Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
The German
manufacturer has sold over 3,000 of its GT3 Cup racers since 1998, making it
the top-selling GT racing car in the world. What you see here is the new model.
Unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, the new 911 GT3
Cup is the latest in a long string over 911 variants to be introduced since the
991-generation model underwent its facelift. This one is dedicated to the
racetrack, and does away with the turbos.
In its butt sits a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated
flat six – just like the latest GT3 RS – but actually producing a little less
power: output is rated at 485 hp instead of the road-going RS model's 500.
On-track performance promises to be more extreme, thanks to increased
downforce from its massive six-foot-wide rear wing and big fat racing slicks
measuring over a foot wide at the back.
The use of both steel and aluminum in its
construction – minus anything in the cabin that isn't strictly necessary –
helps keep weight down to 1,200 kilograms. Porsche still found room
for all the requisite safety equipment though, including a full roll cage, a
bucket seat reinforced around the head and shoulders, and a larger emergency
hatch in the roof.
Porsche manufactures the Cup racer in Zuffenhausen
on the same assembly line as any other 911 before sending it off to Weissach for
completion and testing ahead of delivery. This latest model is set to debut
next season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as well as the German and North American
circuits of the local Carrera Cup before being introduced in 2018 to the other
18 spec racing series it organizes around the world.
