by John Glynn | Apr 14, 2013 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
Fourth place in GTE Pro was the best Porsche could manage in today’s 991 RSR debut at the Six Hours of Silverstone. Despite a subdued reaction to the RSR’s debut, the prototype racing was excellent, with McNish setting lap records towards the end, in pursuit of a win he eventually claimed.
Round 1 of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship was run in generally dry conditions. A short burst of rain at the halfway point handed Stuttgart some help, but when the circuit dried, the competition had no problem staying in front.
First GTE Pro home was the number 97 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE of Turner, Mucke and Senna. Fourth Aston pedaller and friend of Ferdinand, Peter Dumbreck, skipped Silverstone to race the JRM Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 in the opening round of Blancpain Endurance at Monza.
Nice as it must be to race alongside ex-Porsche driver and 2011 FIA GT1 champ, Lucas Luhr, on the epic Monza circuit, Peter would have savoured a trophy in the local Prodrive-built Aston, ahead of Kamui Kobayashi’s Ferrari 458 Corse, and the #99 Aston of Rob Bell, Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Frederic Makowiecki. No doubt Darren enjoyed his day, as did Kobayashi, who soared to second place in the final hour, when a pitstop taken earlier than the others paid off.
After the race, Porsche’s Patrick Pilet tweeted: “Just a little issue on the car, the mechanics make a good job but we lost three laps. Car was great to drive. See u at Spa”. The Pilet/Bergmeister/Bernhard car seemed to hold up Marc Lieb’s encouraging charge in the early part, before Bergmeister boxed the #91 car, to check on loose front suspension. Olaf Manthey said no fault was found, and the car continued on its way. The sister #92 991 RSR and fourth place finisher of Lietz/Lieb/Dumas had what looked like a trouble-free run, just without sufficient dry pace to take it to the Astons.
Interviewed for Motors TV by the Radio Le Mans team after his stint, Romain Dumas noted that the rain shower had played to Porsche’s strengths, and allowed the RSR to close on the Ferrari he was trailing at the time, but also said each pitstop was costing the drivers ten or twelve seconds more than their rivals. “Whatever time we gain on track, we lose in the pits,” bemoaned Romain.
At the flag, the RSR finished a lap plus over a minute behind the winning Aston, but showed a fastest lap within reach of its rivals (see the data). Saving twelve seconds in each of five pitstops might have helped to keep Porsche in touch.
The next round at Spa on May 4th and 5th has some watery comfort. Last year’s big race was held in the wet, and Porsche streaked to glory as a result. But we don’t want to race a car hoping for rain. Here’s hoping Porsche AG Team Manthey can further develop the new boy by Spa, and race to take P1 on merit.
Text © MightyMotorMedia Ltd
by John Glynn | Mar 28, 2013 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
Porsche has finally unveiled the 991 RSR, which will contest this year’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Le Mans 24 Hours, run by the all-new Porsche AG Team Manthey.
The new 991 GT3 RSR is 100mm longer than its predeccessor, the 997 GT3 RSR. Chassis balance is improved, with the centre of gravity said to be considerably lower than the outgoing RSR. The new car runs more carbon fibre in its construction, with most of the bodywork and much of the interior made from carbon. Windows are polycarbonate and the battery is lightweight lithium-ion.
The lightweight transmission is new, with six speeds selected by steering wheel paddles. Cooling has been rethought and the radiator is now located in the centre up front. Such survival tweaks combined with many more quick release body panels, should make this new 911 easier to run in competitive endurance events and reduce the duck tape budget.
WEC starts at Silverstone in two weeks, before moving on to Spa in May and Le Mans in June. We have previously reported the drivers and hope to attend a few WEC events this year – I’ve got to get cracking on accreditation.
by John Glynn | Mar 13, 2013 | New Models, Porsche News, Race and Rally
Porsche has upgraded the 997 GT3R ahead of the 2013 season. We’ve already covered some of this in our earlier Falken Porsche N24 RSR blog, but it’s useful to look at Porsche factory pictures of the R.
The most obvious changes are to the aero package. Front bumper, wings, sill trims and underbody diffuser have all been optimised to produce additional downforce. The rear wing has been widened to full body width.
Longer wheelbase, increased track – 50mm wider front and rear – and 12-inch front wheels combined with improved aero performance allow higher cornering speeds.The 4.0-litre flat six produces 500 hp, sent to the rear via a 6-speed sequential dog ‘box with air shift and steering paddles. This is fast and smooth, and should be reliable.
Porsche offers a conversion kit for older GT3Rs at €45,500 plus tax. I wonder how many Euros that is per Nurburgring tenth of a second.
by John Glynn | Mar 7, 2013 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
Our friends at Falken Tyres have confirmed their driver lineup for the 2013 Nurburgring 24-Hour. The team will also run their Porsche 997 GT3 RSR at a number of VLN events this season.
