Mar 22, 2010 10:23:18 AM
- Boxster Coupe GTS
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Re: Walter Röhrl competes in the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race - GT3RS
"FIRST TEST IN THE GT3 RS RACE CAR" by Chris Harris
(22 March 2010)
Friday was destination Nurburgring for the official VLN (Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring Association of Nürburgring Endurance Cup Organisers) test day. This is the 10 event race series that runs throughout the 2010 season, and Porsche has chosen to run in two of the three races before the 24hrs on 15 May. They’re both 4hr events and will provide vital test time for car and drivers.
Being inherently mean, I’ll always blag a lift if possible, and seeing as my team-mates (assuming they let me back in their Cup car once the GT3 RS 24hr project is over…) Chris Cooper and Guy Spurr were heading over in Guys Panamera Turbo. This proved to be possibly the best way to travel to the ‘Ring, even if it feels pretty unnerving from the back seat under full-afterburner.
Woke early Saturday am in one of the new Hotels - which had a bizarre ‘Rock am Ring’ theme, complete with cod-lighting rig dangling from the ceiling - to a typical miserable Eiffel morning. Note pre-prod RS in the pic...
Fairly daunting first few hours at the circuit. I’ve been here enough times to understand all the procedures, and know enough people for it to always be a sociable experience, but the sheer size and professionalism of the Porsche presence was a little disconcerting for a hick like me used to running with his mates in, er, more modest surroundings. There were four Porsche Motorsport trucks.
Met Roland Asch first, ex-DTM legend and Dirk Schoysman’s teammate for several years in the Falken Skyline. His English is even worse than my German, which means we’ll be communicating through semaphore and air-steering-wheel. He’s also naffing quick, and managed some dry running in the car the day before and declared it : “Fantastisch!!”. He and Horst are always smiling, which I like – even if I rarely do the same myself. This is Horst getting comfy.
The car shares a Box with the 911R Hybrid, a Manthey Cup car and the No.1 Manthey GT3 R. Even in plain white, it doesn’t look completely undernourished, but then again those wide-bodied racers do give me the horn. And now to answer the most commonly asked question, and the one I think will keep coming for a few months yet: “Is it really a standard car?”
Yes, it is.
The car is actually a pre-series Gen.2 997 GT3 RS- a test car effectively. It had done a few thousand kms on various track and road outings before being changed into a race car. I say ‘changed’, what I mean is ‘altered to comply with the regulations required to race in the ‘Ring 24hrs’. First, it needs a bag tank, which it now has. This requires a new fuel supply system, which comes from the RSR. The car runs a completely standard engine, but the spring rates have been slightly changed to run with a slick tyre –again compulsory for the race- but the PASM dampers remain unchanged.
I ran five wet laps and thought it was pretty remarkable. What it loses to the hordes of GT3 Cup racers from 40-120km/h (they have much shorter gearing and flat up-shifts) it seems to claw back above that speed. The steering’s way nicer than the Cup car’s electric assisted system and has far more lock. Not that you need it in the wet, because the traction control has been re-calibrated to work with the slick and the wet tyre. I’ve never driven a race car here with electronic-drift-assistance: have to say it’s rather pleasant!
Typically, the track was a war-zone, wet everywhere with oil in at least five places, so the times didn’t mean anything. But the car gives you immense confidence in those conditions, and that bodes very well for it as a 24hr competitor.
First race is next weekend. Will keep you posted.
2010-Porsche-911-GT3-RS_Chris-Harris-Evo_Nurburgring-VLN-Test