“Race on Sunday—Sell on Monday” is an adage that identifies well with Porsche fanatics. The iconic automaker basically invented the road-going race car with its GT division, comprising a stalwart of delectable offerings like the GT3 RS. The other side of the coin is motorsport, which not only fuels the development of these next-gen vehicles but ultimately inspires its customers to race. That’s where the Porsche customer teams come in and they have a new toy now in the form of the 2022 911 GT3 R. As the name says, it has loose ties with the road-going GT3 but the race car version, in many ways, is a different kettle of fish altogether.
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The new Porsche 911 GT3 R racing car is based on the latest 992-generation car and would be available to customer teams from 2023 onwards to race in events that adhere to the GT3 regulations. The new generation has big shoes to fill, however, with the previous edition garnering a lot of respect on the track, courtesy of a series of impressive victories in the 24-hour races at Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps, alongside wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The new race car has even more work on its plate. While the jury is still out on the Red Bull-Porsche F1 journey, the famed automaker has confirmed the new 911 GT3 R will be eligible to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time.
In racing, the Balance of Performance (BoP) classifications limit how much manufacturers can eke out a performance advantage, and for the new model, Porsche concentrated on increasing the driveability of the car. More durability has been dialled on for customers to drive it longer and to find it less intimidating. Hence, the new 4.2-litre engine’s broader usable rev band allows for more stable and constant aerodynamics plus a lower load on the rear tyres.
The engine is, of course, the new 992 motor and is ‘near-standard’ with one change being the enlarged displacement from 3,997 to 4,194 cc. This has increased the engine’s peak output to around 565 PS. However, as mentioned earlier, the agenda here is to spread the torque and the power curve across the rev range rather than stash it at higher revs only.
The six-cylinder engine sans turbocharging has been tilted forwards by 5.5 degrees in order to make room for the underbody diffuser. The gearbox is a sequential six-speed contest-mesh gearbox and is derived from the current 911 GT3 Cup. Shift paddles control an electronic shift drum actuator which results in fast shift changes.
Another key facet of the new 911 GT3 R is its suspension, which makes for less time spent on set-up changes and results in less tyre wear. Thanks to a longer wheelbase, grip has also improved and the brakes here play an important role with aluminium monobloc racing brake callipers.
Being a race car, lightness is its core mantra and this body features aluminium-steel composite design plus almost all body components made of lightweight carbon, including the front and rear lids, doors, side panels, rear wing and roof. Even the wheel arches are made of aramid fibres.
It also looks more purposeful and striking now thanks no less to that massive rear wing, featuring a swan-neck mount for enhanced aerodynamic efficiency. Customers will have to fork out $567,210 for one, but we’d wager having your own Le Mans racer is probably a tantalising prospect that’s too hard to ignore.
View the Porsche 911 GT# at Porsche
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