Sebastian Asch, Peter Dumbreck, Wolf Henzler and Martin Ragginger are all confirmed as Falken Porsche drivers for the year, with the clear aim of a top ten finish in the 24 Hour event. The Porsche 997 GT3 RSR has also received a few upgrades ahead of its first outing: a VLN test on the 16th of March.
Falken Motorsports’ experienced team principal, Sven Schnabl, has upgraded the teams’ RSR with a new aero package of wider wings, new splitter and double canards up front, with a larger rear wing to increase downforce. Cooling vents around both front and rear arches are bigger, and the car can now run 12-inch front wheel rims, half an inch wider than last year. The 997 also now runs four headlamps.
Falken’s Japanese engineers have developed a range of new tyres for this season, which the drivers are keen to explore. “After a really exciting 2012 season, we are hungry for more in 2013,” says former Porsche Junior, Martin Ragginger. “We will give it everything we’ve got for the fans and aim for a top ten place in the 24-Hour Race.”
Falken’s season looks busy, with a race weekend every month bar September:
- 16.03.2013 VLN Set Up Day
- 23.03.2013 ADAC Westfalenfahrt
- 27.04.2013 ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup
- 17-20.05.13 ADAC ZURICH 24h-Rennen Nürburgring
- 22.06.2013 Adenauer ADAC Simfy Trophy
- 20.07.2013 ADAC Reinoldus-Langstreckenrennen
- 24.08.2013 ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen
- 12.10.2013 ROWE DMV 250-Meilen-Rennen
Chances are we’ll get to at least one of these events: I rarely miss a Nurburgring 24-Hour and am overdue a weekend in the woods. Are you heading out to one or more VLN rounds? Keep in touch if yes – could do with some keen amateur photographers on my side.
Email mail@ferdinandmagazine.com to let me know your plans. See the Falken Tyres site at Falken-Europe.de.
by John Glynn | Mar 7, 2013 | New Models, Market & Prices
Let’s consider a Porsche 911 GT3 Manual to PDK comparison. You grew up driving with three pedals and enjoy using a manual shift. You currently own a 997 GT3 RS: potentially the last RS to be made with three pedals. Porsche now says you should abandon the idea of a manual shift and embrace two pedals forever. So what are the chances of that happening?
This spotless Gen 3 997 GT3 RS has just 1,100 miles on the clock. Recently offered for sale, it went in under 24 hours. “The 991 GT3 situation with PDK-only has increased enquiries for the best examples of 997 GT3 RS,” says the salesman. “We have a growing waiting list for these cars and always want to find more used Porsche 911s for sale.”
No matter how PDK is put over: with launch control, paddle shift, seamless acceleration and all the rest, it’s still essentially an automatic transmission and that’s just not for everyone. I like manual transmissions: the feel of a clutch pedal, the action of the shifter, the process of matching revs with conditions. But I am not a GT3 owner and am unlikely to be in the very near future, so my opinion makes no odds. What do owners think? Do you jump from the three-pedal Porsche train to two, or hang on to your three-pedaller?
Cost to change is one consideration. Latest data from Porsche dealerships says a Porsche owner in the UK running a late-ish Gen 2 997 GT3 with under 10k miles will need the car plus £40K to get a 991 GT3. It’s going to take a lot to loosen those purse strings.
Porsche 911 GT3 Manual to PDK comparison
Will the new car be such a huge step forward? Gen 2 997 GT3 RS has 444 hp in 1370 kilograms, if you abandon some options and add big bucks for ceramics and lightweight seats. The RS has slicker induction and higher compression than the GT3. A single mass flywheel connects to shorter gearing, and the whole lot shrieks through a titanium exhaust. Max RS torque comes higher up the rev range, but those tighter ratios mean it’s more fun to scream.
However good the 991 GT3 and RS derivative prove, the 997 GT3 RS is huge fun. The controls are responsive: old-school steering offers exceptional feedback and is never too heavy. Wider track front and rear means that only on track will you get to the limits of grip: owners of so many UK GT3s regularly take them to the Nürburgring, and any track day at Spa shows a few RSs in the mix.
Set up to deliver excitement on track, the GT3 RS offers a monumental 911 experience. There are driver aids, sticky tyres, dynamic engine mounts and more, but you still have to work those three pedals to get the best from the car.
Given how good the old car is, it’s hard to see how shaving a few tenths off using two pedals and paddles will improve upon driving rewards. A high cost to change now versus uncertain long term return on investment asks quite a bit in this economy, and Porsche dealers may rue Stuttgart’s PDK-only decision.
