Porsche 911 991.2 RSR

Date of unveil by Porsche AG: November 16, 2016 (prototype May 12, 2016)
Premiere: 2017 January 28-29, Daytona 24h

Engine: 4.0 B6 normally aspirated, 375 kW (depends on air restrictor)
Gearbox: Sequential, 6-speed with 3-disc clutch, magnesium casing
Weight: 1243 kg/2740 lb by regulations

Two decades after the different 911 GT1 cars - 993 GT1 '96, 993 GT1 Street, 996 GT1 '97, 996 GT1 Street, 996 GT1 Evo '98 - the mid-engined 911 is back! In order to install a proper diffuser under the rear end of the 991, the engine had to make room for it and the engine/transmission unit was rotated 180 degrees. The 911 was Caymanized, so to speak. Now you probably remember when the Cayman came out in 2005, it was said to handle better than the 911. The wheelbase of the 991.2 RSR was extended to 2516 mm. In comparison Cayman GT4 has 2484 mm, 991.2 GT3 Cup has 2456 mm and 991.2 Carrera/Turbo have 2450 mm. So, the rear wheels were moved back 1.3-2.6"/32-66 mm depending on how you look.

The extended rear diffuser, a top-suspended rear wing and the new side mirrors help to increase downforce with reduced drag. While the 911 GT1 cars were the ultimate mid-engined 911s with their turbocharged engines, the FIA rules restrict the engine power and there was no reason to equip the 991.2 RSR with a turbo engine. The normally aspirated 4-litre flat-6 was taken from the 991 GT3 R (used also in the 991 GT3 Cup 4.0).

The 991.2 RSR features a radar-supported Collision Avoid System which means now the faster LMP prototypes are detected behind early enough and misunderstandings can be avoided. On a cockpit monitor arrows indicate when vehicles are behind. Depending on the colour of the arrows, the driver knows whether the trailing car is coming closer or falling back. For the driver safety, the seat is now closer to the center of the car and is rigidly mounted (a new FIA rule). The movable pedal box (as well as brakes), come from AP Racing.

Porsche 911 991.2 RSR prototype — Thanks to quick-release fasteners, a door can be replaced in 15 seconds and a front bumper with underbody in less than a minute. © Porsche

Note the regular 911 mirrors on the prototype© Porsche

Porsche 911 991.2 RSR testing — 2016 October: 50 hour test at Sebring © Porsche

Between March and November 2016, the prototypes were tested for a total of around 22.000 miles/35.000 km which is more than with any previous Porsche GT racing car.

7 RSR were built by Porsche Motorsport for the 2017 racing season: 3 for testing, 2 for the FIA World Endurance Championship and 2 for the IMSA SportsCar Championship. It took 4 employees 10 working days to build one 911 RSR.

2017 Porsche 919 hybrid — The photo shows the size of the 919 compared to the 911 RSR © Porsche

Mirror base contributes to the overall aerodynamics of the car© Porsche

Flat underbody extended to the sides © Porsche

The brake discs are 390 mm front and 355 mm rear. And they are of steel, naturally. Racing is business and there's no room for solutions with flaws. With ceramic brakes you can pose to your neighbour.© Porsche

12.5" wide wheels with 300 mm tyres at the front and 13" wheels with 310 mm tyres at the back. © Porsche

The mirrors are electrically adjustable and have a memory function for each pilot© Porsche

Diffuser is the main reason the rear engine had to go, to make room for the rear end underbody aerodynamics © Porsche

At 80.6"/2048 mm, the body is 6.6"/168 mm wider than that of the 991.2 Turbo© Porsche

2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR Manthey Racing — Manthey Racing © Porsche

2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR engine cover — The top access panel for the engine mimics the rear window. Rear wing is mounted in "swan neck" style. © Porsche

For better aerodynamics under the rear wing, it is hang from top© Porsche

The wheels are in the optimal size, which is 18", not 19, 20 or 21" which posers prefer© Porsche

2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR top view, roof hatch — © Porsche

2017 Porsche 911 991.2 RSR roll cage, cockpit — © Porsche

2016 November: Los Angeles Auto Show, Patrick Dempsey© Porsche

2017 Daytona 24 Porsche 911 991 RSR in the pits — 2017 January, Daytona 24 hours: the car of Estre/Vanthoor/Lietz in the pits. The concrete barrier is a USA-specific thing and if you need to repair the car in the garage, you have to drive to the paddock..© Porsche

Porsche 911 991 RSR red hot brake disc — © Porsche

The GT LM class was so competitive at 2017 Daytona 24 hour race that seven (!) competitors finished the race within 7 seconds! While in the middle of the race Porsches were 1-2 in class, the final GT LM result was: 1. Ford GT, 2. 991.2 RSR, 3. Ferrari 488, 4. Corvette, 5. Ford GT, 6. 991.2 RSR, 7. Ford GT. Remember, all they covered 652 laps and were just 7 seconds apart after 24 hours! Thanks to BoP (Balance of Performance) rules the cars are very equal and this makes the races really interesting to follow.

2017 Daytona 24h GTLM class 2nd place 991.2 RSR #911 was driven by Pilet/Werner/Makowiecki © Porsche

Sports car racing is not a subject of public interest in USA and therefore Daytona 24 hour race cannot be compared to the Le Mans 24 and Nürburgring 24 hour races which gather more than 200.000 spectators. No spectators, no money, IMSA has to lean even on alcohol producers. The Daytona 24 drivers had to hold alcohol bottles in their hands on the podium. Really?

