Porsche unleashes 2017 911 GT3 Cup

Porsche has unleashed its new 911 GT3 Cup that will hit circuits around the world from 2017. Lurking beneath the rump of the popular GT racer is a new 4.0-litre flat-six engine with direct fuel injection, delivering 357kW.

Tipping the scale at just 1,200kg, the new 911 GT3 Cup is not only more powerful but also gets improved efficiency, better durability in racing mode and reduced maintenance costs.

It uses a valve drive with rigidly mounted rocker arms and a central oil feed for the first time, while an integrated oil centrifuge is used to optimise oil defoaming in the engine. Porsche has also installed a crankshaft with significantly increased rigidity.

Outside, there’s a new front apron, one-piece 18-inch racing wheels with a central locking mechanism and wrapped in 270mm Michelin racing slicks at the front and 310mm at the rear. Its rear end gets improved downforce, thanks to the carried over rear wing that is 184cm wide.

Inside, the cabin features a solid safety cage and an innovative, bucket-style racing seat that is moulded particularly heavily around the head and shoulder area. The enlarged rescue hatch in the roof makes it easier to provide initial treatment and recovery during an accident, in line with the latest FIA standard.

The 911 GT3 Cup is manufactured on the same production line as the regular 911 road car in Porsche’s Zuffenhausen plant in Germany, before being shipped to the Weissach motorsport centre where they are thoroughly tested by a pro race driver before delivery to customers.

Some 3,031 units of the 911 GT3 Cup have been built since 1998, making it the most popular GT racing car in the world. The new model will be used in the 2017 race season, initially exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, as well as in the U.S. It will be offered for other races from 2018.