Porsche 911 RSR Model Year 2019 ready for FIA WEC GTE 2019-2020 and IMSA GTLM 2020 seasons

Last update : Porsche 911 RSR Story from 1973 till November 14th 2020

Update January 26th 2020 - Daytona Rolex 24 Hours -Double Porsche Podiums in IMSA Debut of 911 RSR-19.

The new Porsche 911 RSR-19 celebrated a successful North American race debut in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, January 25 – 26, with a double podium finish at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. After a strong team effort, the two ca. 515-hp Porsche 911 RSR-19 fielded by the Porsche GT Team finished in second and third-places of the GTLM class. In the GTD class, Porsche 911 GT3 R customer teams finished in fourth, fifth and 13th-places.

From start to finish, the factory GT racers from Germany ran like clockwork at their first 24-hour race. Not a single technical problem hampered the premiere as the two new 911 RSR-19 race machines took turns in the lead over most of the record distance. After 786 laps, Porsche was just shy of claiming a record-extending victory at the 24-hour classic in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The two Porsche 911 RSR-19 had already turned heads earlier in the weekend at the high-speed oval/road course combination track. The “works” cars swept the first-two positions on the GTLM class grid in qualifying with Nick Tandy (Great Britain) charging the No. 911 to the pole position just ahead of teammate and defending IMSA Champion Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) in the No. 912. In the race, Vanthoor, Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Mathieu Jaminet (France) followed on this performance, claiming second-place in the No. 912 race car, with the No. 911 sister car with the driver trio of Tandy, Frédéric Makowiecki (France), and Matt Campbell (Australia) finishing in third-place. With flawless stints, a perfect strategy and swift pit stops, both crews set the pace at the front.

The Porsche customer teams also put in a strong performance at the season-opening round of the 2020 race season. Wright Motorsports with Porsche factory driver Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California), Ryan Hardwick (Atlanta, Georgia), Anthony Imperato (Brooklyn, New York) and Austrian Klaus Bachler made a dramatic comeback in the second half of the race, managing a fourth-place finish in the GTD class despite sustaining slight damages to the underbody of their No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Behind them, Black Swan Racing also put in a spirited chase through the field to take fifth-place with drivers Sven Müller (Germany), Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Timothy Pappas (Boston, Massachusetts) and Trenton Estep (San Antonio, Texas) at the wheel of the No. 54 entry. The team, with the assistance of Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) and Wright Motorsports, made the race start after a serious accident rendered the originally entered Black Swan Porsche 911 GT3 R un-repairable on-site. The end result was a impressive example of teamwork, tenacity and the Porsche “Family” spirit.

The GTD class pole-winning Porsche 911 GT3 R of Pfaff Motorsports experienced a frustrating ending to a strong weekend. After leading the pro-am style class for the majority of the first 12-hours, a drive-shaft defect relegated the No. 9 car shared by factory ace Patrick Pilet (France), Dennis Olsen (Norway), 2019 IMSA Sprint Cup Champion Zach Robichon (Canada) and Porsche Development Driver Lars Kern (Germany) down through the field. The quartet ultimately crossed the finish line in 13th-place.

“That was a perfect debut for the new Porsche 911 RSR. At the first race in the USA – and one over 24 hours – we didn’t experience a single technical problem and ended up on the podium with both cars. From the team effort to the strategy right through to the work in the pit lane, everything ran smoothly and flawlessly. At the next race in Sebring, we want to defend our victory from last year.” Pascal Zurlinden, Director GT Works Motorsport.

source Porsche Media Archives

Wallpaper for Daytona Rolex 24 Hours -Double Porsche Podiums in IMSA Debut of 911 RSR-19. (click on image to enlarge)

Stuttgart July 9th 2019 . Porsche puts its faith in the brand-new 911 RSR (2019 model year) to defend the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title. The race car complying with the FIA GTE regulations is a completely new development. The vehicle from Weissach has undergone improvements in all areas and will replace the successful 911 RSR with which Porsche won the manufacturers’ and drivers’ world championship in the FIA WEC as well as the Le Mans endurance classic (France) and the IMSA races at Sebring and Road Atlanta (Petit Le Mans) amongst other events in 2019.

In developing the new Porsche 911 RSR, substantial insights were garnered and adopted from the extremely successful race outings of its predecessor. “Since 2017 the 911 RSR has yielded us more than 20 class wins in the world championship as well as at long-distance series in North America and Europe. Our job in the development was to make a very good car even better. The engineers at Weissach have perfectly implemented this in every aspect,” says Fritz Enzinger, Vice President Porsche Motorsport.

“We never rest on our laurels,” explains Pascal Zurlinden, Director GT Factory Motorsport. “We’ve extensively analysed all factory and customer campaigns with the Porsche 911 RSR. Our engineers noticed room for improvement in a number of areas. We have made significant progress in the development of our car for the next three-year homologation period, especially in the complex areas of driveability, efficiency, durability and serviceability. Ninety-five percent of the car is new. The only components that we’ve kept unchanged from the predecessor are the headlights, brake system, clutch, driver’s seat and parts of the suspension. Tests so far have run excellently. We’re already looking forward to the first races of the 2019/2020 FIA WEC season.”

