Racecar Engineering – September 2019

12 http://www.racecar-engineering.com SEPTEMBER 2019

GTE – PORSCHE 911 RSR

The driver seat position is fixed, as it was

with its predecessor; at the B pillar to increase

safety in case of a side-impact. The pedals and

dash are still moveable through a spring-

loaded system that will accommodate different

size drivers. Side impact protection has been

increased with the optimised roll cage, and

additional impact protection for the drivers’ legs.

The car also features the collision avoidance

technology that privateers ran at Le Mans for

the first time this year. One driver in the Am

category described it as a ‘game changer’,

having used it there. This system, developed

by Bosch, features a rear camera and indicators

to show faster cars coming from behind, and

which side they will pass. It is also capable of

delivering an audio message into the driver’s

earpieces, to make the message loud and clear.

The last 991

Although Porsche has recently launched its

992 road car, this new racecar is still based on

the older 991 model as there is not yet a GT

RS version of the new car, and the racing team

does not know when that will be launched. This

car will last through a three-year homologation

cycle, so we can expect this to be the last of the

991 GTE cars. That said, the chassis construction

is completely new and with the covers off the

car is noticeably different to its predecessor.

‘We took the regulations and looked to see

the freedom to improve the packaging,’ says

Zurlinden. ‘When you put the bodywork off, you

can see that it is a different chassis.’

The first designs of the new car were created

in CAD in 2017 and in August 2018 the car

started its test programme on the company’s

own test track at its Weissach test facility.

By March 2019 the car was ready for its first

endurance test at Paul Ricard, which featured

the works teams from the States and Europe,

and the cars covered more than 6000km during

this 30-hour run without technical difficulties.

There is still no mid-engine road car, but the

new racer retains the layout, with the engine

ahead of the gearbox and in front of the rear

axle leading to better weight distribution and

tyre wear. However, this year’s car has side-

exhaust pipes, exiting ahead of the rear wheels,

which also opens up the possibility of using the

exhaust gasses intelligently at the colder races

to heat up the tyres. The side exit also reduces

the length of the tubes, helps the torque of

The engine size has

increased and at

4.194-litre it is now

the largest power

unit fitted to a 911

The initial designs of Porsche’s new GTE were created in CAD in 2017. This car is likely to be the last of the 991 GTE racers

Early testing took place at Porsche’s own facility in Weissach. The new car will need to work on a wide variety of race tracks

Side exhausts are a stand-out feature. Porsche says these help boost engine torque while also bringing packaging benefits