Sep 24, 2011 11:20:35 PM
Frankfurt Motor Show: The Future of Motorsports...
Head of Porsche Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, on technology transfer from track to road and future developments in the world of racing...
Porsche-Motorsport-Future_Video-link
Sep 25, 2011 8:06:19 AM
Sep 25, 2011 1:17:31 PM
Spyderidol:
Thanks! - So we have confirmation of what many of us strongly suspected: The LMP1 will definitely be a hybrid.
Based on some very murky PR-speak at the 918 event in Weissach last month, I would agree.
Mike
2005 Carrera GT + 2008 Tesla Roadster +2010 Panamera Turbo + 2001 BMW Z8 + 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi +2009 Bentley Arnage T
Sep 25, 2011 4:16:19 PM
Spyderidol:
Thanks! - So we have confirmation of what many of us strongly suspected: The LMP1 will definitely be a hybrid.
Great video and, yes, he did seem to say that, didn't he? "It (hybrid racing technology from the GT3 R Hybrid) will find its way into our LMP1 car and into our street cars."
"I don't mean to brag, but I am really good at self-deprecation."
Oct 23, 2011 6:46:39 PM
Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 first-drive report...
The lightest, strongest and sharpest...
He is a little easier, much faster and much more expensive in recent years: In the second and final generation of the GT3 RS based on Porsche 911 Carrera Type 997, which sweetens Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0, Porsche sports car fans to bid farewell to the autumn going into retirement eleven series.
To be or not be, have or have not, black or white: The Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 , there is only either / or. Either you get one of 600 copies - what it needs at least € 178 596 and having a clean bit of luck - or not. And it exists in either black or white. So it is with Porsche . Only one thing, there are not quite sure that you do not like him, the new ones.
Never a naturally aspirated penalty was stronger (500 hp from the past four liters), he was never easier (1270 kg or 1360 kg dry-weight-DIN), and he never was sharper and more precise. The entire lower level steering on the rear axle is now Uniball stored, what the already razor-sharp handling of visually sharp Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 will benefit once again felt. That the comfort in everyday life not suffered under it, but - on the contrary - has even increased, the chassis engineers is to be counted as a special merit.
Imposing changes for imposing driving experience
Bring sandwiches or Time Attack, coffee or Rennstreckenhatz ride - there's nothing he can not, the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0, apart from the family outing. Since the lack of rear seat is in front. With 125 hp per liter displacement six cylinder naturally aspirated boxer has achieved in its latest stage of a value that had once served every turbocharged engine to fame and honor.
The crankshaft of the racing GT3 R model, titanium connecting rods, modified cylinder heads, a higher compression ratio (12.6 instead of 12.2:1), the modified intake manifold with enlarged from 48 to 53 millimeters Saugrohrstutzen in the connection to the cylinder head, another air filter with new filter cartridge (ten percent more air flow), flow-effective new catalysts and last but not least, the enlarged from 76.4 to 80.4 mm stroke, make it possible. That sounds impressive and feels like that.
Welfare for 500 horses
The reinforced clutch, the pressure plate is now bolted with high tensile steel bolts riveted place is called the driver's foot without too sluggish beyond measure to be, the six-speed manual gearbox with the standard shifter and its best acceleration values extremely conducive brief translation requires the driver of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 Access to the brave right hand. Shove the loose casual gear is not at this driving machine. Why should they?
Who is the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 will begrudge him humanely and fairly safe move - says the factory internal analysis. 85 percent of the clientele are regular RS-off public roads. This is hands-pilots temperament be trusted as a distinct penchant for causing goosebumps vocal power. A kicker bar is the Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 - so the condensed lettering on the rear double-wing board of aerodynamically perfectly balanced rear-engine sports car - nothing. The newcomer, shouts out his motivation, the hackles are almost notoriously trellis.
