Porsche has taken the wraps off two updated or new cars for the 2026 racing season: an optimized version of its 911 GT3 R for customers, and an all-new 911 Cup car (baed on type 992.2). The 911 GT3 R formally premiered today while the 911 Cup car was revealed in testing livery last month. Releases for both are below.
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Porsche customer teams can rely on optimized 911 GT3 R from 2026
- Refined aerodynamics, improved details, easier handling and driveability
- Development driven by predecessor’s 500+ real-world race starts
- Track debut under competitive race conditions successfully completed
- Upgrade package available for existing Porsche 911 GT3 R vehicles
Porsche is set to launch a further refined version of the successful 911 GT3 R for the 2026 season. The new GT3 race car incorporates a range of detailed optimisations, including reworked aerodynamics. Porsche Motorsport will offer the next-generation 911 GT3 R to customer teams at a price of 573,000 Euros, excluding country-specific VAT and optional extras.
Stuttgart. Since its debut at the start of 2023, the current Porsche 911 GT3 R has built an impressive track record, with numerous victories and titles from more than 500 race starts worldwide. In the past season alone, customer teams secured the unofficial GT3 World Championship for manufacturers in the Intercontinental GT Challenge and claimed first place in all three GTD PRO (Grand Touring Daytona Pro) classifications of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), the current GT3 R – of which Porsche Motorsport has delivered 106 units to customer teams to date – took the chequered flag first in six of the eight races on the legendary Nordschleife. The car also won the inaugural Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 teams and drivers in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), including a class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, triumphing over eight rival sports car manufacturers. This season, the up to 416 kW (565 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 R remained unbeaten at the French classic again. In the DTM, 2023 champion Thomas Preining reignited his 2025 title challenge with a recent victory at the Norisring.
The newly evolved race car, refined by Porsche Motorsport in numerous key areas, now follows in the footsteps of its highly successful predecessor. The primary focus of the evolution was on optimising suspension and aerodynamics, with the goal of achieving an even more balanced handling and improved drivability – particularly for non-professional drivers – even under variable conditions.
“Our focus for this update was on optimisation. Small changes can make a big difference when built on a solid, proven foundation,” says Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “Driver feedback after the first race outing during the development phase in April confirmed our direction. We’re confident this evolution will allow our customer teams to continue competing successfully across the globe.”
Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport, adds: “The Porsche 911 GT3 R’s record of more than 420 podium finishes says it all. It crowns our range of GT customer racing cars. Together with the 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, which represents the ideal entry point into international GT racing, this new evolution offers a strong overall package for the 2026 season. The option to upgrade existing 911 GT3 R models via an update kit also represents an attractive solution for our customer teams.”
Chassis and aerodynamics optimisations for improved braking stability
The most striking visual feature of the new 911 GT3 R is the addition of ventiducts on the upper side of the front wheel arches. These so-called “louvres” significantly contribute to improved aerodynamics. Coupled with the optimised kinematics of the double wishbone front suspension, which provides an anti-dive effect by enhancing force resistance, the louvres help to counteract front-end compression during deceleration, thereby maintaining aerodynamic balance. This reduces the tendency of the car to tilt forward during braking, also known as pitch sensitivity. As a result, the new 911 GT3 R offers more precise and predictable braking behaviour, improving overall control.
At the rear, the swan-neck rear wing is equipped with a four-millimetre Gurney flap. This generates additional aerodynamic downforce and broadens the scope for aerodynamic balance adjustments. The underbody is fully enclosed and reinforced at the rear. Simultaneously, modified kinematics of the multi-link rear axle increase the anti-squat effect, reducing rear-end compression under hard acceleration. This improves dynamic load distribution between the axles. In combination with an adapted fifth-generation racing ABS from Bosch, these enhancements result in more balanced handling.
Further detailed improvements are based on the extensive feedback from Porsche Motorsport’s customer teams across a wide range of racing events worldwide. For instance, the electrohydraulic power steering system now features additional fluid cooling, optimising its thermal performance and ensuring consistent steering forces, even on demanding circuits such as the Nürburgring Nordschleife. New ceramic wheel bearings enhance robustness and durability, while modified centring pins simplify the installation of drive shafts. These are now cooled directly via their own air supply through NACA ducts in the side skirts, independent of the brake cooling. This improves their stability on high-speed tracks such as Monza or Le Castellet, where low ride height is critical. At the same time, the rear brake cooling system can be adjusted more precisely – an important feature for circuits like Daytona.
A modified driver air vent ensures consistent air circulation within the cockpit, even during long-distance races. The RLU USB stick now offers practical advantages: this Remote Logger Unit stores the driving data of the new 911 GT3 R directly on a USB stick, which can be quickly swapped out – even during a short pit stop. This eliminates the time-consuming need to connect a laptop via cable.
