Autoblog

2014 Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 Cup step out early

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Porsche, Racing

Though Porsche won't be feeding us the full 911 enchilada until tomorrow's Geneva-based festivities, we have managed to scare up some official images of the 2014 911 GT3, as well as the all-new 911 GT3 Cup. As Porsche is celebrating 50 years of the 911, we anticipate a good day for great cars.

The new GT3 looks every bit the proper successor to the racy 911 nameplate, with a fixed rear wing large enough to serve cocktails on, a curvaceous body kit and 20-inch wheels that offer a dominating on-road stance. It's a good bet that Porsche will have coaxed something like 450 horsepower from the naturally aspirated, 3.8-liter flat-six engine that hangs over the car's rear axle. Rumor has it that the new GT3 will be PDK-only, as well. Nothing official from Porsche on that front, yet, but we're hoping it's incorrect.

Should the mental quickness and imposing wingery of the standard GT3 not be enough for you, future racecar driver, Porsche is also bringing a GT3 Cup car to Geneva. The German automaker has given just a few scant details about this Cup car - 460 hp on tap, a production run of just 2,400 units - including three images of the kitted out racer. Certainly more and finer details will emerge, when Porsche shines the spotlights on its new 911s tomorrow.

Continue reading 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 Cup step out early

2014 Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 Cup step out early originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car moves to latest 991 chassis

Jeffrey N. Ross — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Porsche, Racing

Enthusiasts of the Porsche 911 have been able to enjoy the new 991 for some time now, but they won't have to wait much longer to see the car in action on the race track. Just last week, Porsche teased us with a video of the upcoming 991-based 911 GT3 Cup racecar, and now we finally have our first official look at the car that will hit the track next year as the 911 GT3 Cup racecar. Porsche has yet to confirm when the street-legal version of this racecar, the 911 GT3, will go on sale.

Built on the same assembly line as the production 911, the 2013 911 GT3 Cup racer will benefit from a more powerful 3.8-liter flat six that produces 460 horsepower, but the big news is that the six-speed automatic gearbox will henceforth be operated by paddle shifters, which the company notes is "the first time for a Porsche brand trophy race car." Aside from the added power (up 10 horses compared to the current 911 GT3 Cup), other changes include an upgraded brake system, new one-piece racing wheels, a newly developed roll cage and driver's seat, along with a new rescue hatch built into the roof.

Teams looking to get their hands on one of these new GT3 Cup cars must first come up with the 181,200 euro asking price (around $234,000 USD) - not bad for a race car of the 911's ilk. Check out more details about the next evolution of this iconic sports car after the jump.

Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car moves to latest 991 chassis

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car moves to latest 991 chassis originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brumos to offer special edition Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Racing

The Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer is not only very good at getting around a track, it's very good at getting to the checkered flag in first place. To celebrate the team's 50-plus-year history and winning last year's Rolex Grand-Am championship, Brumos, in conjunction with Porsche, is offering prepping the final five U.S.-spec 2012 911 GT3 Cup cars just like its racers.

The means a 4.0-liter flat-six with more torque and more than 450 horsepower, a Motec data acquisition system, carbon interior bits, a front debris screen, a rev-blipping system for better downshifts and new brake and steering sensors. It will be finished in the white-with-twin-stripes Brumos livery, and offered for $265,259 plus tax for five fortunate buyers. That price will also get owners to a handover ceremony and dinner at Porsche Motorsport North America with Brumos Racing vice president Hurley Haywood and drivers Leh Keen and Andrew Davis.

The cars will be eligible for various domestic racing series. If you want to see what one can do given the right pilot, check out Porsche Motorsport North America driver Patrick Long delivering coffee to his boss. Otherwise, there's a press release below with more details.

Continue reading Brumos to offer special edition Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer

Brumos to offer special edition Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche updates competition-spec 911 GT3 Cup before new model arrives

Noah Joseph — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Porsche, Racing

If you thought your local country club parking lot or swanky bistro driveway was filled with Porsche 911s, that's nothing compared to the proliferation of the rear-engined sports car on race tracks around the world. Porsche claims that, with over 2,200 examples sold, the 911 GT3 Cup - never mind any other racing variant - is far and away the most popular customer racing car on earth. And now it's set to get just a bit more popular.

Though the next-generation 911 is just around the corner, Porsche's racing department has updated the GT3 Cup one last time. The principal difference is a new 100-liter fuel tank that now complies with an even broader rage of racing regulations. Otherwise it's largely the same as the model we recently drove, packing the same 450-horsepower flat-six as the GT3 RS road car on which it's based, but with 18-inch alloys wearing Michelin slicks and mounted to an adjustable competition-spec suspension. Carbon-ceramic brakes are also available depending on the series.

The new GT3 Cup will be available for delivery to privateer racing teams as of next month, with a price tag starting at 161,750 Euro ($232k by today's rates). Follow the jump for the full press release and scope out the quintet of high-resolution images in the gallery for a closer look. Or better yet, just head down to the local race track, because there's bound to be a few of 'em lapping down there at any given time.