911 GT3 RS 4.0 will show his skills in the Super Test...
How should the right foot to remain calm when slumbers beneath him so much unbridled lust for life? Does not work, closes the cerebellum and is similar to once in touch with Otto Waalkes a corresponding command to the cerebrum ". Lower right foot" delay-free is the power of 500 in the wing reinforced the rear of the Elfers dormant horsepower on the mighty 325/30 ZR 19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup rolls over.
Those interlock dutifully and immediately with the asphalt and catapult the innocent in either white or black to make conscious wealthy angry whole forward, the mouth must surrender to the centrifugal forces and glide as if compulsively to the top. Man - is the Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 smoke, traction, steering precision and vocal power. A race car for the road, in the truest sense of the word. Can should be only that he was better not run on public roads and as he wants, otherwise the license is only too quick story. So there: race we come from - Super Test in the next issue...
911-GT3-RS-4-litre_Sport-Auto_Link
Oct 23, 2011 6:54:14 PM
Those interlock dutifully and immediately with the asphalt and catapult the innocent in either white or black to make conscious wealthy angry whole forward, the mouth must surrender to the centrifugal forces and glide as if compulsively to the top.
God bless Google Translate!
"I don't mean to brag, but I am really good at self-deprecation."
Oct 23, 2011 7:06:30 PM
Carrageous:
Those interlock dutifully and immediately with the asphalt and catapult the innocent in either white or black to make conscious wealthy angry whole forward, the mouth must surrender to the centrifugal forces and glide as if compulsively to the top.
God bless Google Translate!
...indeed sir!
...looking forward to the Sport Auto supertest!
Oct 23, 2011 7:15:18 PM
Nov 6, 2011 2:14:40 PM
2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS: "The Six-Second Advantage..."
A closer look at the GT3 RS 4.0, the last 911 to use the venerable "split-case" flat six and the first 911 to double the displacement of 1964's air-cooled original...
-- Story and Photos by Ian Kuah
"The Six-Second Advantage"
Six seconds is about the time it takes the average person to read a long sentence, or savor a sip of a favorite drink. On a race track, where a split second can be the difference between winning and coming second, six seconds is an eternity.
Porsche says its new 500-hp GT3 RS 4.0, with an official 7 minute, 27 second lap time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, is six seconds a lap quicker than the 450-hp 2010 GT3 RS 3.8. It is also five seconds a lap faster over this 12.9-mile circuit than the mighty 612-hp Carrera GT of 2004. The control driver for the RS 4.0’s fast lap was Porsche development driver Timo Gluck (not the F1 driver), who also set the 7 minute, 33 second official lap time in the GT3 RS 3.8 last year.
Putting space between the GT3 RS 4.0 and these other legendary Porsches is no mean feat, especially as the RS 3.8 is one of the fastest Porsches ever. To learn more about the car that brings the 997 series to a close on a very high note, I drove the RS 4.0 extensively and spent time with its creator, Andreas Preuninger, the head of Porsche’s GT and RS model development at Weissach.
-- Andreas Preuninger
You may be surprised to learn that the GT3 4.0 was not officially planned,” begins Preuninger. “My team likes to play with ideas, and after we proved that our 4.0-liter RSR race engine was bulletproof in the heat of competition, some of the engineers were determined to try a similar capacity motor in a street car. The test results were so impressive we ran the idea of a 997 ‘last hurrah’ RS 4.0 limited edition past the Board and they signed it off.”
The Board must be pleased with the market’s response: “The 600 4.0-liter cars were sold out in just 14 days,” says Preuninger. “In addition, we built six development cars and six pre-production cars, making a total of 12. The dashboard plaques on the six pre-production cars all read 000/600, and one of these will end up in the Porsche Museum.”
Incidentally, Preuninger says Porsche has built 2,500 examples of the 997-2 GT3 and 2,000 copies of the 997-2 GT3 RS. So as the curtain drops, the 2010–2011 GT3 leaves the stage with some 5,100 units sold, an impressive figure for such a specialist model — especially considering the economic climate throughout its lifespan.
