LHutton
March 21st, 2015, 05:37 AM
http://api.app.evo.co.uk/editions/uk.co.dennis.evo.208_5/data/6264_e31d451be383311a75c5956745ae7cb6/web.html
http://api.app.evo.co.uk/editions/uk.co.dennis.evo.208_5/data/6264_e31d451be383311a75c5956745ae7cb6/web.html
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Magnesium roof, 918 Spyder tyres and huge downforce. Meet the most advanced 911 ever built
Words: Dan Prosser Pictures: Aston Parrott
The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS is just 10kg lighter than the GT3 upon which it is based – the smallest difference in kerb weight between the two concurrent Porsche Motorsport models to date. On the face of it that suggests this new version is the least comprehensive reworking of the GT3 yet. A deep dive into the technical details, however, reveals that the opposite is true. This is in fact the most technically ambitious and advanced GT3 RS yet, eclipsing even the special-edition 997-generation RS 4.0.
With the same 493bhp as that run-out model, this latest RS will lap the Nürburgring seven seconds faster thanks to grippier tyres and more effective aerodynamics, despite carrying an extra 60kg. The recorded time of 7min 20sec also puts the new GT3 RS nine seconds ahead of the Carrera GT supercar of 2003.
Remarkable as that may be, this is a car that’s always been about so much more than just the raw figures. Andreas Preuninger, boss of GT cars at Porsche Motorsport, is proud of that lap time, but he is at pains to point out its limited relevance. ‘We are at 7min 20sec with this car,’ he says. ‘Come on, guys, I mean… This is really, really fast. It’s something for the professionals. Most people can’t go beyond 8min 30sec or something. For me it is more important that everybody has fun with the car.’
The tyre is a Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 lifted directly from the 918 Spyder. For the first time the rear wheels are 21 inches in diameter; the biggest wheel yet fitted to a GT3 RS (they’ll be the widest, too, at 12.5 inches across). ‘This new rubber is out of this world,’ enthuses Preuninger. ‘It’s tyre technology to the next level. We wanted to use [the 918’s] exact tyre on the RS, but all the CAD work showed us it doesn’t fit. The next problem was the production line – [it is] not wide enough for the 21-inch wheels, so the car got stuck. There were a lot of stones in the way for that tyre and we had to invest an outrageous amount of money. It was a really tough thing to make that tyre fit, but it was well worth it.
'I would say the tyre is 20 per cent sticker than the GT3’s tyre, but the car’s overall aero is 300 per cent more. The aero is a huge step. The RS has more than double the downforce of the GT3, while still maintaining – and this is the big point – the same coefficient of drag. That’s unheard of.’
The tyres and the aero are just two areas that have been comprehensively overhauled in the pursuit of performance. As we’ll see, the same obsessive level of engineering has been applied to the chassis, the engine and the bodywork, too.
1. REAR STEER
Like the GT3, the new RS uses rear-axle steering, torque vectoring and an LSD for maximum agility.
2. BONNET
A bonnet lid/roof recess identifies the RS’s two largest lightweight components.
3. BODYSHELL
A Turbo bodyshell means greater track widths, improving lateral grip and reducing roll.
4. AIR DUCTS
Air ducts flow direct to the engine intake, giving the cabin unique aural characteristics.
5. WHEELS
The front wheels are now 9.5in wide (up from 9in on the GT3), to improve turn-in grip.
1. SEATS
The seats are based on the carbonfibre buckets found in Porsche’s 918 Spyder halo model. Two further seat options are also available.
2. BUTTON
A ‘Pit Speed’ button on the centre console sets a speed limit for pitlanes and draws a link to the competition 911 RSRs.
3. PACKAGE
The optional Sport Chrono Package adds the dash-top stopwatch and includes the Track Precision smartphone app, which records lap times and driving data.
4. HARNESS
The Club Sport Package, which includes a bolted-in roll-cage and preparation for a six-point harness, is standard.
WEIGHT SAVING
Porsche Motorsport has gone to the most extreme lengths yet to trim out excess weight. The roof panel, for instance, is magnesium. ‘This is a highlight of the car,’ says Preuninger ‘It’s 1kg lighter than a carbonfibre roof would be. It’s not even used on the race cars.’ Carbonfibre is used for the front wheelarches, as well as the engine and luggage compartment lids. Despite this, the RS is just 10kg lighter than the GT3 – that’s because the wider Turbo bodyshell and bigger wheels offset much of the weight saving.
DRIVETRAIN
The engine is a heavily reworked version of the GT3’s direct injection unit. It has a longer stroke to increase capacity from 3.8 to 4.0 litres. As a consequence the red line is at 8800rpm, rather than the 9000rpm of the GT3. ‘I would still say it is exciting at the top end,’ assures Preuninger. The crankshaft is made of a special steel – ‘it’s an horrendously expensive part’ – and the conrods, pistons, camshafts and cam springs are new. The seven-speed PDK ’box gets uprated software and retains the GT3’s clutch-kick function.
AERODYNAMICS
Preuninger claims that aerodynamic performance is the biggest area of improvement over the GT3 – the vents in the front wheelarches are all-new. ‘They don’t only help downforce, they are doubling downforce. This is such an important feature on the car.’ Combined with the large rear wing and the deep front splitter, those vents help to produce 350kg of downforce at 186mph, compared to 170kg for the GT3, while maintaining the same drag coefficient. At 90mph there is more downforce than the 997 RS 4.0 had at full speed.