2017 January 29, Daytona 24 hour race GT LM class second place drivers Patrick Pilet, Fred Makowiecki and Dirk Werner with alcohol bottles© Porsche

2017 Sebring 12h Porsche 911 991.2 RSR — 2017 March 18: 12 hours of bumpy Sebring took their toll on the rear damper of the Porsche #912. The team lost 3 laps while the damper was replaced. They finished just 2 laps behind the winner - do the math! © Porsche

2017 Long Beach, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR transport truck — 2017 April 8, Long Beach © Porsche

2017 April 16, Silverstone: the first race of the 2017 FIA WEC season was won by Ford in GTE-Pro class. Porsche 911 RSR #91 finished third after a Ferrari 488 GTO. The #92 Porsche 911 had to retire because of the engine fire.

2017 April 16, Silverstone 6 hour FIA WEC, Porsche 911 991 RSR mid-engine fire — 2017 Silverstone 6h: Kévin Estre got out from the car unhurt. As a true Porsche-enthusiast, he agitated the lazy marshals to put out the fire quicker. © FIA (extracted from FIA WEC video)

2017 Austin, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR — 2017 May 4, Austin © Porsche

2017 Le Mans test day group photo — 2017 June 3, Le Mans test day © Porsche

2017 Le Mans scrutineering, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR — 2017 June 12, Le Mans scrutineering © Porsche

2017 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR under heat shield waiting for the start — 2017 June 17, before Le Mans 24h race start, heat shield over the cockpit © Porsche

2017 Lime Rock, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR — 2017 July 22, Lime Rock: this Porsche is a biohybrid :-) Eats biofuel and runs on petrol. © Porsche

2017 Petit Le Mans, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR — 2017 October 5, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Wow, what a photo! © Porsche

2017 Fuji, Porsche 911 991.2 RSR — 2017 October 15, Fuji: number 91 Porsche is shared by Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki© Porsche

2017 results

Date	Championship	Race
2017 Jan 29	IMSA Sportscar Championship + North American Endurance Cup	Daytona 24 hours	2nd				6th
2017 Mar 18	IMSA Sportscar Championship + North American Endurance Cup	Sebring 12 hours		3rd					8th
2017 Apr 08	IMSA Sportscar Championship	Long Beach 100 minutes		3rd			6th
2017 Apr 16	FIA World Endurance Championship	Silverstone 6 hours		3rd						DNF
2017 May 06	IMSA Sportscar Championship	Austin 160 minutes			4th					DNF
2017 May 06	FIA World Endurance Championship	Spa 6 hours				5th	6th
2017 Jun 17	FIA World Endurance Championship	Le Mans 24 hours			4th					DNF
2017 Jul 02	IMSA Sportscar Championship + North American Endurance Cup	Watkins Glen 6 hours					6th	7th
2017 Jul 09	IMSA Sportscar Championship	Bowmanville 160 minutes					6th	7th
2017 Jul 16	FIA World Endurance Championship	Nürburgring 6 hours	2nd	3rd
2017 Jul 22	IMSA Sportscar Championship	Lime Rock 160 minutes	2nd		4th
2017 Aug 06	IMSA Sportscar Championship	Road America 160 minutes	2nd							DNF
2017 Aug 27	IMSA Sportscar Championship	Virginia 160 minutes						7th	8th
2017 Sep 03	FIA World Endurance Championship	Mexico City 6 hours		3rd		5th
2017 Sep 16	FIA World Endurance Championship	COTA 6 hours	2nd				6th
2017 Sep 24	IMSA Sportscar Championship	Laguna Seca 160 minutes		3rd				7th
2017 Oct 07	IMSA Sportscar Championship + North American Endurance Cup	Road Atlanta Petit Le Mans 10 hours				5th	6th
2017 Oct 15	FIA World Endurance Championship	Fuji 6 hours	2nd	3rd
2017 Nov 5	FIA World Endurance Championship	Shanghai 6 hours	2nd							DNF
2017 Nov 18	FIA World Endurance Championship	Bahrain 6 hours			4th					DNF

Although without race victories, Porsche won the 2017 IMSA North American Endurance Cup GT LM class in Drivers and in Teams categories (Ford won in Manufacturers category). At the NAEC the points are awarded many times in one race - after each of 3, 4 or 6 hours depending on the length of the race.

In the 2017 FIA WEC GT Driver's Championship Porsche drivers Richard Lietz/Frédéric Makowiecki scored second. In the GT Manufacturer's Championship Porsche scored third after Ferrari, Ford and in front of Aston Martin.

2018 season

After withdrawal from LMP1 top class racing, Porsche factory team is entering the 2018 Le Mans 24 hour race with 4 mid-engined 911 RSR, two cars that compete in the FIA WEC series and two IMSA Championship factory team cars.
Porsche factory cars for 2018 Le Mans 24 hours:
911 RSR #91: Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz, Frédéric Makowiecki
911 RSR #92: Kévin Estre, Michael Christensen, Laurens Vanthoor
911 RSR #93. Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber
911 RSR #94: Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Sven Müller.
With Bamber, Bernhard, Dumas and Tandy, a total of four outright Le Mans winners will compete as part of the Porsche works squad.

2018 Sebring 12h GTLM winner — 2018 March 17, Sebring 12 hour, GTLM class winner © Porsche

2018 Sebring 12h GTLM winners — 2018 March 17, Sebring 12 hour, GTLM class winners Frederic Makowiecki, Pascal Zurlinden (factory GT racing director), Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet © Porsche

Continue to Porsche motorsport moments

Anniversaries: Apr, 25 – 87th birthday of the Porsche company (1931); May, 09 – 32nd birthday of the 961 (1986); May, 10 – 75th birthday of Wolfgang Porsche (1943); May, 15 – 36th birthday of the 956 (1982); May, 20 – 56th birthday of the 804 (1962)