to seeing it turn its first wheel here soon.”
After the GT3 class was announced as a professional category in the WeatherTech Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship announced it will follow suit. Beginning in 2024, GT3 racing cars such as the new 911 GT3 R will be eligible to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time.
The new racing car contains the near-standard Porsche engine based on the 992-generation 911 powerplant. As with the previous model, it is a water-cooled flat-six engine with four-valve technology and direct fuel injection. Engine displacement has increased 5 percent to 4.2 liters. Porsche has optimized the torque and power curve across the entire rev range, making the engine better suited for a wider range of driver experience. The six-cylinder plant continues without turbocharging and sits in the classic rear position, enhancing traction and braking. It has been tilted forward by 5.5 degrees, creating more space for the underbody diffuser.
The sequential six-speed contest-mesh gearbox is derived from the current 911 GT3 Cup race car. Shift paddles control an electronic shift drum actuator that enables particularly rapid and precise gear changes.
At the front axle, a state-of-the-art double wishbone layout controls the wheels. The rear axle sports a multi-link design. The optimized positioning of the central pivot points at the front axle frees space for the aerodynamic “race underfloor” concept. As in the 911 RSR, this elevated underbody allows for a clean flow of air to the rear diffuser and reduces pitch sensitivity. The rear wheels have been moved further back, extending the wheelbase from 8.0 feet to 8.22 feet. This also reduces load on the rear tires and improves the consistency of the tires’ performance over longer stints.
The new 911 GT3 R is the second racing car from Porsche Motorsport to be based on the current type 992 911 after the 911 GT3 Cup. Its lightweight body with an aluminum-steel composite design draws on the production model, albeit with major modifications for use in the 911 GT3 R. Almost all body panels are made of lightweight carbon fiber, including the front and rear lids, doors, side panels, rear wing and roof. The wheel arches are made of aramid fibers.
The high-performance LED headlights on the 911 GT3 R rely on collimator technology, which Porsche developed for the new IMSA GTP prototype, among others. This device works like a magnifying glass, only in reverse. It illuminates a particularly large area of the racetrack and is a significant improvement on the previous model, which had been regarded as the class leader.
“We hit the bullseye with the enormously successful predecessor. Accordingly, the bar for its successor is high,” said Sebastian Golz, 911 GT3 R project manager at Porsche Motorsport. “Our task was less about making the new 911 GT3 R even faster – the classification within performance windows set by the BoP quickly cancels out this advantage. For us, it was primarily about our customers being able to drive the racing car fast for longer. This requires durability and that’s why we focused predominantly on improved drivability. This is reflected in the new 4.2-liter engine’s broader usable rev band, more stable and constant aerodynamics and lower loads on the rear tires, which allow their potential to last longer.”
