New 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 R 992 debuts in readiness for 2023 Motorsport Season
Porsche has unveiled a new customer racing machine in the form of the latest-generation 911 GT3 R. The new challenger for GT3 series around the world is based on the current 992 generation and will be ready to race at the beginning of the 2023 motorsport season.
Development began in 2019. Priority was given to improving drivability for professionals and gentleman drivers, as well as tapping larger performance reserves for different Balance of Performance (BoP) classifications. Another focus was on streamlining the handling of the GT3 R, thereby reducing running costs for teams. “The new 911 GT3 R has big shoes to fill,” says Michael Dreiser, Sales Director at Porsche Motorsport. “Its forerunner has won almost everything there is to win in the GT3 scene across four seasons since 2019. Standout successes include overall victories at the twenty-four-hour races held at the Nürburgring and at Spa-Francorchamps. Plus, raced by our customers, the outgoing 911 GT3 R scored class victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The new model faces a massive workload in the hands of Porsche’s customer racing teams.”
After the GT3 class was announced as a professional category in the North American IMSA series, the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship now follows suit — from 2024, GT3 cars, such as the new 911 GT3 R, will be eligible to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. “We hit the bull’s eye with the enormously successful 991 GT3 R. Accordingly, the bar for its successor is high,” emphasises Sebastian Golz, GT3 R Project Manager at Porsche Motorsport. He explains how his team wasn’t primarily concerned with making the 911 GT3 R faster. “Classification within performance windows set by the Balance of Performance quickly cancels out this advantage. Instead, we focused on enabling customers to drive the new 911 GT3 R fast for longer periods of time.” This feat requires not only reliability and durability, but also improved drivability, reflected in more stable and constant aerodynamics, lower loads on the rear tyres and the new 557bhp 4.2-litre flat-six’s broader usable rev band.
The high-revving normally aspirated six-cylinder engine (replacing the outgoing model’s four-litre boxer) has been tilted forward 5.5 degrees, creating more leeway for the underbody diffuser. Auxiliary units, such as the alternator and the air-conditioning compressor, are moved a good metre forward and further down into a space in front of the engine and gearbox, an arrangement which has a positive effect on weight balance. The sequential six-speed contest-mesh gearbox, meanwhile, is derived from the current 911 GT3 Cup car. Shift paddles control an electronic shift drum actuator, which enables rapid and precise cog swapping. An elevated underbody at the fore of the front axle, a smoother undertray and redesigned rear diffuser work together to improve downforce without a significant increase in drag.
Additionally, the rear wing now features a swanneck mount, ensuring clean airflow below the part, further improving aero efficiency. Porsche Motorsport has opened order books for the new 911 GT3 R at a price of €511,000 plus country-specific VAT. See you at Le Mans!