Continue reading Porsche updates competition-spec 911 GT3 Cup before new model arrives

Porsche updates competition-spec 911 GT3 Cup before new model arrives originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup [w/video]

Michael Harley — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Racing

Taming A Real Race Car At The GT3 Cup Experience

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - Click above for high-res image gallery

Beads of sweat itch as they drip down the bridge of my nose, but there is nothing I can do about it. My hands are buried deep inside fire-resistant racing gloves and my face is covered by a clear Lexan shield sealing the front of my full composite racing helmet. Waiting patiently for the signal from the pit crew, I shake my head side-to-side but the movement is thwarted by the nylon straps of the HANS device determined to keep my vertebrae stable. Eventually, the salty drops fall and they are absorbed by the Nomex balaclava resting against my chin.

Speakers in my foam earplugs crackle to life and a broken voice tells me it is time to start the engine. I had rehearsed this drill earlier in the day, so I use my right hand to switch on the master power. After a quick check to ensure the sequential gearbox is in Neutral, my other hand reaches to the left side of the carbon fiber dash and presses the start button. The engine fires to life and settles down to a coarse growl.

Several pit monkeys line up behind the vehicle, resting their hands on the rear wing, while the crew chief stands in front of the hood holding up a gloved palm. As the seconds tick by, I cinch my harness straps and scan the LCD instrument panel one more time. The voice in my ears cackles back with a simple, "Let's go."

I take a deep breath, put the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car's gearbox into first gear and ease out the clutch...

Continue reading 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup [w/video]

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche upgrades world's best-selling racing car with new RS-based 911 GT3 Cup

Noah Joseph — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Porsche, Racing

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - Click above for high-res image gallery

As many Porsche 911s as you think you might see at the golf course, yacht club or shopping mall, that's nothing compared to the legions regularly running around racing circuits worldwide. Aside from the myriad open GT grids dominated by Stuttgart machinery, the iconic German sportscar is the spec racer of choice for various national Porsche Carrera Cup championships and the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup that supports F1 races around the year. Those series use the versatile 911 GT3 Cup. With over 1,400 sold since 1998, Porsche maintains that it's the best-selling racing car of all time, and it has just announced a new model for the 2011 season onward.

Whereas the outgoing Cup racer was based on the street-going 911 GT3, the new model starts life as the harder, faster and sharper GT3 RS. That means a wider body that can accommodate bigger wheels, tires and brakes. It also carries the larger 3.8-liter flat-six with 450 horsepower - 30 more horses than the outgoing model coming from 200cc of added displacement. It also looks more like the RS, with an aggressive aero package and LED lighting for when tracks go dark and dreary.

The 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will make its track debut at the opening round of next season's Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship, but you can delve into the details right now in the press release after the jump and in our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche upgrades world's best-selling racing car with new RS-based 911 GT3 Cup

Porsche upgrades world's best-selling racing car with new RS-based 911 GT3 Cup originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pavlov's Bell: Porsche reveals, prices new 911 GT3 Cup racer ahead of Frankfurt debut

Noah Joseph — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Porsche

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - Click above for high-res image gallery

On any given weekend, Porsche GT3 Cup cars are racing on circuits around the world. It's a trackside fixture, and just about anybody seriously competing in sports car racing at some point gets behind the wheel of the GT3 Cup. There are countless series and racing classes set up around the globe just for this car - and Porsche has just released a new version.

Based on the upgraded 911 GT3 RS, the GT3 Cup gets a host of enhancements for track use. The bodywork is wider, it sits lower, it's got more downforce, a competition-spec exhaust, racing wheels housed in flared wheel wells, firmer suspension settings and more - all to improve the most hardcore 911's competition capabilities. There's also a new steering wheel with controls mounted on the fascia and hooked up to a full adjustable column, while the Supercup version, used for F1 support races, comes with carbon-ceramic brakes.

The 3.8-liter 450 horsepower flat-six carries over from the street-legal GT3 RS, but even that is bigger and more powerful than the GT3 Cup it replaces. You can order it in any color you want, as long as it's white, and it'll set you (or your team) back 150,000 euros - about $215k - minus loose change. The new GT3 Cup is a confirmed debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, and we'll be there to reel off some live photos for your enjoyment, but in the meantime, you can scope out the full details in the press release after the jump and the high-res images in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Pavlov's Bell: Porsche reveals, prices new 911 GT3 Cup racer ahead of Frankfurt debut

Pavlov's Bell: Porsche reveals, prices new 911 GT3 Cup racer ahead of Frankfurt debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche GT3 Cup cars get shrunken doppelgangers

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Etc., Porsche

Click above for small gallery of Porsche Cup cars and carts

Here's a bit of whimsy that's sure to brighten your day. Anyone who's had the chance to catch a Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race might have seen these fun little support vehicles in the pits already. Modeled on the 911 GT3 Cup racecars that compete in the series, some of the teams have created Mini-Me versions of their racecars for hauling parts and crew members around the paddock. We doubt they share the GT3 Cups' 3.6-liter boxer engines, but they still look like an awful lot of fun. Check out the gallery for two examples of these Porsche GT3 Cup car and cart pairs.

Gallery: Porsche GT3 Cup cars and carts

[Source: Jon Sibal]

Porsche GT3 Cup cars get shrunken doppelgangers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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