The numbers that matter to driving enthusiasts are even more impressive, however. The RS 4.0’s horsepower peak of 500 arrives at 8250 rpm, a big step up from the RS 3.8’s 450 horsepower at 7900 rpm. Power delivery is even more linear than with the 3.8, and the 4.0 features a torque peak that is 22 lb-ft higher, for a total of at 339 lb-ft at 5750 rpm.
The goal from the outset was 500 hp, and Prueninger’s team evaluated every part of the 3.8-liter GT3 RS flat six to get there. With the decision to increase displacement came the option of increasing the compression ratio. “We played with ratios as high as 13.0:1,” admits Preuninger. “However, we encountered some detonation at this level, so we settled on 12.6:1, up from the 3.8’s 12.2:1.”
Bore remains unchanged at 102.4 mm, so the displacement bump is down to an increase in stroke from 76.4 to 80.4 mm. This was achieved by using the full-race GT3 RSR’s crankshaft and shortened titanium connecting rods married to the RS 3.8’s Mahle pistons. The rods are strengthened to withstand the greater angular thrust velocity created by their 2.1-mm length reduction to 127.9 mm.
“A long stroke is never good for high revs, and we had to maintain the engine’s ability to rev and not go flat when at 8000 rpm,” explains Prueninger, who says the camshafts and valve timing were altered in addition to much more. “We revised the design of the whole intake system, from the point where air enters the intakes all the way to the combustion chambers.
“During this review, we found that the 3.8 air-filter system worked up to 475 horsepower and then ran into a brick wall,” he continues. “We even looked at a special airbox we were testing for the GT3 R Hybrid race car and found we could gain 10- to 12-percent air volume from this alone. In the end, we went for a larger-volume, hand-laid carbon-fiber airbox housing a pair of high-flow conical air filters.
The next bottleneck the team ran into was the intake plenum system, which could not use all the air that was now being directed to it. “We invested in a new lightweight, cast-alloy plenum and intake-runner system with thinner walls, which also saved 400 grams,” explains Preuninger. “Normally you gain power and revs with shorter intake runners, but you also lose torque. In this instance, using ten millimeter shorter intake runners with a five millimeter increase in diameter, we managed to find a gain in flow velocity. However, anything outside that ideal ratio decreases airflow, resulting in a loss of power.”
The RS 3.8’s exhaust system proved to have excessive back pressure when bench-tested with the larger motor. “The catalytic converter is normally the biggest bottleneck in a production exhaust system,” says Preuninger. “It is always a balancing act between efficiency and emissions, and we reached our target by reducing the cell count from 400 to 300 and using a new special coating to help meet the cold-start emissions benchmark.” The new exhaust system, which uses a titanium rear silencer, is made by Ricardo’s German branch.
The extra torque and high-revving capability of the 4.0-liter motor put more stress on many associated components, so the chain tensioners were beefed up and the camshaft adjuster is now fitted with surface-hardened 14.9-grade (DIN) bolts to cope with the higher loadings. Due to the added stress on the clutch, the pressure plate is now mated to its backing components using high-strength steel bolts rather than rivets.
While the GT3 RS 4.0 uses a chassis that’s largely the same as the RS 3.8’s, it is an evolution twice removed. Just as lessons learned from the GT3 RS 3.8 suspension development program were applied to the twin-turbocharged, 620-hp GT2 RS, lessons learned from the GT2 RS program have been applied to the RS 4.0.
“The turbocharged GT2 RS is heavier at the rear, so the springs and dampers are different,” says Preuninger. “The main and helper springs for this car are painted yellow, with red ones for the normally-aspirated GT3 RS 3.8 and 4.0.” The rates on the RS 4.0 are higher than those on the 3.8, but lower than those on the GT2 RS.
“All of the rear suspension lower arms and links are Rose-jointed for sharper and more accurate response,” says Preuninger. “This faster-reacting rear end is closely linked to the improved aerodynamics of the 4.0. Working in partnership, they produce the fine balance we were after."
