911RSR
SHOULD I WEAR EARPLUGS? THAT’S THE QUESTION.
I’m only getting a short stint in this 2017-season Porsche
911 RSR, and I suddenly feel as though I might look like
I’m taking myself a bit too seriously if I produce a pair. I
ask the mechanic what he thinks and he shoots me a look
that says, ‘Are you mad, Englishman?’ Earplugs it is.
Thank heavens I brought some. If you’ve been to a WEC
round over the last couple of years you’ll know that the
naturally aspirated 4-litre 911 RSR is a beacon of sonic
purity and violence in a field of cars that, largely, sound
rather uninspiring. As I go through the starting sequence
and thumb the starter, the flat-six barks into life just over
my shoulder, and it’s louder at idle in the cockpit than a
road-going 911 GT3 at the red line. That loud.
The GTE-class 911 RSR has that exotic aura that
tends to surround factory team cars out of Weissach.
It’s clearly much more than just a highly developed 991:
most obviously the engine is moved to a spot just in front
of the rear axle, but it also uses double wishbone front
suspension instead of the usual MacPherson struts and
even the seating position is moved inwards to provide
more protection to the driver.
You might think moving the engine was all about
chassis dynamics, but it has as much to do with
aerodynamics as anything. The GTE rules specify the
scope of the rear diffuser, and they dictate that you’re not
allowed to have long tunnels protruding far out the back
of the car. But with a 911 the position of the engine means
there’s no space for large tunnels under the rear of the car
itself, unlike with its mid-engined rivals from Ford and
Ferrari, hence the engine being shifted forward. Moving
the engine has also allowed weight to be moved back from
the front of the car, concentrating it more in the centre.
The RSR is not only faster, it’s kinder on its rear tyres, too.
Earlier, Kévin Estre, a man who, as I type, has just
overtaken a rival at the N24 while partly on the grass in his
911 GT3 R as he approached the Döttinger Höhe at some
180mph, took me for a quick blast to learn the Lausitzring
infield circuit. Our car of choice was a silver-with-green-
stripes 911 R, which Estre, who has all the self-confident
cool you might expect from a French professional racing
driver driving for the Porsche factory, hurled around while
dispensing advice with suave disinterest. Nowit’s my go.
The throttle is as sharp as a para’s bayonet and the
clutch unforgiving; it’s fine if you have the knack, but I
don’t, and I stall, punching the ‘six’ back into life and then
lurching away as weRAH-RAH-RAHdown the pitlane. As
soon as we’re clear and onto the circuit I snap the throttle
wide open and the RSR explodes forward with a barrage of
noise. With around 503bhp despite an air restrictor, and a
certified minimum weight of 1243kg, it’s very quick, but not
eye-wateringly so in its intensity. No, the real beauty of the
package is everything else it does.
GTE cars are allowed traction control, but not ABS. The
RSR’s powers of retardation are Herculean, but there’s
a sequence of lights on the steering wheel that tells you if
you’re close to locking the wheels. With each lap I hit the
brakes harder and harder, bleeding off the pressure slightly
as we reach the corner’s turn-in point. Turn One is a case
in point: a blast along the oval’s start-finish straight, motor
screaming and shift lights on the steering wheel blinking,
then a slow left onto the infield. It feels so good to attack
this corner, the RSR turning in with an immediacy and
confidence that sums up everything good about the car. I
simply can’t believe how easy it is to drive. Sure, I imagine
if you push it to the very limit of its capabilities – and I’m
not afraid to admit that as these are my first six laps around
here, and I’ve had a kindly but nevertheless stern request not
to bin it, I’m not even going to attempt that – it has its edge,
but not one that’s obvious right now.
Instead, I’m revelling in the stability, the clarity of its
communication, and the sheer grip on offer; every control
is perfectly weighted and moves with an oily, exacting
precision that is the preserve of a bespoke, money-no-
object frontline factory racing car. It’s glorious, and I feign
innocence at sneaking in an extra lap after the pit board is
hung out. It’s a drug and I need more: a few stints over 24
hours should do it.
PORSCHE 911 RSR, GT3 R & GT3 CUP
Above:RSR has its
4-litre flat-six mid-
mounted and delivers an
air-restricted 500bhp
or so via a six-speed
sequential manual ’box;
produced in verysmall
numbers, mostly for the
factory team, if you can
persuade Porsche to sell
you an RSR it’ll set you
back around £1million