Porsche reveals GT3 R Rennsport, the most hardcore 911 ever

It’s not like Porsche’s catalogue needed a more aspirational model than the roadgoing 911 S/T, but that hasn’t stopped the German carmaker from churning out another wild variant of its iconic rear-engined sports car that “benefits technically from the freedoms that go beyond motorsport regulations”.

Based on the 911 GT3 R racer that competes in the global GT3 endurance series, the single-seat 911 GT 3 R Rennsport eschews regulations to become the ultimate rich person’s track toy.

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"The new Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport offers the experience of driving a nine-eleven-based racing car in what is probably the most primal form… it gives you goosebumps whenever you look at it and it combines the finest motorsport technology with a design language that is typical of Porsche”, said VP Porsche motorsport Thomas Laudenbach.

The GT3 R Rennsport will make its first in-anger appearance at Califonia’s Laguna Seca raceway during the Rennsport Reunion 7 festival, with 80,000 visitors expected between 28 September and 1 October.

Limited to 77 units, the 911 GT3 R Rennsport features a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre flat-six that redlines at a piercing 9400 rpm. And, without the GT3 series’ Balance of Performance (BoP) regulations, the Rennsport develops an extra 40kW (now 456kW) thanks to the use of E25 fuels and specifically developed pistons and camshafts.

Its six-speed sequential transmission runs the fourth, fifth and sixth ratios the racecar would in Daytona trim, though it gets a 20km/h top speed boost. The GT3 R Rennsport’s exhaust is uncorked as standard, though Porsche offers two quieter systems to play nice with noise restrictions.

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As for aerodynamics, while the diffusers and flat floor are untouched, the carbon fibre bodywork has had a major overhaul. Only the roof and bonnet remain, with every other panel new for the Rennsport – the most obvious of which is the rear wing.

Porsche says the shape is inspired by the 1978 24 Hours of Daytona winning Brumos 935/77 racecar (we detect a hint of 993 Clubsport, too) and that it’s a functional aerodynamic piece, upping the Rensport’s total downforce compared to the road car.

A bespoke set of five-way adjustable dampers from KW Suspension offers further track-specific tuning available with replaceable shims. It also benefits from the same double-wishbone front suspension found on the racecar that’s finally made its way to the 992-generation 911 GT3 road car.

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Mounted on 18-inch BBS ‘racing’ forged alloys, the GT3 R Rennsport runs an exclusive Michelin slick tyre with a shorter warm-up period than the Pilot Sport M S9 used by the racecars.

It wouldn’t be a Porsche RS model without some form of weight saving and showing Porsche’s excellence in the field, it’s managed to cut kilos out of a full-blown racecar. Titanium brake pad backings, a lighter 117-litre fuel tank and air-con delete should get it to the engineer’s ideal 1240kg kerb weight.

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Heritage-inspired design that isn’t retro

More than engineering alone, the GT3 R Rennsport must be an object of desire, and that’s down to the team at Porsche’s Style team headed up by Grant Larson and Thorsten Klein.

“We have given the limited edition model a little more width and have visually stretched the length, while at the same time it sits very low on beautifully designed wheels. This gives it perfect proportions and makes it look even more spectacular”, said Thorsten.

The team mentioned its similarities to the 2018 935 ‘Moby Dick’ reimagination based on a GT2 RS – though the GT3 R Rennsport has purer motorsport DNA.

Picking up a design feature from the 357 Concept, the Rennsport does away with physical mirrors in favour of a camera-based system that’s totally integrated into the bodywork.

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Thorsten, Grant and the style team put plenty of effort into colour schemes, too. There are ‘ex-works’ paint schemes based on seven colours, while the pictured Rennsport Reunion design uses Porsche’s heritage colours and references the contours of Laguna Seca’s ‘Corkscrew’ set of corners.

There’s no word from Porsche on pricing, but as they say, if you have to ask…

Given the limited nature of the Rennsport’s production, expect it to command a premium over the ‘regular’ 911 GT3 which starts at around AU$840K (or €511,000). And to get one, you’ll need to be in Porsche’s good books.