Numerous option packages are now included as standard equipment
Porsche Motorsport offers several former non-standard optional packages for the new 911 GT3 R ex-works: the sensor package, endurance package, pit lane link package, and camera package. These kits include four laser ride-height sensors, two master brake cylinder potentiometers, a track temperature sensor, a rear-view camera, and mountings for the water bottle system. A refuelling detection sensor registers when the fuel nozzle is inserted. Together with an additional refuelling LED, this plays a key role in series such as IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, to ensure compliance with minimum refuelling times and energy quantities.
Customer teams can still choose from a range of special equipment options that are tailored to the demands of specific GT3 series. For the FIA LMGT3 class and IMSA, for example, these include special driveshafts and, in the NLS, a modified pre-silencer similar to the LMGT3, as well as wing supports with a modified adjustment range.
Successful first test outing under competitive conditions
The 4.2-litre flat-six engine, which delivers up to 416 kW (565 PS) depending on its Balance of Performance (BoP) classification, and the drivetrain of the current 911 GT3 R remain largely unchanged. For existing vehicles based on the 911 generation 992, Porsche Motorsport plans to offer around 60 update kits at a unit price starting at 41,500 Euros plus country-specific sales tax. The new-generation modifications can then be installed on existing vehicles.
Development of the new 911 GT3 R began in August 2024. Porsche Motorsport conducted testing both at its in-house facility in Weissach and on permanent race circuits such as Sebring, Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps, and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. A key test took place in mid-April under competitive conditions, when a test vehicle entered by Herberth Motorsport competed in the Michelin 12H Spa-Francorchamps on the Belgian Grand Prix circuit. Former Porsche Junior and reigning IMSA GTD PRO champion Laurin Heinrich, along with his German compatriots Ralf Bohn and Alfred Renauer, secured second place overall in the two-part race.
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The new 911 Cup – stronger performance for the successful one-make model
- Cup car based on the 992.2 generation 911 to take over from 2026
- More power, improved lap times, simplified handling
- New 911 Cup will also roll off the production line at the main Zuffenhausen plant
Porsche unveils the new 911 Cup – the latest evolution of its one-make cup racing car for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the various Carrera Cup championships, and other Porsche-sanctioned series. This new model will line up on the grid from the start of the 2026 season. Based on the 992.2 generation of the 911, the latest edition of the acclaimed predecessor features numerous detailed refinements. Development efforts focused on enhancing performance, maintaining reasonable operating costs, and simplifying handling for both drivers and teams. The naturally aspirated 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine now delivers an increased output of 382 kW (520 PS), a ten PS increase. Porsche is offering the new racing car at a price of 269,000 euros, excluding country-specific VAT.
Stuttgart. The new racing car based on the 911 for Porsche’s one-make cups and series is now officially called the 911 Cup. With this, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer is streamlining and standardising the naming of its customer racing vehicles. From now on, only cars intended for open-brand racing series or specific segments will carry the ‘GT’ suffix combined with a number in their designation, as is the case with the new evolution of the 911 GT3 R, which also makes its debut today. The 911 Cup is largely derived from the road-approved 911 GT models and is produced alongside the series-production cars at Porsche’s main plant in Zuffenhausen. This has proven highly successful: since production began at the end of 2020, Porsche Motorsport has built 1,130 units of the current 911 GT3 Cup. To date, a total of 5,381 Porsche 911 vehicles has been produced as one-make racing cars.
“Like its successful predecessors, the new 911 Cup pushes boundaries. It combines series components from our GT sports cars with pure racing technology to create a coherent and performance-based overall concept,” emphasises Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “Driving the 911 Cup has always been regarded as a challenge. And we want to keep it that way because it also serves as the training platform for our Porsche Juniors. The success of this concept is evident in its countless race and championship victories.”
Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport: “The Cup race car based on the 911 is one of the best-selling racing cars in the world. Alongside the 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, it forms the demanding basis of our motorsport pyramid and is used globally in our one-make cup series. But its success extends far beyond that: the secret lies in its versatility. Cup cars regularly achieve strong overall results in endurance races, open GT competitions, and a myriad of other racing events.”
Bodywork: adapted design, improved aerodynamics
The 911 Cup already sets itself apart visually from its predecessor, most notably with a front end that now reflects the design of the 992.2-generation 911 GT3. The front spoiler lip is now made up of three separate parts, allowing only the damaged sections to be replaced after contact, which also helps lower packaging and shipping costs for spare parts. The removal of the daytime running lights serves a similar purpose: in the event of a collision, they can no longer damage the radiators behind them, nor do they require replacement afterwards.
The fenders feature integrated louvre vents, which aid airflow through the wheel arches and enhance aerodynamic downforce on the front axle. The same effect is achieved by the aerodynamically optimised underbody, which – like in the standard model – positively influences the car’s driving dynamics. So-called turning vanes, located behind the front wheel arches, further improve airflow along the front end. The interaction of these elements results in a more responsive front axle, particularly at high speeds, allowing the driver to position the race car with greater precision ahead of each corner.
