Porsche 911 RSR (Type 991) -- Model Year 2013
“50 years ago, the first 911 set standards. 40 years ago, it was the turn of the first 911 RSR. Now, more than ever, the new 911 RSR is set to prove that the 911 has what it takes to be a champion.” -- Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport
In 1963, an idea took shape in the form of the Porsche 911, a thoroughbred sports car now in its seventh generation. Motorsport’s most powerful interpretation of this concept has been realised – exactly 50 years since the 911’s first incarnation – in the new 911 RSR.
And what is the result of working on such a vehicle? The most powerful, fastest and most athletic GT racer that our engineers have ever created. A racing car where performance cannot be measured in horsepower alone. Because there are huge expectations before it goes anywhere.
Such is the destiny of a vehicle that, over the course of five decades, has become synonymous with the sports car. It must live up to 60 years of Porsche Motorsport success and more than 30,000 race victories. This great motorsporting family eagerly awaits the 911 RSR’s debut at the FIA World Endurance Championship with Porsche AG Team Manthey.
There is no doubt that anticipation around the new 911 RSR is high. But we are confident that this car has what it takes. Because it is not just the sum of our experience and our successes over decades – it is the quintessence of a story.
Motorsport involvement from the outset. With every 100th of a second utilised.
“The 911 has participated in motorsport for 50 years. And the RSR is still a 911. Once again, the engineers at Porsche have done a great job. That is why we have just one ambition: to drive it to victory.” -- Olaf Manthey, team manager, Porsche AG Team Manthey
The new 911 RSR is bound by a tradition that we have been putting into practice since the first second of our existence. In fact the very first Porsche, the 356, proved it was capable of winning shortly after completion.
Its successor, the 911, followed suit by entering the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally just three months after series production commenced and achieving its first class win. As well as impressing its opponents, this success amazed everyone. It was no longer possible to discern the difference between a sports car and a racing car because, for Porsche, there is basically no difference.
For exactly 50 years now, the 911 has been shaping motorsport – which is just the way it should be. We’ve entered a host of different race series, ranging from national championships to international events like the American Le Mans Series. On and off-road. From classics like the Paris to Dakar Rally or the 24 Hours Nürburgring to one-make championships and GT sport.
With the new 911 RSR and coinciding with the anniversary of a legend, our tradition is more vibrant and dynamic than ever. It aligns the pioneering spirit and skills of our engineers with Ferry Porsche’s dream of building a sports car capable of winning on the racetrack. The experience gained there flows back into series production. A vision that has captured countless people’s imaginations for decades.
The most intense pressure of all: the desire to excel.
“Obviously Porsche has a great heritage as a company. The 911 is now fifty years old. Its engine has always remained in the same position. But for the RSR we have optimised it even further.” -- Jacques Hendrikse, Race Operations Manager
When it comes to winning and when thinking about the future, we consider even the tiniest detail: every part of the vehicle, every single screw, and every second of every lap. A lightweight construction is clearly imperative. At 1,245 kg, the 911 RSR adheres precisely to the minimum weight specified by FIA World Endurance Championship regulations.
From the very start, the vehicle was designed to be suitable for long-distance racing. A new body structure with a longer wheelbase and new intake air ducting provides a platform for pure power that is just waiting to be unleashed. That is supplied by a water-cooled, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine with a four-litre capacity. In figures this translates as 338 kW (approx. 470 hp) – limited by a restrictor. Output is transferred to the rear axle by a new six-speed sequential Porsche GT racing gearbox. Paddles deliver faster, more comfortable gearshifts.
To control the 911 RSR’s undeniable forward thrust, the brake system has six-piston monobloc fixed brake calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. Featuring a double-wishbone suspension at the front and multi-link rear axle, adjustable shock absorbers and anti-roll bars, the chassis superbly handles any manoeuvre – on straights as well as chicanes.
The axle geometry further optimises aerodynamics for even greater efficiency. Less drag coupled with increased downforce reduces the tendency to understeer and allows higher speeds when cornering.
