Porsche unveils the mid-engine 911 RSR

Porsche has ditched its iconic rear-engine set-up in the new 911 RSR. The WEC and Le Mans GTE racer will now have the engine sitting ahead of the rear axle instead of the traditional rear-engine layout of the German manufacturer. The car is built ground-up complaint with the FIA and LM-GTE class regulations and will go up against other mid-engine cars like the Ford GT and Ferrari 488 GTE.

The decision to make the 911 RSR a mid-engine car came after Porsche struggled with the weight balance of the rear engine setup, whereas the competitors like the Ford GT and Ferrari 488 GTE dominating the races with their mid-engine layout. In the 911 RSR, with the engine moved ahead, there was ample space for fitting the massive diffuser at the back which now has an improved downforce and better aerodynamic efficiency. The humongous rear wing is borrowed from the Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car.

Unlike its rivals which make use of turbocharged engines, the Porsche has decided to continue with the naturally aspirated unit. The engine is new and is based on the 991’s light weight block instead of the previous Mezger motor. The 4.0-litre 24-valve water-cooled flat-six engine is rated at 510bhp based upon the LM-GTE regulations. The gearbox is also a brand new six-speed sequential unit, actuated by shift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. 

Also new is the suspension and the carbon fibre body components which are now faster to replace thanks to quick release fasteners. Suspension components are easier to access for quick modifications. The 911 RSR is also safer than before. With the driver’s seat moving farther away from the door and is a fixed with adjustable pedals and the steering wheel to fit the driver. The racecar tips in at 1,243 kg and Porsche says they have made full use of the breadth of the Le Mans 24 Hours GT regulations.

On the inside, the 911 RSR sports a brand-new roll cage, a new multi-function steering wheel, and an air conditioning system – as per GT racing regulations. Porsche has also fitted its new racer with a radar collision warning system which can warn the drivers of fast approaching LMP1 and LMP2 cars allowing them to react accordingly.

The 911 RSR is revealed at the ongoing LA motor show and will make its racing debut at the Daytona 24-hour race in late January next year. The car will also campaign at the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) – the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the American IMSA Weathertech Championship along with two factory races next year.

The new 911 RSR isn’t the first mid-engine 911, in the late 90s, Porsche made the incredibly successful Le-Mans winning GT1. GT1 regulations back then required 25 road cars to be made, which sadly isn’t the case with the LM-GTE rules and hence there will be no road going mid-engine 911 RSR.