Improving a Car That’s Already Excellent
The Porsche 911 RSR is a car that has won more than 20 FIA World Endurance Championship races. Porsche hasn’t decided to rest on its laurels, though. The company didn’t even want to make evolutionary changes to its winning racecar. Instead, it replaced 95 percent of the car with all new components and parts, making the 911 RSR better than ever before.
In the last 911 RSR, the major design change was from a rear to a mid-mounted engine position. That change remains in the new car. What also remains is the headlights, brakes, clutch, driver’s seat, and a few other small parts in the suspension, according to Car Throttle. Everything else is all-new.
The engine grew to 4.2-liters, and now the naturally aspirated flat six-cylinder makes a strong 507 hp, which is up slightly from 503. The engine also has a wider rev band, and better power delivery and control. The transmission is a six-speed sequential constant-mesh manual gearbox.
There’s also a multi-disc, self-locking differential. Power goes to the rear wheels. The exhaust pipes have been rerouted and shorted, helping reduce weight. Porsche also reworked the exterior of the car and says it’s more aerodynamic than it has ever been before. If the old car won more than 20 races, you can bet that this one will win even more.