On paper the power is 493bhp, ....in reality it's nearer 510!
http://api.app.evo.co.uk/editions/uk.co.dennis.evo.208_5/data/6264_e31d451be383311a75c5956745ae7cb6/web.html
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Magnesium roof, 918 Spyder tyres and huge downforce. Meet the most advanced 911 ever built
Words: Dan Prosser Pictures: Aston Parrott
The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS is just 10kg lighter than the GT3 upon which it is based – the smallest difference in kerb weight between the two concurrent Porsche Motorsport models to date. On the face of it that suggests this new version is the least comprehensive reworking of the GT3 yet. A deep dive into the technical details, however, reveals that the opposite is true. This is in fact the most technically ambitious and advanced GT3 RS yet, eclipsing even the special-edition 997-generation RS 4.0.
With the same 493bhp as that run-out model, this latest RS will lap the Nürburgring seven seconds faster thanks to grippier tyres and more effective aerodynamics, despite carrying an extra 60kg. The recorded time of 7min 20sec also puts the new GT3 RS nine seconds ahead of the Carrera GT supercar of 2003.
Remarkable as that may be, this is a car that’s always been about so much more than just the raw figures. Andreas Preuninger, boss of GT cars at Porsche Motorsport, is proud of that lap time, but he is at pains to point out its limited relevance. ‘We are at 7min 20sec with this car,’ he says. ‘Come on, guys, I mean… This is really, really fast. It’s something for the professionals. Most people can’t go beyond 8min 30sec or something. For me it is more important that everybody has fun with the car.’
The tyre is a Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 lifted directly from the 918 Spyder. For the first time the rear wheels are 21 inches in diameter; the biggest wheel yet fitted to a GT3 RS (they’ll be the widest, too, at 12.5 inches across). ‘This new rubber is out of this world,’ enthuses Preuninger. ‘It’s tyre technology to the next level. We wanted to use [the 918’s] exact tyre on the RS, but all the CAD work showed us it doesn’t fit. The next problem was the production line – [it is] not wide enough for the 21-inch wheels, so the car got stuck. There were a lot of stones in the way for that tyre and we had to invest an outrageous amount of money. It was a really tough thing to make that tyre fit, but it was well worth it.
'I would say the tyre is 20 per cent sticker than the GT3’s tyre, but the car’s overall aero is 300 per cent more. The aero is a huge step. The RS has more than double the downforce of the GT3, while still maintaining – and this is the big point – the same coefficient of drag. That’s unheard of.’
The tyres and the aero are just two areas that have been comprehensively overhauled in the pursuit of performance. As we’ll see, the same obsessive level of engineering has been applied to the chassis, the engine and the bodywork, too.
1. REAR STEER
Like the GT3, the new RS uses rear-axle steering, torque vectoring and an LSD for maximum agility.
2. BONNET
A bonnet lid/roof recess identifies the RS’s two largest lightweight components.
3. BODYSHELL
A Turbo bodyshell means greater track widths, improving lateral grip and reducing roll.
4. AIR DUCTS
Air ducts flow direct to the engine intake, giving the cabin unique aural characteristics.
5. WHEELS
The front wheels are now 9.5in wide (up from 9in on the GT3), to improve turn-in grip.
1. SEATS
The seats are based on the carbonfibre buckets found in Porsche’s 918 Spyder halo model. Two further seat options are also available.
2. BUTTON
A ‘Pit Speed’ button on the centre console sets a speed limit for pitlanes and draws a link to the competition 911 RSRs.
3. PACKAGE
The optional Sport Chrono Package adds the dash-top stopwatch and includes the Track Precision smartphone app, which records lap times and driving data.
4. HARNESS
The Club Sport Package, which includes a bolted-in roll-cage and preparation for a six-point harness, is standard.
WEIGHT SAVING
Porsche Motorsport has gone to the most extreme lengths yet to trim out excess weight. The roof panel, for instance, is magnesium. ‘This is a highlight of the car,’ says Preuninger ‘It’s 1kg lighter than a carbonfibre roof would be. It’s not even used on the race cars.’ Carbonfibre is used for the front wheelarches, as well as the engine and luggage compartment lids. Despite this, the RS is just 10kg lighter than the GT3 – that’s because the wider Turbo bodyshell and bigger wheels offset much of the weight saving.
DRIVETRAIN
The engine is a heavily reworked version of the GT3’s direct injection unit. It has a longer stroke to increase capacity from 3.8 to 4.0 litres. As a consequence the red line is at 8800rpm, rather than the 9000rpm of the GT3. ‘I would still say it is exciting at the top end,’ assures Preuninger. The crankshaft is made of a special steel – ‘it’s an horrendously expensive part’ – and the conrods, pistons, camshafts and cam springs are new. The seven-speed PDK ’box gets uprated software and retains the GT3’s clutch-kick function.
AERODYNAMICS
Preuninger claims that aerodynamic performance is the biggest area of improvement over the GT3 – the vents in the front wheelarches are all-new. ‘They don’t only help downforce, they are doubling downforce. This is such an important feature on the car.’ Combined with the large rear wing and the deep front splitter, those vents help to produce 350kg of downforce at 186mph, compared to 170kg for the GT3, while maintaining the same drag coefficient. At 90mph there is more downforce than the 997 RS 4.0 had at full speed.
On paper the power is 493bhp, ....in reality it's nearer 510!