Porsche GT3 RSR: A Very Successful Race Car – Part II

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – Recent History (up to the 2010 season)

The foundation for today’s successes was already laid with the racing variants of the Porsche 911 996 type. Built to contest the GT class of the Le Mans 24 Hours, the 911 GT3 R clinched virtually all GT class wins in the 1999 American Le Mans Series. In 2001, the modified 911 GT3 RS version was raced. This vehicle was not just successful in its class, but also celebrated prestigious overall wins, with the two German Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister and Timo Bernhard an team owner Kevin Buckler beating significantly more powerful prototypes at the Daytona 24 hour race in 2003. Porsche factory pilot Marc Lieb (Germany) won the 24 Hours of Spa with Romain Dumas (France) and Stéphane Ortelli (Monaco) in the same year beating all the much more powerful GT1 cars.

In the 2004 season, the successor model 911 GT3 RSR (996) made its debut. The output of its 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engine increased to 455 hp (335 kW) at 8,500 rpm, the maximum torque to 410 Nm at 7,200 rpm. By winning the American Le Mans Series (GT class), the Le Mans Endurance Series (GT) as well as the FIA GT Championship (N-GT), as well as class victories at the Le Mans and Spa 24 hour races and the Petit Le Mans event, the new racing sports car celebrated a brilliant debut season.

“It’s impressive how the 911 GT3 RSR has developed from year to year. The lap times alone are astounding, because despite the restrictions imposed on us again and again by the regulations, the car just got faster every year,” says Porsche works driver Joerg Bergmeister, who celebrated the majority of his successes at the wheel of the RSR. For this reason, the five-time winner of the American Le Mans Series is not at all anxious about tackling the 2011 season: “When you finish a season you always think: now we’ve reached our limit, now the car’s gone as far as it can go. And then Porsche comes up with something new again. And I reckon it won’t be any different in 2011.”

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997) – Most important successes

2010
Winner American Le Mans Series (GT class)
Winner Le Mans Series (GT2 class)
1st place Le Mans 24 Hours (GT2 class)
1st place Dubai 24 Hours (overall win)
1st place Spa 24 Hours (overall win)

2009
Winner American Le Mans Series (GT2 class)
Winner Le Mans Series (GT2 class)
Winner FIA GT Championship (GT2 class)
1st place Nürburgring 24 Hours (overall win)

2008
Winner American Le Mans Series (GT2 class)
1st place Sebring 12 Hours (GT2)
1st place Nürburgring 24 Hours (overall win)
1st place Dubai 24 Hours (overall win)

2007
Winner International GT Open Championship
1st place Le Mans 24 Hours (GT2 class)
1st place Nürburgring 24 Hours (overall win)
1st place Spa 24 Hours (GT2 class)
1st place Petit Le Mans (GT2 class)
1st place Mil Milhas Sao Paulo (GT2 class)

Please Continue To Part III