Porsche’s new GT3 racer has been spotted testing in Portugal and more recently at the Nurburgring and it’s now clear that the new for 2015 evolution of the 911 GT3-R is, broadly speaking, an upgraded but otherwise conventional step forward from the current version of the car.
Video c. Tiago Fernandes (incorrectly titled – this is the 2015 911 GT3.R)
The fact that the car has been testing on the Nordschliefe, not a regular haunt for the Porsche test team, is a clear sign that the car is destined for competition at the Nurburgring early in its competition life, and likely with the unmatched ‘Ring brilliance of Olaf Manthey involved.
Perhaps more interesting still though is the route that Porsche could have taken with their new racer but have clearly opted not to.
DSC understands that Porsche sought, and gained, approval to present a far more radical re-engineering on the basis of the 911 with the car effectively approved to be raced in rear-mid engined configuration.
That they have chosen not to do so might point to either current budgetary constraints, or to the rumoured review of current and future motorsport programmes which most certainly includes the thorniest question of all to Porsche purists:
Is the day of the 911 as a frontline Porsche race car coming to an end?
The question arises as even the current 911 RSR GTE car is struggling to match the efforts of its competitors, able to punch out very fast times but struggling for stint and race long pace. The car will return for a full FIA WEC campaign in 2015 but is the writing on the wall for the 911 beyond that?
The alternatives have been discussed fairly openly. The current Cayman platform presents some of the same issues as the 911, albeit with a more easily balanced mid engined layout. the 918 Spyder also has potential, albeit in a racing version denuded of the hybrid system fitted to the race car.
And then there’s the planned ‘988’ a car destined to go head to head with the Ferrari 458 et al, as Porsche grapple with the reality that their flat six power plant is struggling to stay with the opposition on either road or track. That car is still some years away and it may be that Porsche has decided, for now at least, to take a very conservative track, in particular as they push forward with an all new replacement for the current LMP1 919 Hybrid for 2015.
One thing is for sure, there are few marques with as long and as proud a tradition of using motorsport as a banner for their brand, Porsche aren’t going anywhere any time soon.