From the development process onwards, another aspect has also received particular attention: safety. Our engineers’ uncompromising approach on this extreme interpretation of sportiness is evident from the weld-in roll cage, the overhauled FT3 safety tank and the optimised fire extinguishing system. Clear evidence of the importance that Porsche attaches to safety in motorsport, irrespective of the emphasis on lightweight construction.
A timeline that has been leading to the future since 1963: the racing line.
“Personally and quintessentially, this is the best RSR ever.” -- Jörg Bergmeister, Porsche works driver
The quintessence of a success story. For some it is the ideal culmination, for Porsche only an interim stage in our journey. To coincide with the fiftieth anniversary, the new 911 RSR is the most concentrated form of this classic sports car that we’ve ever produced. And perhaps brings us ever closer to the perfect thoroughbred racing car.
It carries the motorsport gene inside and with it – from the Weissach Development Centre to racetracks around the world. It brings back something that, for Porsche, has always been more precious than victory, honour or glory: knowledge. Experiences that can take future generations of the 911 even further. Technology that proves itself on the racetrack prior to its application in series production. Not just to keep Ferry Porsche’s dream of the perfect racing car alive but to continually reinvigorate our quest.
Holding your position is a question of physics. And attitude.
“For 50 years, we have systematically evolved the 911’s proven vehicle concept, optimising each and every component according to its importance in terms of performance and reliability.” -- Marco Ujhasi, Porsche 911 RSR project manager
No-one can deny their roots. The Porsche heritage affects the way every one of our cars responds, including the new 911 RSR. All athletes strive to improve their performance. Every high-achieving sports personality is determined to transcend their own limits.
The new 911 RSR originates from an area of unspoilt beauty close to Stuttgart: the Development Centre is located in Weissach with the Motorsport Centre in nearby Flacht. Here, an extreme sports personality was created based on the seventh generation of the 911. Made by hand with millimetre precision, it embodies many years of experience and skill.
Each individual vehicle presents a mechanical and technical challenge, which is risen to by employees dedicated to this task alone. Constant dialogue with works drivers ensures that their ideas are incorporated. All this happens with the aim of giving the Porsche factory team the best possible tool for their return to long-distance GT racing. The entire development process behind the new top Porsche GT racing model is driven by passion, engineering talent, craftsmanship and practicality. Because at Porsche we are not just focused on increasing performance, but on achieving outstanding performance. A claim to which the 911’s fifty-year success story attests.
The best way to celebrate the 911’s birthday? An endurance test on the racetrack.
“It’s a very special situation: returning to professional motorsport with a factory team in the anniversary year. And, as a driver, being part of this major project.” -- Richard Lietz, Porsche works driver
The new 911 RSR was specially developed to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). 2013 sees us finally returning to GT factory racing after an eleven-year absence and just in time for the 911’s fiftieth birthday. The FIA WEC replaced the former Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in 2012. Now, for the first time since 1992, there is a long-distance race series with FIA World Championship status.
The Porsche AG Team Manthey factory team has entered the GTE Pro class with two 911 RSR. Drivers Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet along with Richard Lietz and Marc Lieb are representing Porsche Motorsport across four continents. Over the first three races each vehicle will have three drivers, with Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas supporting the driver teams in their quest for victory.
The race calendar incorporates a mixture of venues steeped in motorsport history and new tracks. In this, the anniversary year of a legendary sports car, the new 911 RSR is appearing at Silverstone, Spa, Le Mans, São Paulo, Austin, Fuji, Shanghai and Bahrain. All races last for six hours with the exception of what is probably the most famous: during the classic race at Le Mans, the 911 RSR will be tested to its limits for a whole 24 hours. Thereby proving that it rightly bears those three digits – 911.
Porsche 911 RSR (Type 991) -- Model Year 2013 -- Gallery Link
The new Porsche 911 RSR: "Quintessence of a success story..."
"The quintessence of a success story. For some it is the ideal culmination, for Porsche only an interim stage in our journey. To coincide with the fiftieth anniversary, the new 911 RSR is the most concentrated form of this classic sports car that we've ever produced. And perhaps brings us ever closer to the perfect thoroughbred racing car..."
The new Porsche 911 RSR: "Quintessence of a success story..." -- Video Link
