New 911 GT3 R hands Porsche 12th win in the 24 Hours Nurburgring
THE No. 912 Porsche 911 GT3 R on May 13 won the 24 Hours Nurburgring endurance race. The car fielded by the Manthey Racing team took the lead 70 minutes before the end of the 24-hour race and held onto it until the checkered flag.
Porsche said the win is Porsche’s first since 2011 on the legendary long-distance race, and is the brand’s 12th victory in the series.
According to Porsche, the winning 911 GT3 R started the race from sixth on the grid, but fell far behind because of a puncture. During the night, the driver lineup of Richard Lietz, Patrick Pilet, Frederic Makowiecki and Nick Tandy caught up to the front-runners and moved into second place despite a time penalty. When the race was restarted after fog halted it, the team’s final driver — Mr. Makowiecki — snatched the lead to cross the finish line in first place after doing 135 laps.
The 911 GT 3 R was designed as a new customer racer for the GT3 series worldwide, and is based on the 911 GT3 RS production sports car. It is powered by a 550-hp 4.0-liter flat-six engine identical to the in the 911 GT3 RS. Power from the rear-mounted engine is transferred to the 310-millimeter-wide rear wheels via a sequential six- speed constant- mesh gearbox with an electronic shift actuator. The clutch is electro- hydraulically controlled, which eliminates the need for the clutch pedal and assists quick race starts.