Porsche Cars Australia launched its new 911 GT3 Cup model for next year’s Carrera Cup championship at Phillip Island on Friday night.

Over 120 drivers, sponsors, stakeholders and media attended the gala launch at San Remo’s Silverwater Resort on the eve of Carrera Cup’s annual Pro-Am round to view the highly anticipated one-make race car first hand.

The new car will be exclusively raced in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia seasons.

Current Carrera Cup Australia drivers and teams will have the first option to purchase the new race-bred 911, followed by GT3 Cup Challenge participants and then other interested parties.

Porsche will also introduce a new class structure for 2018 with the Elite Class now divided into Professional-Amateur (Pro-Am) and Amateur (Am) in addition to the existing Outright class for professional drivers.

“Carrera Cup is, first and foremost, Porsche customer sport and it’s critical we get the right mix of professional and semi-professional racers,” said Porsche Cars Australia Director of Public Relations and Motorsport, Paul Ellis.

“As well as providing a level playing field for the best professional drivers to showcase their talent we also need to make the series appealing for the semi-pros which form the backbone of Carrera Cup in Australia.

“Initial feedback from those racing this car overseas has been extremely positive – from the driving experience through to general maintenance and cost of ownership, which has been a key focus in the development of this next generation GT3 Cup car.

“We are talking some significant figures in the lifecycle of several key components between scheduled maintenance; engine run time is doubled now to 100 hours while gearboxes can run 30 and 60 hours between minor and major services, respectively.”

The new 911 GT3 Cup features improvements in all key areas – power, aerodynamics, longevity and safety.

Developed from scratch, the new engine offers even greater power output than before. Engine capacity for the naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer unit goes up from 3.8 to 4.0 litres with power raised from 338 kW (460 hp) to 357 kW (485 hp) at 7,500 rpm.

Drive is transmitted to the rear axle by a racing clutch and a Porsche six speed sequential dog-type transmission. Gears are changed manually by means of paddle shifters with electro-pneumatic assistance.

The addition of a Bosch anti-lock braking system sees the return of the driver aid to Carrera Cup Australia since the 2005 season.

ABS will be used exclusively for Pro-Am and Am competitors.

New front and rear aprons give the 911 GT3 Cup a more angular appearance while providing optimised aerodynamics, while an enlarged roof hatch and proven bodyshell of aluminium and steel hybrid construction ensures this generation 911 GT3 Cup is the safest yet.

Revised software enables vehicle diagnostics to be performed on the steering wheel display. Extra sensors on the car augment the information content of acquired vehicle data, increasing the data evaluation potential.

Porsche Carrera Cup Australia will hold two one-hour, two-driver races across the Shannons Nationals event at Phillip Island.

Technical Specifications

Concept
– Single-seater production-based race car
– Base model: 911 GT3

Engine
– Aluminium six-cylinder horizontally opposed engine, rear-mounted
– 3,996 cm3; stroke 81.5 mm; bore 102 mm
– Max. power: 357 kW (485 hp) at 7,500 rpm
– Max. torque: 480 Nm at 6,250 rpm

Transmission
– Porsche six-speed sequential dog-type transmission
– Pneumatic gearshift activation (paddle shift)

Bodyshell
– Intelligent lightweight construction in aluminium and steel composite
– Weld-in roll cage, certified compliance with FIA homologation regulations for safety cages

Brakes
– Two independent brake circuits with brake pressure sensors for front and rear axle, adjustable by the driver via brake balance system
– Bosch ABS system

Electronics
– COSWORTH colour display ICD with integrated fault diagnostics
– COSWORTH electrical system control unit IPS32
– VBOX Video HD2 in-car camera system

Weight/dimensions

Total weight: ca. 1‚200 kg
Total length: 4‚564 mm
Total width: 1‚980 mm
Total height: 1‚246 mm
Wheelbase: 2‚456 mm

Price

Base Price: Euro €197,142.00
Parts Package 1: Euro €6,300.00
Parts Package 2: AUD $9,205.00
Prices exclusive of Freight, Import Duty and Australian Taxes