Porsche 911 RSR - 2018

Cette collection est une adaptation de 24H Le Mans ® Le auto delle corsa più leggendaria al mondo Éditeur : Centauria Editore s.r.l.

911 RSR, A LEGENDARY NAME

The acronym RSR (Renn Sport Racing) was introduced in 1973, when Porsche gave the name to eight new 911s developed on the basis of the RS and intended for competition in Group 4, in which the type dominated for years. Equipped with a 2,800 cm3 naturally-aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine producing 308 bhp, the new 911 RSR was very quickly uprated to 3 litres and 50 more were produced. It was followed by the fantastic 911 Carrera Turbo RSR 2.1, with at least 500 bhp, that claimed an incredible second place in the 1974 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Gijs van Lennep and Herbert Müller of the Martini Racing team.

This photo was taken on 13 June 2018 during practice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR is one of several cars from the Stuttgart-based firm that will be at the start four days later. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.

The RSR acronym was reused in 2016 for a new car ('seventh generation' 911) destined for endurance racing, and in particular for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC for enthusiasts) and the American IMSA championship (International Motor Sports Association). Designed and built by the racing department as the successor to the GT3 RS, it is the first 911 to feature a six-cylinder boxer engine positioned so far forward (almost 'centrally') of the rear axle. This solution offers a better distribution of the car's masses and the possibility of fitting a large, efficient lower diffuser with numerous air extractors.

Equally significant in terms of aerodynamics, the large top spoiler mounted on gooseneck supports generating significantly more downforce (and therefore grip) on the rear axle.

The 911 RSR (type 991) was homologated in the two GTE categories: Pro for professional drivers, and Am for teams of just one professional or just gentlemen drivers with one-year-old cars. These races are open to sports cars with a two-door body, produced in at least 100 units, with a maximum cylinder capacity of 5,500 cm3 (4,400 if the engine is supercharged) and fitted with a flange on the intake. The regulations also required a minimum weight of 1,243 kg. This category also includes Ferraris, Aston Martins, Chevrolets and Fords ( all of which have officially taken part to date).

The 911 RSR project, developed at the Porsche Research and Development Centre in Weissach and at Porsche Motorsport in Flacht, was based on a new carbon-fibre monocoque with fixed seats installed in the centre and surrounded by a solid, new-generation steel safety cage allowing the engine to be positioned further forward. Following the company's tradition, the engine is a naturally-aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine with 24-valve timing, available in a 3,996 cm3 version and increased to 4,194 cm3 as of 2019. Both versions of this engine are designed to deliver a maximum power output of 510-515 bhp at 9,500 rpm, and are equipped with an electronically-controlled 6-speed gearbox.

An interesting safety feature of the RSR is its electronic collision warning system.

The 911 RSR, which debuted in the 2017 season, won the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours the following year with a one-two finish in the GTE Pro category (1st Christensen-Estre-Vanthoor, 2nd Lietz-Bruni-Makowiecki, ranked 15th and 16th overall), and also won the GTE Am with the team of Matt Campbell, Christian Ried and Julien Andlauer. The latter, aged 18, became the youngest winner in the history of the Sarthe Marathon. In 2019, the 911 RSR took 2nd and 3rd place in GTE Pro; in 2020, the best result was an anonymous 5th place, an unsatisfactory result for the German brand, that hopes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first victory on the Le Mans circuit with a success.