Two years ago, Porsche rolled out a new 911 GT3 R built to the 992-generation body style. That car won multiple championships in its first season, including the top GT3 class titles in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Never one to rest on its laurels, however, Porsche is now already introducing an updated car set to compete in GT3 categories next year.
Porsche racing nomenclature can get a little bit confusing, so it is worth noting that the 911 GT3 R is the race car built for the GT3 class. This is in contrast to the 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS, two road cars, and the spec racers that compete in various Carrera Cup championships. Porsche also used to run a 911 GT3 RSR in the GT2 and later GTE classes, but the end of that category of racing has meant the end of that particular nine-character alphanumeric.
GT3 racing generally runs off series-specific balance-of-performance updates that change throughout a season, so control, durability, and performance in a variety of conditions are more important goals than all-out, single-lap speed. With that in mind, Porsche says that the revised GT3 R was built for easier handling and driveability.
That starts with new front fender louvers, which the brand says are designed to work with the double wishbone front suspension to counteract front-end compression during deceleration and keep the car's aerodynamic platform balanced. A new rear wing Gurney flap and modified rear axle kinematics are also part of the update, both increasing the range of available adjustments and improving the load distribution between axles.
Other updates include additional cooling for the power steering system, new ceramic wheel bearings, and new cooling ducts specifically used for drive shafts. These iterations, along with new features like a data logger that records directly to a USB stick that can be swapped during pit stops, will help racing teams with specific problems they encounter during race weekends. Additionally, the brand is making some optional packages from the last model standard on all new 911 GT3 R purchases.
Since GT3 cars run everything from all-amateur track days to 24-hour all-pro endurance races, the new 911 GT3 R has to handle a wide variety of problems that could be encountered in open-track running, during wheel-to-wheel racing, and even when completing hasty rebuilds after in-race crashes. This is the challenge of modern GT3 racing, and the latest Porsche racer is designed to meet all of those problems head-on.
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