Porsche 911 GT3 RSR New customer sport top model for 2012 race season

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

Stuttgart. The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is ready to race. The top model of Porsche Motorsport’s customer racing vehicles will head into the 2012 season with extensive modifications. Particularly striking at first glance are the changes to the body: the width of the new GT3 RSR has grown by 48 millimetres. Built to conform to the A.C.O. “LM” GTE regulations, the 911 represents the crowning pinnacle of a range of successful customer sport race cars that are based on the 997 type 911 GT3 RS street sports car. Powering the new 911 GT3 RSR is a particularly efficient six-cylinder boxer engine with a four-litre capacity. With a mandatory air-restrictor, it generates 460 hp (338 kW) and drives the 310 millimetre wide rear wheels. The diameter of the front wheels has increased by 30 mm to now measure 680 millimetres. The Porsche sequential six-speed gearbox is operated via paddle shifts on the steering wheel. The nose and rear panels are adapted to the flared front and rear wheel arches, as are the door sill and the wheel arch coverings. The aerodynamic concept is complemented by a new ducting of the intake air. Openings in the rear side sections, as known from the turbo variants of the Porsche 911, replace the air scoop on the engine hood, which is very similar to the 911 GT2 RS street sports car. The new 911 GT3 RSR can be raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series as well as the International GT Open and in other series and races. “Our customer teams can expect a technically mature, high performance race car with which they will be highly competitive at international long distance races,” assures Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “Our test programme on various international race tracks is currently running at full speed. We are very pleased with the car’s performance and driveability.” The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR will be delivered to customer squads around the world from January 2012. The selling price is 498,000 Euro plus value added tax of the respective countries.

Porsche Motorsport.

24 Hour Le Mans: Drummer-drivers at Le Mans

Photo : Philippe Chemin - ACO/Nikon

French singer/songwriter, David Hallyday is also a great drummer... and the third to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans over the last three decades.

David Hallyday was only thirteen when Nick Mason, the drummer for Pink Floyd, participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time, a few months before the release of the double album 'The Wall'. It was this year that the drummer-driver managed his best finish with 18th place at the wheel of a Lola T297. The following year he finished 22nd in a Lola, and one of his teammates was none other than Martin Birrane, the current owner of the British manufacturer. His last three entries (1982-83-84) resulted in retirements.

In 1987, it was the turn of Swede Slim Borgudd, the drummer of ABBA, to appear in La Sarthe in a Tiga prototype, but failed to qualify. It was his only attempt at Le Mans, but note that in 1982 he raced in Formula 1 for Tyrrell, with teammate and future winner of 24 Hours of le Mans: the late Michele Alboreto (1956-2001), the 1997 winner with Tom Kristensen and Stefan Johansson.

David Hallyday has been a recognized artist since the mid 80's during his first appearance in the 24 hours in 2003 in a Courage prototype. For his next two appearances, he entered under his real name (David Smet) in LM GT1 and twice to finished in 28th position: in the Corvette in 2007 and a Saleen in 2008. On the 11th and 12th June, he will return to the prototype of Team Oreca Matmut, who won the opening round of the 2011 ILMC at Sebring with Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. A comeback that honors the legacy of Nick Mason, pioneer drummer-driver in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Jean-Philippe Doret

Info: Lemans.org

Photo : Philippe Chemin - ACO/Nikon

Photo : LE MANS (FRANCE), TECHNICAL VERIFICATION OF THE 2008 24 HOURS, 9TH & 10TH JUNE. David Hallyday (centre) with his team mates Christophe Bouchut (left) and Patrick Bornhauser (right).

The Le Mans 24–Hours test day has been a great success from a popular, sporting and technical point of view.

Without a doubt, the enthusiasts were looking forward to the revival of the test day on the Le Mans circuit as much as the teams. The attendance figure was 24 987 spectators who flocked to the Sarthe circuit to thrill to the sight and sound of the cars that they will see in seven weeks at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The test day provided a lot of interesting information from a sporting point of view. Tom Kristensen in the no. 3 Audi R18 set the quickest time, and the 8-time Le Mans 24-Hours winner lapped the unique circuit in 3m 27.687s, an average speed of 236,687 km/h, just under 8 seconds slower than last year’s pole (3m 19.711s). Mike Rockenfeller in the no. 1 Audi R18 was second quickest in 3m 27.815s proving that the German engineers have got their sums right. The three R18s monopolized the top of the time sheets for a good part of the session, but in the dying seconds of the afternoon, Stéphane Sarrazin put in a stunning lap in a time of 3m 27.876s to bag third place showing the potential of the new Peugeot 908. The first five cars, three Audis and two Peugeots, were covered by only 0.617 seconds! The highest top speed fell to Franck Montagny with 340,5 km/h.

However, the two major contenders for victory in the coming Le Mnas 24 Hours did not only go for a time, they also did a great deal of work on the setups the aerodynamic configurations and the use of tyres. The three Audis covered 3257 km and the three works Peugeots, 3407 km.

The first of the petrol-engined cars was the no 16 Pescarolo-Judd driven by Emmanuel Collard who got round in 3m 36.583s. The performance of the Aston Martin AMR-ONES was a bit disappointing. The two cars covered a total of just twelve laps! The English manufacturer still has a long way to go as it seems to be faced with chronic engine problems.

In LM P2, the battle raged between three cars with Nissan power, the nos 26 and 48 Orecas and the no. 41 Zytek. Franck Mailleux at the wheel of the no. 26 Signatech Nissan finally came out on top with a lap in 3 42.992s.

The GTE Pro category was again the theatre of a mind-boggling scrap . Quickest was the Hankook-Farnbacher Ferrari F458 Italia driven by Allan Simonsen who got round in 3m 59.966s, the only driver to dip below the 4-minute barrier. The gap to the BMWs and Porsches is tiny. Only the Lotuses which were there to learn, were not on the same pace due to their comparative lack of experience.

Larbre Competition’s two cars dominated in GTE Am with the best time going to the no. 50 Corvette with Tom Milner at the wheel with a lap in 4m 04.222s closely followed by Jean-Philippe Belloc’s Porsche in 4m 05285s.

The Le Mans 24-Hour entrants still have seven weeks to analyze their performances today and prepare for the race on 11th-12th June. 2011. Beforehand, however, the teams entered in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup will do battle on 7th May in the Spa-Francorchamps 1000 kms. This time, though, after the performances in the practice, the verdict will be handed down in the race.

Info: Lemans.org/Acreditated and autorized media press.

Photo : Arnaud CORNILLEAU - ACO/Nikon