The more aggressively styled rear end of the new 911 Cup has undergone a complete redesign. The swan-neck rear wing features a revised connection to the wing supports, making position adjustment and handling easier. The engine compartment cover has also been thoroughly reworked. Like almost all body components – including the doors – it is made from recycled carbon fibre fleece combined with bio-based epoxy resin. For example, off-cuts from other manufacturing processes are repurposed to produce the fleece, a measure that contributes, among other benefits, to stabilising spare parts pricing.
Engine: racing engine even closer to the 911 GT3 series power unit
The water-cooled, high-revving six-cylinder engine continues to rely on natural aspiration. The visceral-sounding 4.0-litre boxer engine remains based on the unit used in the Porsche 911 GT3. In its latest racing version, now delivering 382 kW (520 PS), it incorporates additional components from the series production engine, including flow-optimised individual throttle valves and camshafts with extended valve opening times. This design eliminates the need for a centrally positioned throttle valve, which in turn allows for the installation of an air restrictor – a requirement for competing in other motor racing championships. Despite the ten PS increase, the engine’s service life remains unchanged: it only requires an overhaul after 100 hours of track time. To comply with varying noise regulations depending on the racing series, circuit, and local regulations, three different exhaust systems are available.
A more robust four-disc sintered metal racing clutch now handles power transmission to the sequential six-speed dog gearbox. This upgrade allows the engine speed, previously limited to 6,500 rpm during a standing start, to be increased, further enhancing the acoustic theatrics at the beginning of a race. An automatic engine restart function has also been introduced. This activates as soon as the driver depresses the clutch pedal after an accidental stall. Additionally, a new stroboscope function on the brake lights now alerts following drivers, particularly during the start phase. This replaces the previous use of the hazard warning lights for this safety application.
Brakes: improved performance, extended lifespan
The braking system has undergone a comprehensive upgrade. The front axle now features 380-millimetre discs, with their cross-section increased from 32 to 35 millimetres. This change allows for larger cooling channels for self-ventilation, improving heat dissipation. The background to this development: By relocating the central water cooler to the rear of the boot, cooling air can now be directed to the brakes through the central front section. Additionally, the outer diameter of the brake disc hat has been reduced, increasing the friction surface between the disc and brake pad. This results in more efficient deceleration thanks to wider brake pads, improved durability during long-distance races, and a significantly extended service life for the individual components.
The Bosch M5 racing ABS will now be fitted ex-works in all 911 Cup cars. It features enhanced data processing capabilities to interpret input from the new acceleration sensor, which offers additional signal detection. The advanced software can also alert the driver in the event of a leak in either of the two brake circuits. Additionally, the brake fluid reservoir has been enlarged, making it suitable for long-distance racing.
Adjusted steering stops enable the electronically assisted power steering to achieve a tighter turning radius, making manoeuvring through narrow city streets easier. The increased steering lock also allows drivers to counteract oversteer in the 911 more effectively.
Cockpit: simplified operation during racing and in the pits
On the subject of steering, the redesigned, now higher-quality multifunction steering wheel combines a more attractive design with practical advantages. For example, central rotary controls are used to adjust ABS intervention and traction control. The newly designed colour-illuminated control buttons improve the readability of the respective labels.
The central control panel next to the seat remains easily accessible and operable for the driver, even during a race. It now features eight physical switches instead of ten. The button at the bottom right opens an additional menu page on the display, enabling a wide range of detailed settings to be adjusted from inside the car, including pit lane speed, exhaust mapping, and steering angle reset. This removes the need to connect a laptop and simplifies operations for the teams. Additional foam padding on the inside of the door crossbar offers extra protection for the driver’s arms, legs, and feet.
Matthias Scholz, Director GT Racing Cars, explains: “The new 911 Cup stands out thanks to the extensive attention to detail that has gone into its development. It is stronger, faster, yet also more practical. Component service life remains unchanged – in some cases even extended – despite the increase in performance. Where appropriate, materials have been replaced with components containing a high proportion of recycled materials. Cockpit operations have been optimised, and a range of additional electronic features allows for broader application across different racing formats.”
Electronics: practical additional functions
The upgraded electronics in the new 911 Cup also contribute to improved drivability. The TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) now displays tyre air temperatures on the central dashboard display. A significantly more powerful GPS antenna replaces the previous infrared system, taking over lap time and position tracking. Proven features from its big brother, the 911 GT3 R, have also been integrated, including lap time measurement for pit lane passages and the “pre-kill” function, which automatically switches off the engine once the car comes to a standstill during pit stops. Additionally, a new electronic monitoring system for the fire extinguisher release unit now checks the charge level of the self-contained nine-volt battery.
In developing the 911 Cup, Porsche Motorsport once again partnered with Michelin to create a new generation of tyres for the one-make cup car. Real-world testing was conducted at Italy’s Grand Prix circuit in Monza, the Lausitzring in Brandenburg, and Porsche’s in-house track at the Weissach Development Centre. Behind the wheel were three former Porsche Juniors: Bastian Buus, Laurin Heinrich, and Klaus Bachler, joined by seasoned racing driver Marco Seefried.
All Photos courtesy of Porsche