Prepare to mop up a sea of your own drool: this is the incredible Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport, an ultra-limited-build track-day special from the German company that is based on its '992'-generation GT3 R competition vehicle. The GT3 R Rennsport, of which just 77 examples will be built at a cost of more than €1 million apiece, was unveiled at the Rennsport Reunion 7 (RR7) meeting in California.
More powerful than the racing version
Given that RR7 was taking place at the Laguna Seca racetrack, it was the ideal place to unveil the GT3 R Rennsport. It is designed to be the ultimate circuit car for well-heeled owners because it does not have to conform to international motorsport regulations - unlike the source-material 992 GT3 R, which must - and is therefore unrestricted in both its outlook and specification.
Such a no-holds-barred approach results in a massive 620hp from its 4.2-litre 'boxer-six' engine (the racing model is limited to 565hp, for reference). The Porsche's engine revs up to a colossal 9,400rpm and the peak horsepower figure means the 911 GT3 R Rennsport delivers a remarkable 148hp-per-litre. This 4.2 flat-six has been designed to run on E25 fuels, including bioethanol, 'reFuel' and also Porsche's own e-fuels, which should make 'carbon-neutral operation' of the car possible.
Power goes to the rear wheels through a six-speed constant-mesh gearbox, which comes straight from the competition GT3 R with only minor modifications. Motorsport nerds who own one of these Rennsports will be delighted to know that the ratio of fourth, fifth and sixth gears corresponds exactly to the set-up the racing version would use at Daytona, another fabled American racetrack. Whatever the minutiae of that, it means that at 9,000rpm in sixth, the Rennsport will be going approximately 20km/h quicker than the racing GT3 R would be, due to the latter's FIA-homologated, shorter gear ratio.
Noisier than the apocalypse
Porsche will sell the GT3 R Rennsport to customers with a completely unsilenced racing exhaust system with centrally positioned twin tailpipes, and we can only imagine how astonishingly good that must sound. Regrettably, though, most race circuits around the world have noise-level restrictions on them, so two quieter set-ups that are fitted with silencers and catalytic converters are also available in order for this outrageous 911 to meet the relevant decibel requirements.
The German manufacturer goes on to say that the chassis of the Rennsport is 'basically identical' to the one under the GT3 R racing car, which means double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear, all controlled with KW five-way racing shocks featuring a blow-off valve. Porsche Motorsport, which is handling the sale of the cars, will deliver the GT3 R Rennsport with a specific basic set-up, but adjustments to the suspension can be made thereafter with shims, small items which enable fine tweaking of the car's handling without needing measurement of the suspension each time.
Finally, in terms of the mechanicals, the Rennsport runs on an exclusive Michelin Pilot Sport M S9 tyre with a compound tread that's bespoke to the 911, all wrapped around a set of 18-inch centre-lock BBS alloys. There's also a powerful AP Racing aluminium monobloc brake system with titanium backing plates for the pads, as well as an FT3.5 racing safety fuel tank with a capacity of 117 litres and the deletion of the air-conditioning system - ventilation comes through the racing GT3 R's 'seat cooling concept', and the overall kerb weight targeted for the car is 1,240kg.
Appearance mimics motorsport greats
In terms of styling, the magnificent look of the GT3 R Rennsport harks back to some of Porsche's greatest motorsport hits over the decades, with only the bonnet and roof carried over from the GT3 R racer. Wider wings and an aerodynamic front give it a smooth, refined appearance, helped by the fact the standard door mirrors have been replaced with a set of rear-facing cameras for better aerodynamics. At the back, the gigantic rear wing cannot be ignored, the item taking its inspiration from the Brumos Porsche 935/77 which won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1978. A full-width LED light bar, illuminated 'Porsche' lettering, massive rear diffuser and lack of any sort of rear shielding - allowing a full look at the technical items behind the rear bumper - complete the look.
Inside, the adaptations from the racing version include the screens for the rear-view mirrors, as well as graphics for the centre display's screen and the limited-edition number on the instrument panel, both of which reflect the shape of the racing version. There's also a roll cage, as you'd expect, and ambient lighting that can adopt the theme of the colour-adjustable headlights. Again, like the racing car, there's just the one seat inside - don't be expecting to take any lucky passengers out for joy-ride laps on your favourite circuit, then.
Exterior colours, by the way, amount to a bodyshell finished in Agate Grey metallic and bodywork finished in pure carbon. There are then seven colours to choose from, including Star Ruby and Signal Orange, while three paintwork designs on a Porsche motorsport theme are provided: Rennsport Reunion, Flacht and Speed Icon.
'A racing 911 in its most primal form'
Thomas Laudenbach, vice-president of Porsche Motorsport, said: "The new Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport offers the experience of driving a nine-eleven-based racing car in what is probably the most primal form. It gives you goose bumps whenever you look at it and it combines the finest motorsport technology with a design language that is typical of Porsche. With its exceptional performance, the 911 GT3 R Rennsport makes our brand's history both tangible and audible. It is only fitting that we will be presenting it to Porsche's large fan community at Rennsport Reunion 7 in Laguna Seca. This is an exclusive offer to our customers that really knows only one limit: the limited edition of 77 units."
At €950,000 apiece (before local taxes), we have no doubt that Porsche Motorsport will be raking in €73,150,000 of income in absolutely no time at all...