$1.4M Porsche 911 GT3 R rennsport Unveiled in Laguna Seca
The Porsche 911 is known for many (good) things. One of them is the number of special editions that come out with each generation, offering deep-pocketed purists the chance to get their hands on a limited-run version that often comes with enhanced performance and capabilities than a “normal” 911. As part of the seventh Rennsport Reunion which took place at the Laguna Seca racetrack – an event which is considered to be the biggest Porsche gathering on the globe – Porsche unveiled another version of the 911 built exclusively for the track, but that also specifically honours the Rennsport event.
Revving up to 9,400 rpm!
Based on the already belligerent GT3 R, the GT3 R rennsport is described by its creator as one of the most extreme 911s in the history of the legendary sports car. Its naturally aspirated 4.2-liter six-cylinder engine develops no less than 611 hp at 9,400 rpm - that's 145 hp per litre. Considering that the GT3 R’s output peaks at 557 hp, it's safe to say that engineers have given it all they could to push the engine to its limits.
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All this cavalry is channelled to the rear wheels by the GT3 R's slightly altered sequential gearbox. The engine runs on race gas, but can also run on E25 which contains up to 25% ethanol, and that includes the synthetic fuel that the manufacturer is keen to develop to offer a carbon-neutral alternative to petrol.
Carbon fibre was chosen as the material to sculpt the body, which is visibly wider than the 911 GT3 R. This body can be painted in seven different colors, but Porsche also offers themed liveries that honour the racing 911s of yesteryear. The "Flacht Design" livery combines red and white, a pairing used time and again by the Porsche Motorsport branch. The "Rennsport Reunion Design" pays homage to the corkscrew portion of the Laguna Seca circuit, and the "Speed Icon Design" livery is composed of different shades of blue, which emphasize the vehicle's pronounced width.
Featherweight
No matter which colour you choose, the GT3 R rennsport wears 18-inch-diameter center-bolt BBS wheels, another typical 911 racing touch. Behind those wheels, AP Racing one-piece calipers with titanium-backplated pads that reduce unsprung mass by one 2,2 lbs. This, combined with a series of lighter-than-air components affixed to the car in an obsessive quest to “add lightness,” gives the GT3 R rennsport a curb weight of just 2,734 lb. Chassis and suspension components are essentially the same as on the GT3 R.
The 911 GT3 R rennsport is available with two types of exhaust. The first is a double, fully open exhaust system that delivers the full mechanical symphony that the flat-six engine is capable of delivering. The second includes mufflers and catalytic converters, and is designed for tracks with noise restrictions... The interior is simple, with a single driver's seat, roll cage and all the other components required for the driver's safety.
Exclusivity, complexity and physics-defying performance inevitably come with a hefty price tag. Production of this 911 GT3 R rennsport will be limited to just 77 examples, each bearing a price tag of just over one million US dollars, or around 1.4 million Canadian dollars at current exchange rate.