LA MOTOR SHOW: Porsche 911 RSR teased

[tomo]

German sports car company to reveal "another world innovation" with new RSR – and it could become a mid-engine race car

Moving an engine half a dozen centimetres may not sound like a big deal, but if Porsche does indeed transform the 911 RSR race car into a mid-engined beast as many have speculated, it could live up to the company's declaration it will be "the most spectacular 911 ever".

The German sports car company has revealed a new teaser sketch of the 911 RSR ahead of its debut at LA motor show this week, along with a short press statement claiming the car will debut "yet another world innovation".

If the new Porsche does employ a mid-mounted engine, it could have ramifications for production models. And who knows, perhaps road-going 911s of the future will cop mid-mount engines too?

Making its world premiere at the 2016 Los Angeles motor show at 5:00am Thursday Australian time (10:00am Wednesday LA time), the sketch of Porsche's latest GT race car reveals a goose-neck rear wing and extreme ground-effects bodywork to improve downforce, such as an extended rear diffuser and front splitter.

The wild new Porsche 911 RSR race car can be expected to feature a wide-body kit too. 

It's not clear what engine will be pumping away beneath the RSR's swoopy bodywork, but a flat six-cylinder engine, most likely turbocharged and bristling with power, is expected.

Porsche's "most spectacular 911 ever" will eschew a centrally-mounted exhaust for dual pipes now, so clearly powertrain fettling has been undertaken. Just exactly how much mumbo it will develop will be a secret until Thursday.

The car is expected to make its track debut at the Daytona 24 Hours race in January 2017 and is eligible for racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) including the Le Mans 24 Hours, along with several other regional Le Mans-inspired series.

Porsche will also show off its new extended wheelbase versions of the Panamera four-door grand tourer. Dubbed the Panamera Executive, it rides on a 150mm longer wheelbase than regular models, affording occupants more interior space to stretch out. It will offered in the USA and China, but not in Australia.

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Published : Tuesday, 15 November 2016

[sandy468]

"Mid engined 911", wash ya mouth out! 6cm forward is hardly mid engined...

[Skidmarks]

It's a 911 if Porsche calls it a 911 ...  

[DJM]

"Mid engined 911", wash ya mouth out! 6cm forward is hardly mid engined...

it is if they move the rear axle back a metre...

[spiller]

Of course this will make it's way down to the production cars in the future. 

 

[CoSo]

Of course this will make it's way down to the production cars in the future. 

 

Air-cooled vs water-cooled part two? 

[Raven]

From what I have read about it the popular theory is they have tuned the engine and transaxle  around ......? Apparently Porsche was granted an exemption from the FIA to move the engine forward  but the article did not state any reason why 

 

 

 

 

[spiller]

Air-cooled vs water-cooled part two? 

I can only imagine. Perhaps Porsche weren't keen on continuing the use of rear wheel steering and this is the next step. Bit of a shame but progress is progress.

[Raven]

Latest news on the mid engine RSR .................

http://blog.caranddriver.com/porsche-builds-a-mid-engine-911-rsr-for-lemans-and-imsa-competition/?src=socialflowFB

 

[TrevMcRev]

That's a nice lookin Cayman!

[LeeM]

That's a nice lookin Cayman!

 I thought the same

[tomo]

The Office :Traditional rear-engine layout re-evaluated as Porsche ushers in mid-engine era

Porsche has altered the course of its history today by announcing a mid-engine 911 RSR race car.

The 375kW rear-drive apex predator has shifted the position of its engine from behind the rear axle to in front of it, which the company says provides balance and weight distribution for the 1243kg racer.

Ignoring the 911 GT1 of the mid 1990s, which didn't have much in common with the traditional 911 shape (but did have a road car built after it) this could be seen as the first time since the car's inception in 1963 that a mid-engine layout has been used in a 911.

Another benefit of pushing the engine to the mid-ship position is that Porsche engineers and aerodynamicists were able to integrate a much larger rear diffuser, increasing the car's high speed stability – a must on the race track.

Two important factors that have made the Porsche 911 an automotive icon are its flowing design that has remained fundamentally unchanged in decades, and its unique rear-mounted engine.

"While retaining the typical 911 design, this is the biggest evolution by now in the history of our top GT model," stated Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, the boss Porsche Motorsport.

With this major change that brings the Porsche's GT racecar in line with its race car rivals from Ferrari and the like, it has the potential to influence the company's decision making when it comes to road cars in the future.

An engine is heart and soul of any vehicle, racer car or road car, with the rest of the vehicle developed around it, meaning that the 911 RSR was virtually built from scratch.

It's unlikely Porsche will throw away decades of development to do the same for its road cars but limited edition vehicles would be possible. And very, very collectible.

