Earlier today, at the Paris Motor Show, Porsche introduced their newest version of the venerable 911 GT3 Cup for the 2017 motorsport season. Based on the refreshed 991.2 generation of the 911, the new race car makes use of the 4.0 liter flat six found in the GT3 RS. Power for the GT3 Cup car is up over last year for a total of 485 horses.
Other new mechanical details include improvements to efficiency and durability such as a valve drive with rigidly mounted rocker arms, a central oil feeder with an integrated oil centrifuge (used to optimize oil defoaming) and a much more rigid crankshaft has been installed. Combined these improvements should help reduce overall maintenance costs. A significant factor for any team to consider.
Downforce is improved with the redesign of both a new front apron and the rear end. The large 184 centimeter wide rear wind from the previous model carries over to the new design as do the wheel dimensions (One-piece 18-inch racing rims with a central locking mechanism are used – with 270-millimetre Michelin racing slicks on the front axle, and a massive 310-millimetre tread on the rear axle).
Utilizing aluminum and steel composition construction techniques, the chassis is both rigid and lightweight. Total weight is a mere 1200 kilos.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Is The Most Popular GT Race Car In The World
Porsche manufactures the 911 GT3 Cup on the same production line as the 911 road car in its main plant in Stuttgart. Basic race tuning is performed at the Weissach motorsport center, where each Cup car is tested by a professional race driver prior to a customer taking delivery. Since 1998, some 3031 units of the 911 GT3 Cup have been built along the 996, 997 and 991 model lines. Those number make the 911 GT3 Cup the most-produced and most-sold GT racing car in the world.
Where You Can See It Race
The new 911 GT3 Cup will be used in the 2017 race season, initially exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which is held alongside the Formula 1 races, and in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, as well as in North America. As of 2018, the GT3 Cup will be available for the other brand cups. In total, Porsche is organizing 20 of these race series for customer teams around the world, with the 911 GT3 Cup being used exclusively.
