Porsche has today revealed the next generation Porsche 911 RSR which is set to make its race debut at the 2017 Daytona 24 Hours race in January. The new car completed its rollout at the Weissach test track where several work drivers had the first go in the GT challenger.
The test phase is next in line where the 2017 Porsche 911 RSR will travel across various racetracks in the world ahead of its big race debut. All works drivers were involved in the development phase and as Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Manager GT Works Motorsport explains, its unusual for drivers to get behind the wheel at rollout but it made sense to have their presence as they have been part of the project from the beginning.
Porsche launched the current RSR challenger back in 2013 using the 991 Carrera as the base for homologation – the 911 GT3 was not yet in production. They focused on the chassis and aerodynamics, retaining the previous 4.0 flat-six engine used on the 997 GT3 RSR. It was the most successful GT racer in the 2015 season.
Like the previous RSR, the new one will be used in GTE and GTLM categories within FIA and IMSA championships.
Speaking about the anticipated debut in 2017, Head of Porsche Motorsport, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser said, “The race debut of a completely new vehicle at a 24-hour race is a big challenge. But we are right on schedule.”