Special editions follow each generation of the 911 at Porsche, offering deep-pocketed purists the opportunity to get their hands on a limited-run version that often comes with increased performance and capability.
As part of the seventh annual Rennsport gathering at the Laguna Seca circuit – which is considered the largest Porsche gathering on the globe – representatives of the brand lifted the veil on a version of the 911 built exclusively for the track, but which specifically honors this most prestigious automotive mass.
An engine that runs at 9,400 rpm!
Based on the already belligerent GT3 R, the rennsport GT3 R is described by its creator as one of the most extreme 911s in the history of the legendary sports car. Its naturally aspirated 4.2-liter six-cylinder engine develops no less than 611 horsepower at 9,400 rpm – which represents 145 horsepower per liter. Considering that the output of the GT3 R on which it is based peaks at 557 horsepower, it is safe to say that the renewed mill is a real mechanical tour de force in itself. All this cavalry is channeled to the rear wheels by the GT3 R’s slightly altered sequential gearbox.
Photo: Porsche
The engine runs on competition gasoline, but can also run on E25, gasoline containing up to 25% ethanol, or even synthetic fuel that the manufacturer is keen to develop to offer an alternative. carbon neutral to fossil fuels.
Carbon fiber was chosen as the material for molding the bodywork, which is visibly wider than the 911 GT3 R. This bodywork can be painted in seven different colors, but Porsche also offers themed liveries that honor the racing 911s of ‘formerly. The “Flacht Design” livery combines red and white, a combination used repeatedly by the motorsport branch Porsche Motorsport. The “Rennsport Reunion Design” pays homage to the corkscrew portion of the Laguna Seca circuit, and the “Speed Icon Design” livery is composed of different shades of blue, which emphasize the pronounced width of the vehicle.
Photo: Porsche
Lightness, a priority
Regardless of the color chosen, the rennsport GT3 R is shod with 18-inch diameter BBS wheels with center bolts, another typical touch of the 911 in competition. These rims hide monobloc AP Racing calipers equipped with pads mounted on titanium supports which reduce the unsprung mass by one kilogram. This, combined with a series of components, each lighter than the other, affixed to the car in an obsessive spirit of lightening everything, give the Rennsport GT3 R a dry weight of only 1,240 kg. Chassis and suspension side, we find essentially the same components as on the GT3 R.
The 911 GT3 R rennsport is available with two types of exhausts. The first, double and fully open, delivers all the symphony of sound that the flat engine can deliver. The second includes silencers and catalysts and is designed for tracks that impose a restriction on noise…
Photo: Porsche
The interior is presented in complete simplicity, with a single seat for the driver, a roll bar and all the other components necessary for its approval by the FIA.
Exclusivity, complexity and performance that defies the limits of physics inevitably come with a high price. Indeed, production of this 911 GT3 R rennsport will be limited to just 77 examples, each carrying a price tag of just over one million US dollars, which represents around 1.4 million at the current exchange rate .