Indeed, if the all-new 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine powering the Porsche 911 RSR dominates on the race track, Zuffenhausen may discuss how to celebrate and a road-going version wouldn't be unprecedented.

The Porsche 911 RSR's 375kW 4.0-litre boxer engine features direct fuel injection, a single mass flywheel and is hooked up to a six-speed sequential constant-mesh gearbox with a triple disc carbon race clutch and a battle-ready multi-disc locking differential. Together with its improved weight distribution, the rear-driven machine will be super rapid.

All-new suspension and carbon-fibre bodywork were also required to accommodate the repositioning of the flat six engine.

Huge six-piston brake calipers are in evidence, chomping on 390mm front rotors, while giant 31cm wide rear tyres will provide traction for the ballistic RSR. Racing seats with harnesses and a full roll cage are fitted too.

The 911 RSR even borrows a bit of road car technology to help it in endurance racing, taking advantage of a radar-based collision avoidance system, not unlike active cruise control, that detects other cars and warns the driver.

Porsche says the car will be fielded in around 19 races in 2017 but the German sports car maker has its eye on the pinnacle of sports car racing, the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours race, which takes place in mid-June.

As Porsche turns its back on tradition to get a leg up on the competition and perhaps make history in 2017, it's a calculated move that could be pivotal for the car maker on the track, and possibly also the road.

 

 

[Raven]

 Porsche press Release good read 

 