Beyond the busy 4.0 decal set, the only external differences between RS 3.8 and RS 4.0 are the distinctive dive planes on the sides of the front bumper and the new side plates on the rear wing. But there is another tweak your eyes will struggle to catch: “We increased the rear wing’s angle of attack from 6.8° to 9.0°, and the dive planes in front balance this out,” explains Preuninger. “We now have 195 kilograms (430 pounds) of total downforce at 310 km/h (193 mph), which makes the car noticeably more stable at high speeds.”
More revealing than the total downforce is how it is distributed across the chassis: 82 pounds up front and 348 at the rear. “This is 10-percent more than the 3.8 at the rear, and proportionately the same as before in front,” says Preuninger. “On the Nürburgring, long, fast corners can now be taken flat out due to the more planted front end. The dive planes are smaller versions of the ones on the RSR. We even tried the race ones, but found that these can make the car feel edgy. The RSR has a larger rear wing to balance things out, but this is too big for road use.
“The improved aerodynamics and the alterations to the elastokinematics of the chassis caused by the Rose-jointing required some fine tuning of the geometry,” says Preuninger. “We increased the negative camber by exactly 0° 05’ on both axles, so the front now has 1° 40’, with 1° 50’ at the rear. In combination with the solid lower bushings and the extra downforce, you can really feel the improvement in fast bends.”
Due to weight discrepancies encountered in the past between Porsche’s stated curb weights and test cars we’ve put on the scales, we were curious about how Porsche measures its cars. “The dry weight of the RS 4.0 is 1,270 kilograms (2,800 pounds),” says Preuninger. “To that we add 45 kilograms for fuel, 30 kilograms for coolant, 10 kilograms for oil, and five kilograms for windscreen washer fluid. Thus, our official curb weight is 1,360 kilograms (2,998 pounds) — in the lightest specification that a customer can order the car.”
That means most GT3 RS 4.0s will still be on the wrong side of 3,000 pounds, but Preuninger is quick to point out the GT3 RSR — an all-out race car — isn’t much lighter. “The RSR is about eight percent lighter than the RS 4.0,” he says. “Including fuel and the 25-kilogram penalty ballast it has to carry this season, it weighs 1,245 kilograms (2,745 pounds). The dry weight for the race car includes fluids but no fuel, so if you subtract the fluids and ballast again, you end up with a dry weight of around 1170 kilograms (2,579 pounds), compared to the 1,270 kilograms (2,800 pounds) of the street car.”
Preuninger says that cost eventually imposes a limit to weight paring: “If we used carbon-fiber rear fenders and had to go through all the safety testing, the integration process in the production line, and then take quality and homologation into account, these fenders would end up costing 15,000 euros each — just to save a few kilos. So we enter an area of diminishing returns for a lot of extra cost.”
He says the RS 4.0 saves 22 pounds over the RS 3.8 with lightweight parts such as lighter coil springs, polycarbonate front fenders, Plexiglas rear side windows, carpeting that has had its backing shaved off, and rear underbody diagonal bracing struts in alloy rather than steel. As with the GT2 RS, the front luggage compartment lid is carbon fiber, but the piece is lighter on the 4.0 due to the painted finish, which is lighter than the finish coating required for flaunting smooth “bare” carbon fiber.
The recipe of low weight and high power are underlined by the RS 4.0’s outstanding acceleration. 0–62 mph takes 3.9 seconds, and 99 mph can be reached in just 7.9 seconds. 124 mph comes 11.9 seconds after leaving the line, and the car will continue on to 193 mph.
“Naturally, there was a lot of back-to-back evaluation with the 3.8, which was our benchmark,” concedes Preuninger. “As well as the expected track work, we did a lot of testing on the autobahn and normal roads in real-world conditions to see exactly the difference between the cars as the customer would perceive them.”
