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Porsche’s new GT3 Cup car gives us a hint of what a road-going secondgeneration Porsche-991-GT3-991 might look like…
Alongside the E-Hybrid and 919 Hybrid on the Porsche stand at the Paris Motor Show (right) was the brand-new secondgeneration 991 GT3 Cup racing car. The car has been completely reworked by the Porsche motorsport department to fall in line with the newest generation of production-style GT racing across the globe.
An aluminium-steel composite construction ensures maximum rigidity and a lightweight body, resulting in the car weighing in at 1200kg. It is powered by a naturally aspirated four-litre flat-six producing 485hp and, thanks to a redesigned aerodynamics package, it is already producing faster lap times than its forebear, we’re told.
This latest
#Porsche-911-GT3-Cup car follows a string of successful variants, which started with the 996 in 1998 since which some 3031 units have been delivered. Significantly, the new car as shown at Paris hints at what a road-going face-lift car might look like. Completely redeveloped, this latest 911 GT3 Cup car will take to the starting grid of the world’s race tracks in
#2017 . It features a range of innovative details designed to improve its efficiency and engine performance, ensuring increased durability and reduced maintenance costs.
A valve drive with rigidly mounted rocker arms and a central oil feed are employed for the very first time. Alongside that an integrated oil centrifuge optimises oil defoaming in the engine, and a crankshaft with increased rigidity appears. On the outside a new front apron is joined by a fresh rear end to improve downforce aiding traction and performance. Talking of downforce, the car’s prominent 184cm-wide rear wing has been retained from the previous model.
The wheel dimensions are also unchanged: the single-piece 18-inch rims with centre lock are shod with vast Michelin racing slicks. The driver is protected by a solid safety rollcage and an innovative, bucket-style racing seat that is moulded around the head and shoulder area. An enlarged rescue hatch in the roof sits in line with the latest FIA standards, making driver extraction in the event of an accident easier.
The GT3 Cup is built on the same production line as the 911 road car at Zuffenhausen. Its tuning is performed at the Weissach motorsport centre, where vehicles are also thoroughly tested by a professional race driver prior to delivery to customers.
As Porsche has built 3031 units of the 911 GT3 Cup (996, 997 and 991) since 1998, that makes it the most-produced GT racing car in the world. Initially the new car will appear in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup series in support of the F1 calendar, in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, and in North America before spreading to the rest of the world’s Porsche Cup championships, including the UK’s Carrera Cup GB, in
#2018 .