2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car unveiled at Paris Motor Show
Porsche has unveiled the new 2017 911 GT3 Cup car at the Paris Motor Show ahead of the car’s competition debut next season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Carrera Cup Deutschland and GT3 Cup Challenge USA.
Based on the upcoming Porsche 991.2 GT3 – due to be launched early next year – the latest Cup car features a number of styling cues taken from the Gen2 road car (including the ‘3D’ brake lights) while there’s a new Cayman GT4-esque front bumper.
The biggest change over the outgoing 991 GT3 Cup car (which will continue to run in the majority of national Carrera Cup series next year) is under the huge 184cm wide rear wing, where the venerable Mezger flat six has finally been phased out.
While the 997.2 was the last to road car generation to feature the Mezger engine, the famous flat six lived on in motorsport circles, powering both the 991 GT3 Cup car and GTE-class 911 RSR (the former in 3.8-litre form, the latter in 4.0-litre guise).
However, the launch of the 991 GT3 R last season saw the competition debut of a new 4.0-litre motorsport engine featuring direct fuel injection, which has now found its way into the 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
Developing 485hp, the DFI powerplant, a mildly down-tuned version of the GT3 R’s unit, will provide next year’s Supercup competitors with an extra 25hp over the outgoing car (which will continue to race on in the majority of national Carrera Cup series in 2017).
Elsewhere, much of the Cup car’s specification is the same as the 991.1 variant, keeping the six-speed paddleshift constant-mesh gearbox, mechanical limited slip differential and single-piece forged alloy wheels (wrapped in Michelin slick racing rubber).
The unveiling of the new 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car comes on the same day that Porsche announced its Supercup contract had been renewed through until the end of 2019, ensuring that the premier one-make 911 championship would remain a support race at European Formula One events for another three years.
2017 marks the 25th year of Supercup competition, with the silver anniversary season set to be contested over nine meetings, eight at European Grand Prix and, as has become traditional, one at a yet-to-be-confirmed overseas event.
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