Just in time to race in the 2023 season, as well as the new FIA World Endurance Championship GT3 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans beginning in 2024, the brand-new 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 R customer racecar has been unveiled. Porsche lifted the sheet on the new 911 GT3 R one month ahead of its streetgoing counterpart, the recently-teased 911 GT3 RS road car. It ain’t cheap, though, with a starting price at over half a million dollars.
In development since 2019, the new 992-generation 911-based GT3 R makes some significant improvements to its engine. It’s still a naturally aspirated, water-cooled flat-six with direct injection, but capacity has been expanded by five percent, from 3,997 to 4,194 cc, making it now a 4.2-liter motor. The engine has also been tilted forward by five degrees to make room for the underbody diffuser—yes, the entire engine—and the A/C compressor and alternator have been moved forward and further down, improving weight balance. The engine is rated at 565 horsepower, a boost of 65 hp over the outgoing racer, and the motor is still mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shifters.
“We hit the bullseye with the enormously successful predecessor. Accordingly, the bar for its successor is high,” emphasizes Sebastian Golz, 911 GT3 R Project Manager at Porsche Motorsport. “Our task was less about making the new 911 GT3 R even faster – the classification within performance windows set by the BoP quickly cancels out this advantage. For us, it was primarily about our customers being able to drive the racing car fast for longer. This requires durability and that’s why we focused predominantly on improved drivability. This is reflected in the new 4.2-liter engine’s broader usable rev band, more stable and constant aerodynamics and lower loads on the rear tires, which allow their potential to last longer.”
The suspension has been tuned, too. A double-wishbone setup supports the front axle with a multi-link setup at the rear, now with improved adjustable KW shock absorbers. Porsche says its suspension tweaks, some taken from the 911 RSR, allows for more precise steering, improves setup time, and contributes to a reduction in tire wear, all in an effort to make the thing easier to race with for customer teams. The 911 R’s wheelbase has also been stretched 2.64 inches by moving the rear wheels further back. For aero, an elevated underbody ahead of the front axle works with the smooth undertray and rear diffuser for improved airflow and an increase in downforce.
The body is based on the same lightweight aluminum-steel composite design as the production car, though almost all body panels on the 911 R are made from carbon fiber, including the frunk hood, engine cover, rear wing, roof panel, side panels, and the doors, with wheel arches made from aramid fibers (similar to fiberglass). For braking, 15.35-inch-diameter, six-piston vented and slotted front steel discs are sourced from specialist company AP, joining 14.56-inch, four-piston discs at the rear, with aluminum monoblock calipers. Porsche claims the car’s updated fifth-generation ABS software helps reduce wear on the tires and brakes, with an upgrade to the traction control system, too.
Inside, Porsche has shifted the driver’s seat inward, closer to the center of the car, to improve the roll cage geometry and comply with new FIA regulation side impact protection mandates. Driver controls, including the steering wheel and pedals, can be adjusted without moving the fixed seat. To improve driver change times, special ramps have been added to the six-point harness clasps, which Porsche says should shave about a second off of pit stop driver swaps. The steering wheel’s multi-switch setup is adopted from the 911 RSR Le Mans racer, and the 10.3 inch driver display is sourced from the 911 GT3 Cup racecar.
The new 911 GT3 R is available in North America for a price tag of $567,210, not including the optional extras.
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