Only three months have passed in 2013 but it has already been shaping up into an exciting year for Porsche as the Stuttgart automaker celebrates 50 years of its iconic 911 sports car.
Last month, Porsche finally unveiled its all new Porsche '991' 911 GT3 track-focused sports car. Today, Porsche reveals the Porsch 911 that matters most -- the 2013 Porsche 911 RSR that will compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The 2013 Porsche 911 RSR marks the first factory team effort at Le Mans since the legendary 911 GT1 in 1998. In fact, doubling down on their return to endurance racing, Porsche is teasing a Le Mans Prototype entry slated for 2014 in its new "Mission 2014" web site as well.
Naturally, the new 911 RSR boasts a lightweight and highly aerodynamic design. The 911 RSR will run in the WEC LM-GTE class. Continuing the 50th anniversary of 911 theme of 2013, the new 911 RSR features a unique livery that features the numbers 50 and 911 across the body.
Porsche has announced that its "Mission 2014. Our Return" to Le Mans has officially started. While the introduction of the 2013 Porsche 911 RSR (type 991) signals the first factory team to return to Le Mans since 1998, this web site celebrates the first factory team to compete for an overall win there since.
As usual in 911 history, the new RSR looks more evolutionary than revolutionary. Porsche focused a lot of the RSR's development on balanced weight distribution. The center of gravity is now much lower than previous racing Porsches thanks in part to the more extensive use of carbon fiber. The front and rear mudguards, front and rear lids, doors, underbody, wheel arches, rear wing, dashboard and center console are all carbon fiber creations. A quick change concept designed by Porsche engineers will hopefully allow for easier maintenance and shorter repair time.
Porsche even managed to improve creature comforts as an optimized cockpit air conditioning system promises to be more efficient and light. Handling-wise, the wheelbase has grown four inches from the outgoing 997 RSR. A new wishbone suspension replaces the outgoing McPherson struts. Finally, the 460 hp 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer enginehas been further optimized for performance.
The #91 Porsche 911 RSR is driven by German Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet of France. The #92 Porsche 911 RSR will be driven by German Marc Lieb and Austrian Richard Lietz. The first race will be Siverstone on April 21 while the next is at Spa Francochamps on May 4.