Porsche 911 RSR Model Year 2019 ready for FIA WEC GTE 2019-2020 and IMSA GTLM 2020 seasons : New flat engine with larger displacement

In terms of the drivetrain, Porsche remains faithful to its chosen path. The latest nine-eleven is also powered by a six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. The highly efficient boxer unit positioned in front of the rear axle has a capacity of 4,194 cc and – depending on the size of the restrictor – produces around 515 hp. The new power unit is the largest ever boxer engine to be mounted in a Porsche 911 ex-works, and offers even better driveability over a wider rev-band compared to the predecessor’s proven four-litre aggregate. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a weight-optimised, more rigid sequential six-speed constant-mesh gearbox. The new powertrain in the Porsche 911 RSR ensures faster gear-shift times and increased efficiency. The two exhaust pipes now exit on each side in front of the rear wheels. The new exhaust gas ducting saves weight and is aerodynamically advantageous.

With the repositioning of the tailpipes, space has been made for an optimised diffuser. The distinctive component at the rear of the Porsche 911 RSR now generates even more downforce. Thanks to the optimisation of airflow at the front and the sides of the Weissach racer, aerodynamic efficiency and stability have increased significantly, thereby further improving the use and durability of the tyres during racing.

Porsche 911 RSR Model Year 2019 ready for FIA WEC GTE 2019-2020 and IMSA GTLM 2020 seasons : Focus on the work of drivers and mechanics

Driveability and serviceability are critical factors in long-distance racing. For this reason, Porsche placed particular emphasis on these aspects when developing the new 911 RSR. The cockpit has been reworked with the focus on better usability. In this regard, extensive feedback from the Porsche drivers proved invaluable. Like with the predecessor, the body made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic can be swapped out quickly and thus ensures efficient pit processes in long-distance racing.

To give drivers added protection, the active and passive safety elements in the Porsche 911 RSR have been overhauled. The proven collision warning system allows drivers an even better overview to detect approaching prototype vehicles early enough. The optimised roll cage, the FIA side impact panel in the door and cage as well as additional impact protection for the legs improve the passive safety in the event of an accident. Other features include the removable roof hatch and the rigidly-mounted racing seat featuring a six-point safety harness for the driver.

Porsche 911 RSR Model Year 2019 ready for FIA WEC GTE 2019-2020 and IMSA GTLM 2020 seasons : First race outing in September 2019

“We’ve been working on the concept of the new Porsche 911 RSR since 2017. The first designs were created using CAD software. In August 2018, the best racing nine-eleven to date completed its first kilometres on the factory’s own test track in Weissach,” says Pascal Zurlinden, describing the important milestones in the car’s development. Over the following months, the factory team conducted numerous tests. Seasoned Porsche works drivers took turns at the wheel of the new 911 RSR. Parallel to this, the aerodynamics were fine-tuned in the Porsche wind tunnel. “Another milestone was our long-run in March 2019 at Le Castellet, where we included the works teams from both the WEC and IMSA. We covered more than 6,000 kilometres over 30 hours without any technical hiccups. The drivers and engineers were very satisfied. The car received its racing homologation on 1st July,” added Zurlinden.

Porsche 911 RSR Model Year 2019 ready for FIA WEC GTE 2019-2020 and IMSA GTLM 2020 seasons : World premiere at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019

The most spectacular 911 of all time makes its world premiere on 6 July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (Great Britain). The Porsche 911 RSR will also celebrate its race debut on the British Isles – at the season-opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Silverstone on 1 September. Prior to this, the vehicle of the current manufacturers’ world champions will face rival manufacturers contesting the FIA WEC GTE-Pro class for the first time at a two-day prologue in Barcelona (Spain) on 23/24 July. The Porsche GT Team will field two works cars at eight rounds of the 2019/2020 season with drivers Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kévin Estre (France) as well as Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Richard Lietz (Austria). In the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the switch to the latest model will take place in the 2020 season. In North America, an additional two factory-run Porsche 911 RSR will fight for the GTLM category title against competing manufacturers. For customer teams, the vehicle will be available from the 2020/2021 FIA WEC season.

For the first time, the factory race cars from Weissach will be decked out in two different designs: The typical Porsche white will continue to be the dominating colour on the No. 91 car. Added accents include a centrally-placed red stripe extending from the front hood over the roof to the rear apron, as well as red side sills. Grey highlights on the side complement the clear and dynamic design. On the No. 92 car, the white and grey colours are reversed. The rear wing and the wing mirrors are black instead of white so that fans can differentiate between the two.

P.Damiens-photos illustrations and data Porsche Media Archives,Newspress

Articles Related to Porsche 911 RSR
Porsche 911 RSR captures quadruple victory at FIA WEC GTE 2018 - 2019 super season
Porsche 911 RSR and 911 GT3 R at 2017 IMSA Daytona 24 Hours
Related review : Porsche 911 RSR FIA WEC GTE and IMSA GTLM 2017
Porsche 911 3.0 L RSR Prototype 1973

Wallpapers :Porsche 911 RSR Model Year 2019 ready for FIA WEC GTE 2019-2020 and IMSA GTLM 2020 seasons (click on image to enlarge)