While the differences between the RS 4.0 and the RS 3.8 are immediately clear if you drive them back to back, they are harder to quantify if you drive them in isolation — especially if significant time has passed in between your drives. In the 4.0, the seat of your pants picks up on an extra degree of precision in the steering and chassis. Where the 3.8 handles as near perfect as you could want a street-legal 911 to, the 4.0 surprises with a fraction more grip and finesse that just gives it the edge.
The changes made in the flat six’s evolution to 4.0 liters offer slightly sharper throttle response backed up by noticeably more torque in any given situation. Where the 3.8 motor is gutsy, the 4.0 feels even more muscular. The critical (for road use) 2000–3000-rpm range is where the 4.0 is discernably better than the 3.8. When you aren’t in a big hurry, one gear higher than usual is the norm.
But the RS 3.8 is already so responsive, torquey, and rev happy — and it’s already so blindingly fast and well balanced that if you already own one and never get the chance to drive one of the 600 4.0-liter cars, you won’t be missing out. As good as the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 is, my previous conclusion still stands: I would be perfectly happy to drive an RS 3.8 — even after the applause has ended.
2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 -- Excellence article
Nov 6, 2011 4:01:57 PM
Nov 19, 2011 5:10:56 AM
nice video from Fifth gear and interesting Ecoty for 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTYTOiWO4aQ&feature=player_embedded
I can't view it from UK, but anyone else in UK, who needs to see it, can do via this link. Starts after some advertising at 1.13
http://www.channel5.com/shows/fifth-gear/episodes/episode-15-142
--
Boxster 987S
RC:
No doubt, the GT-R is an impressive offer but I still have my doubts regarding reliability.
Having owned one for a year, I can say that for the weight and price it's an utterly amazing car.
That said I agree with you regarding it's unproven long-term reliability. There's a lot of technology in the car and a far smaller source of non-official parts than for Porsche.
The other key difference is servicing. The scheduled servicing is 2-3 times more frequent and it cannot cope with the heat/weight on track, so eats through tyres/brakes/oils.
Lets not turn this into yet another GT-R vs 911 internet debate though :) I like both having owned R32,R33,R34 and R35 GT-Rs as well as 964/993/996/997 models (mostly RS or GT2).
Guy:
RC:
No doubt, the GT-R is an impressive offer but I still have my doubts regarding reliability.
Having owned one for a year, I can say that for the weight and price it's an utterly amazing car.
That said I agree with you regarding it's unproven long-term reliability. There's a lot of technology in the car and a far smaller source of non-official parts than for Porsche.
The other key difference is servicing. The scheduled servicing is 2-3 times more frequent and it cannot cope with the heat/weight on track, so eats through tyres/brakes/oils.
Lets not turn this into yet another GT-R vs 911 internet debate though :) I like both having owned R32,R33,R34 and R35 GT-Rs as well as 964/993/996/997 models (mostly RS or GT2).
It is of great value to have reports by people like you (who have road & track experience with both cars)
MKSGR:
It is of great value to have reports by people like you (who have road & track experience with both cars)
Thanks.
It's also great that this is about the only public forum in the world where this won't turn into a fan-boy GT-R vs 911 argument of 'ring times by people who have never driven either car or been to the 'ring (I've had the pleasure of driving my GT2s and GTRs there).
Guy:
MKSGR:
It is of great value to have reports by people like you (who have road & track experience with both cars)
Thanks.
It's also great that this is about the only public forum in the world where this won't turn into a fan-boy GT-R vs 911 argument of 'ring times by people who have never driven either car or been to the 'ring (I've had the pleasure of driving my GT2s and GTRs there).
True.
But only because we went through all that three years ago when the GT-R was first introduced.
fritz
Nov 30, 2011 5:25:33 PM
Dec 11, 2011 7:31:33 PM
Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 accelerates to 332km/h (207.5mph) on Sport-Auto video...
Porsche-911-GT3-RS-4-litre_HD-video-link
Dec 12, 2011 11:34:53 AM