Press Release November 16, 2016
No. M 231/16
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 1 of 6 Public Relations and Press
Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport
70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger
Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09
e-mail oliver.hilger@porsche.de
The most spectacular nine-eleven ever
New 911 RSR for Le Mans
Stuttgart. Porsche will tackle the 2017 racing season with an all-out newly developed
GT racer. The new 911 RSR makes full use of the breadth of the Le Mans 24
Hours GT regulations, and in addition to systematic lightweight design, features the
ultra-modern, flat-six unit positioned in front of the rear axle. The four-litre, extremely
light aggregate features direct fuel injection as well as a rigid valve drive and is characterised
by outstanding efficiency. The new 911 RSR will make its debut at the Daytona
24-hour race in January 2017.
“While retaining the typical 911 design, this is the biggest evolution by now in the history
of our top GT model,” says Head of Porsche Motorsport Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser.
The new 911 RSR is a completely new development: the suspension, body structure,
aerodynamic concept, engine and transmission have all been designed from
scratch. The engine concept has enabled the designers to install a particularly large
rear diffuser. Combined with a top-mounted rear wing adopted from the LMP1 race
car, the 919 Hybrid, the level of downforce and the aerodynamic efficiency were significantly
improved.
“For the 911 RSR, we deliberately focussed on a particularly modern and light normally-
aspirated engine, as this gave our engineers immense latitude in developing
the vehicle,” explains Dr Walliser. “Apart from that, in principle, the LM-GTE regulations
stipulate the absolute equality of various drive concepts, as the torque characteristics
of turbo and normally aspirated engines are aligned.” Depending on the size
of the restrictor, the new normally-aspirated unit puts out around 375 kW (510 hp).
Press Release November 16, 2016
No. M 231/16
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 2 of 6 Public Relations and Press
Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport
70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger
Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09
e-mail oliver.hilger@porsche.de
Shift paddles on the steering wheel actuate the sequential six-speed gearbox with a magnesium housing, which delivers power to the 31-centimentre-wide rear wheels. The changeover to the new engine generation is now complete. After the 911 GT3 R and the 911 GT3 Cup, the spearhead of Porsche GT racing cars is now also pow-ered by the same cutting-edge six-cylinder boxer engine family.
In the past, Porsche has already thoroughly pushed the limits with the concept of the 911 – in 1996 with the 911 GT1. With great success: In 1998 the 911 GT1 achieved the 16th overall victory for Porsche at the Le Mans 24-hour race. Back then, the fast-est vehicle in the field emerged from the GT1 class.
For the first time, a Porsche GT race car features state-of-the-art assistance systems: the new 911 RSR is equipped with a radar-supported collision warning system, the so-called “Collision Avoid System”. Even in the dark, the faster LMP prototypes are detected early enough and misunderstandings can be avoided. A new safety cage concept and a new, rigidly-mounted racing seat enhance driver safety. With the seat fixed to the chassis, the pedalry can now been moved and adjusted to fit the driver.
The new 911 RSR’s serviceability has also been significantly improved: Entire ele-ments of the carbon-fibre body can be exchanged completely in a very short time thanks to clever quick-release fasteners. Moreover, changes to the suspension setup can be performed much more quickly and easily.
With the look of the body wrapping, the 911 RSR is striking out in a new direction: For the first time, the GT racer bears the new factory design that has further devel-oped the clear and dynamic design language of Porsche Motorsport. From a bird’s eye view, a hint of the Porsche emblem silhouette can be seen. The basic colours remain white, red and black.
In the 2017 season, the factory is expected to run the new 911 RSR at 19 outings which equates to more than 140 hours of racing. With two factory-entries, Porsche
Press Release November 16, 2016
No. M 231/16
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 3 of 6 Public Relations and Press
Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport
70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger
Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09
e-mail oliver.hilger@porsche.de
will tackle the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) including the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the American IMSA Weathertech Championship. The new racer will celebrate its debut under the toughest conditions at the IMSA season opener in Daytona on 28-29 January. “We’re very well prepared for this,” says Marco Ujhasi, Head of GT Works Sport. “Since its first rollout in Weissach in March this year we’ve covered 35,000 test kilometres on racetracks in Europe and North America – that’s more than in the development of any other Porsche GT racer.”
Technical data Porsche 911 RSR model year 2017
Concept
Single-seater race car for the LM-GTE category
Weight/dimensions
Weight ca. 1,243 kg (base weight per regulations)
Length 4,557 mm (without splitter, rear wing, diffuser)
Width 2,042 mm (front axle) / 2,048 mm (rear axle)
Wheelbase 2,516 mm
Engine
Water-cooled six cylinder boxer, positioned in front of the rear axle; 4,000 cm3, stroke 81.5 mm, bore 102 mm; ca. 375 kW (510 hp) depending on restrictor; four-valve technology; direct fuel injection; dry sump lubrication; single mass flywheel; power output limitation via restrictor; electronic throttle.
Transmission
Six-speed sequential constant-mesh gearbox; two-shaft longitudinal layout with bevel gear; shifting via electronic shift actuator; shift paddles on the steering wheel; mag-nesium gearbox casing; multi-disc self-locking differential with visco unit; three disc carbon race clutch.
Press Release November 16, 2016
No. M 231/16
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 4 of 6 Public Relations and Press
Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport
70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger
Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09
e-mail oliver.hilger@porsche.de
Body
Weight-optimised chassis in combined aluminium steel design; removable roof hatch for cockpit access; lifting bushes integrated in the roof; FT3 fuel cell in front of the car; welded-in roll cage; seat pursuant to FIA 8862-2009; rigidly mounted to the chassis; six-point safety harness for use with HANS; longitudinally adjustable pedal-ry; bodywork made of CFRP, quick-change; rear wing with “swan neck” mounts; four-post air jack system with safety pressure valve; electronically activated fire extin-guisher system; heated windscreen.
Suspension
Front axle: double wishbone front axle; four-way vibration damper; twin coil spring setup (main and helper spring); anti-roll bars, adjustable by blade positions; electro-hydraulic power steering
Rear axle: integrated rear axle subframe with double wishbone axle; four-way vibra-tion damper; twin coil spring setup (main and helper spring); anti-roll bars, adjustable by blade positions; electro-hydraulic power steering; tripod drive shafts.
Brakes
Two independent brake circuits for front and rear axle, adjustable via balance bar.
Front axle: One piece aluminium six-piston racing callipers with quick coupling; inter-nally ventilated steel brake discs, 390 mm diameter; race brake pads; optimised brake cooling ducts.
Rear axle: One piece aluminium four-piston racing callipers with quick coupling; in-ternally ventilated steel brake discs, 355 mm diameter; race brake pads; optimised brake cooling ducts.
Press Release November 16, 2016
No. M 231/16
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 5 of 6 Public Relations and Press
Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport
70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger
Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09
e-mail oliver.hilger@porsche.de
Wheels/tyres
Front axle: One piece forged light alloy wheels, 12.5Jx18 offset 25 with centre lock nut; Michelin slick 30/68-18.
Rear axle: One piece forged light alloy wheels, 13Jx18 offset 37 with centre lock nut; Michelin slick 31/71-18.
Electrics
Cosworth Central Logger Unit; CFRP multi-functional steering wheel with integrated display; shift paddles and quick release; Collision Avoidance System; controlled al-ternator in connection with LiFePo4 battery; LED headlights; LED taillights plus rain light; illuminated car number and leader light system; black light inside cockpit; elec-tric adjustable wing mirrors with memory function; tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS); drink system; air conditioning system; membrane switch panel on centre console with fluorescent labelling.
GO
Please note: Photo and video material of the new Porsche 911 RSR is available for journalists from the Porsche Press Database on https://presse.porsche.de. The Twitter channel @PorscheRaces provides live updates with the latest information and photos from race tracks around the world. Jour-nalists also have access to the digital Porsche Motorsport Media Guide on https://presse.porsche.de/motorsport. Porsche Communication provides a new service for journal-ists, bloggers and online multipliers under www.newsroom.porsche.com. Up-to-date video news can be downloaded from www.vimeo.com/porschenewsroom.