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Porsche has finally revealed the new 911 Cup, the racecar used in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Carrera Cup, and other one-make series. But we won’t see it in action yet, with its launch into competition set for the 2026 season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. can’t believe a NASCAR driver has been fired mid-season.
Moving forward, Porsche says all “GT” cars will be used only in open-brand racing series or specific segments, that’s all. The automaker says this move is in the name of “streamlining and standardizing” nomenclature.
As you can tell from its aesthetics, the new Porsche 911 Cup is derived from the 992.2, more specifically the road-legal 911 GT models. In fact, they’re made in the same Zuffenhausen factory.
Again, instead of taking a revolutionary approach to its design, the automaker refined various details, evolving what’s already an impressive track machine.
One of the changes is power. The rear-mounted 4.0-liter flat-six puts out a stout 512-horsepower, dialing up the performance and fun of Porsche-sanctioned races. Internal changes include extended valve opening times via a revised camshaft profile and optimized individual throttle valves.
Race teams will enjoy the fact the front splitter is composed of three different parts, meaning damage to one doesn’t necessitate the replacement of all three, helping to reduce costs. In the same vein, the daytime running lights used on the previous 911 Cup have been eliminated.
Another obvious change are the louvre vents in the front fenders, something Porsche says improves downforce on the front axle. The underbody is also supposed to be more aerodynamic. Plus, turning vanes have been added behind the front wheel arches to facilitate airflow.
But the rear end has been changed the most. Now the racecar sports a swan-neck rear wing that’s supposed to be easier to adjust, plus a completely redesigned engine cover.
Simplification is the key to the cockpit redesign, including a new multifunction steering wheel featuring color-illuminated buttons for ease of use while racing. The number of physical switches on the central control panel have been reduced to eight versus the previous ten. Plus, some adjustments which had to be made via a connected laptop can now be done on the central display.
“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.”
Images via Porsche
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