- The 911 GT3 R Rennsport makes its debut at the 2023 Rennsport Reunion in Monterey, California. It will be a limited edition of 77 cars.
- The naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine revs to 9,400 rpm and produces 611 horsepower.
- Only the hood and roof are shared with the standard GT3 R.
Redefining the idea of the track game, Porsche has released a version of its 911 GT3 R that has so much power and downforce it’s illegal. Well, that’s illegal according to the FIA’s competition rules. The 911 GT3 Competition on which Rennsport is based is designed specifically for racing in FIA or IMSA events such as Le Mans or the Daytona 24, where strict rules govern the “balance of power” in terms of how light the car is, and what transmission. It can be used, and how much horsepower and air power are allowed. 911 GT3 Rennsport asks: “What if these rules don’t apply?”
Designed by Grant Larsson and Thorsten Klein of the Style Porsche team, who heads many of Porsche’s unique projects and special editions, the 911 GT3 Rennsport is a low and long car. The hood and roof are shared with the standard GT3 R, but all other body panels differ from those of the corresponding race cars. All air intakes and ground effects are also specific to the GT3 R Rennsport. Even the mirrors are gone, replaced by a three-camera system that shows the driver’s movement via a screen in the cockpit.
Naturally, by traffic we mean only other racers. The GT3 R Rennsport isn’t as street legal as it could be, and it’s unlikely to go unnoticed if you try to pass it through a fast food window. If you do, there’s plenty of room for your lunch break on the massive rear wing, which is based on the Brumos Porsche 935/77, which won the 1978 24 Hours of Daytona. The wing serves as more than just a picnic bench. The downforce is so extreme that Porsche had to add extra support to withstand it. You’ll eat alone, though: like the GT3 R, the Rennsport model is a single seater, with most of the interior taken up by a roll cage.
Underneath, the Rennsport GT3 R almost looks like a GT3 R. The car rides on a bespoke Michelin tire. The front suspension has unequal length control arms and the rear is a multi-link setup. The KW shocks can be adjusted in five ways, and Porsche Motorsport offers the car with a pre-tuned chassis for overall performance. Additional fine adjustment can be made using the shims provided.
The AP brakes are aluminum monoblocks, with titanium backing plates behind the pads that reduce unsprung weight by just over two pounds. The fuel tank is also lighter by about the same amount. There is no air conditioning. The driver is cooled by a ventilated seat. Planned curb weight is 2,734 pounds.
You can get the GT3 Rennsport in seven different colours. The standard is Agate Gray and Raw Carbon, but if you prefer Ruby Star – as you should – it is possible. Three liveries based on Porsche’s history will also be available, one designed around Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew, one in the classic Porsche Motorsport red and white, and one in different shades of blue. All GT3 Rennsports ride on 18-inch BBS wheels which meet the technical requirements of a center-lock competition wheel, even if the car they’re fitted to is a cheater.
Power is one of the main restrictions in FIA competition, and the GT3 R Rennsport does not adhere to these rules. The Rennsport uses the 4.2-litre flat-six from the standard GT3 R model, but instead of the Limited’s 557bhp, the special edition produces 611bhp and direct injection is specifically tuned to run on E25 bioethonol and eFuel, although it can also be run on conventional gasoline. All that power goes to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox. Paddles on the wheel control shifts, and the transmission ratio has a different sixth gear, making the GT3 R Rennsport 12 mph faster than the GT3 R at the top end. If you want to hear it, an unmuted version is available, but for those who might want to hear something else – or run a track with decibel limits – two muted versions and a catalytic converter are also available on the order sheet.
Get your orders in now, as Porsche is making just 77 examples of the $1,046,000 GT3 R Rennsport.
Senior Editor, Features
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to become an artist, astronaut, and veterinarian, and approached the latter by attending UCLA’s art school. She drew pictures of cars but never owned one. Reluctantly getting a driver’s license at age 21, Ilana discovered that not only did she love cars and want to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant someone had to write about them. Since obtaining her activation codes, Ilana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsport and new car reviews.