New Porsche 911 RSR specifications have been released, confirming that the 2017 Le Mans and World Endurance Championship (WEC) racer will use a mid-engined layout.
Unlike the rear-engined road 911, the RSR’s 503bhp 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine is located in front of its back axle to enable the fitment of a large rear diffuser. The use of this new part should help the car to produce significantly more downforce than the current one, which uses a much smaller item.
The midship location of the powertrain is also likely to improve the RSR's overall weight balance, and it comes as part of a complete overhaul for the racer that includes an all-new structure, suspension and aerodynamic concept compared with the current RSR.
The head of Porsche Motorsport, Frank-Steffen Walliser, said the new car’s engineering changes represent “the biggest evolution in the history of [Porsche’s] top GT model”.
The car uses a six-speed sequential gearbox with steering wheel shift paddles, a multi-disc self-locking differential and a three-disc carbon race clutch.
The car’s base weight – as per regulations – is 1243kg, and it conforms to LM-GTE class rules that are use at Le Mans and in the WEC.
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Great Metro. Can we have the Renault Clio with the big V6 on the back seat? That engine was about the same size as the Nissan Z/GTR engine so they could put it on the back seat of a Micra...The Micra GT4.
Looks like it'd be a bundle
Mid engine GT
Seriously I thought racing GTs have to have the engine in the position of the production car. Otherwise anyone can just do a mid engine car. A mid engine GTR would set the pulse racing or an F type. A few years ago BMW were banned from racing the M3V8 as the production car had a different engine. Hard to see how Porsche can do this unless they call it...