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 20, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Project Cars
I’ve been storing an original 3.2 Carrera Speedster hard top for a Dutch R Gruppe mate for a couple of years and he’s finally coming to collect it.
The email announcing his imminent arrival was accompanied by these pics of his latest build: Project 913.
913 is the codename for a 911 ST/930 hybrid with a bit of backdating, a lot of fabrication and many retro cool tricks in between. American Racing mags, slick red early-style interior, an air force blue colour scheme that could well become his trademark and something that should be a heap of fun to drive.
Sadly he’s not coming here in it any time soon. Could be time for another trip to Amsterdam: roll on summer!
by John Glynn | Mar 15, 2013 | Art and Books, Classic Porsche Blog
An exciting design exhibition will grace North Carolina’s Museum of Art this Autumn. Twenty-plus Porsche cars will make up the museum’s first design exhibition, celebrating the “consistency of the Porsche esthetic over decades of engineering innovations”.
“Porsche has had a very distinctive look and way of building its cars,” says NCMA curator and former Petersen Museum director, Ken Gross. “The line of its first car – the 1938/39 Type 64 Berlin-Rom Racer which will be shown at the museum – can be seen sweeping through whole history of Porsche.”
The concept of a Porsche line comes up at every cars and coffee meeting I’ve ever been to. Accepted as the key to Porsche identity, kudos to North Carolina for stamping it with art approval. Porsche will support the event by shipping four cars from Stuttgart, with other cars coming from famous US collectors, including Chip Connor and Ralph Lauren. Chad McQueen will lend his dad’s 1600 Speedster, with a 904, 908 and 917 also on the list.
Porsche by Design: Seducing Speed opens on October 12 and runs to January 20, 2014. Pics courtesy of the NCMA.
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 8, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Modified Porsche Hot Rods
Good times last weekend, as I spent Saturday covering the Saturday Surgery: a three-hour morning tech session. This is where owners can bring cars like this classic Porsche 964 Turbo in for a proper 45-minute inspection free of charge, and get some advice on keeping it right.
My friends pioneered the idea of these free inspections. They promise no hard sell and so it transpired, as four different owners brought their cars for attention, with only one spending money: on a much-needed battery. Two other 911s were new owners, checking the boys out for future servicing, and finding out if they’d bought a good car. The fourth Porsche was a silver 964 Turbo, not long sold but in for a trial fit of Fuchs alloy wheels.
The UK distributor of genuine Fuchs forged Porsche wheels always has sets in stock. The 17″ versions are still eagerly awaited, but these 18″ wheels were test fitted to the 964 and really did look a treat.
Fronts went on without a spacer while the rears tried a 20mm wide one that could easily be replaced by 10mm or less. I’d probably do something with the ride heights on these wheels, but it looks pretty good. What do you think?
