New Porsche 992.2-Gen 911 Cup & 911 GT3 R Racecars Unveiled

Porsche unveiled revised iterations of both its 911 Cup one-make (left) and 911 GT3 R global GT3-spec (right) racecars.

German sportscar marque Porsche unveiled updated iterations of both its one-make and GT3-spec 911 racecars. Now renamed as the Porsche 911 Cup and Porsche 911 GT3 R, both are now based on the face-lifted 992.2-gen 911 GT3 model, and both gain vast upgrades too.

We’ll start with the new Porsche 911 Cup, this is the 992.2-gen successor to the 911 GT3 Cup one-make racecar. This is the very model used by various private teams plus gentlemen and pro drivers alike in the Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercup series.

This new version based on the 992.2-gen 911 GT3 model sees key changes aimed at reducing damage and replacement cost – an inevitable fact in racing, especially in a highly competitive one-make series as the Carrera Cup/Supercup.

Previous-gen Porsche 911 GT3 Cup pictured.

Updated and now renamed Porsche 911 Cup car replacement pictured.

the most notable changes done for which include the deletion of the road car’s LED daytime running lights (DRLs), followed by the adoption of a new three-piece front lip assembly. The latter means it’s now easier to swap out damaged sections.

Crash-friendly upgrades aside, the now rebranded 911 Cup (GT3 now dropped from its name) racecar also gains enhanced aerodynamics. This is evident via the new fender vents, as well as both the revised fixed rear wing and engine compartment cover assemblies.

Crash-friendly changes aside, the new 911 Cup racecar is sharper, quicker and, critically, more versatile thanks to a new ability to fit an air restrictor that lets it compete in other championships.

Mechanically, the 911 Cup retains its signature rear-mounted and naturally aspirated 4.0-litre ‘boxer’ (flat) 6-cyl screamer from the GT3 roadcar. New upgrades here include flow-optimised individual throttle valves plus camshafts with extended valve opening times.

According to Porsche, these mechanical upgrades “eliminates the need for a centrally positioned throttle valve, which in turn allows for the installation of an air restrictor – a requirement for competition in other motor racing championship.”

On board, there's a slew of new and improved tech to make both driving (racing) plus setup changes easier for drivers and crews.

Altogether, the upgrades also sees output climbing from 503 HP to 512 HP. Besides that, the new 911 Cup continues to use a 6-speed sequential racing transmission, but it’s now beefed up with four-disc sintered metal racing clutch.

New here too is an engine restart function that kicks in as soon as the clutch pedal is depressed after an accidental stall. New for said situations too is a stroboscope function that alerts other drivers of a stall via the brake lights.

Porsche also imbued the new 911 Cup racercar with enhanced aerodynamics and cooling functions.

Elsewhere, the new 911 Cup racecar also benefits with thicker front brakes with enlarged cooling channels, wider brake pads, larger brake fluid reservoir, and an upgraded anti-lock braking system (ABS). Porsche also re-tuned the steering to handle tighter turns.

Moving into the cockpit, the 911 Cup gains a revised multi-function steering wheel with colour-illuminated buttons and streamlined switchgear layout, additional foam padding, plus a market-specific air-conditioning unit with three modes – On, Off and Eco.

Overall, the new 911 Cup promises to be a highly improved racecar than before.

As for tech, the 911 Cup gains an improved menu display that lets crew members adjust vehicle setting without a laptop connected, and there’s now a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) display in the central display too.

Porsche also added a “significantly more powerful GPS antenna” and, lastly, a new pre-kill function that automatically switches off the engine when the car comes to a halt during pit stops.

Moving to the revised 911 GT3 R and changes in this global GT3=spec machine are less extensive versus the new 911 Cup. Key amongst which being a slew of suspension and styling tweaks that promises “more balanced handling and improved driveability.”

Visually, new here are the ventiducts in the front wheel arches that improve both aerodynamics and counteract front-end compression during deceleration. At the rear, the swan-neck rear wing now features a small Gurney flap that brings added downforce.

Previous-gen Porsche 911 GT3 R pictured.

Latest-gen Porsche 911 GT3 R pictured.

Next comes a fully enclosed underbody, enhanced ABS and optimised kinematics to reduce rear-end compression – or ‘squatting’ –under hard acceleration. Brake and power steering system cooling have been improved, and there’s a new driver air vent fitted.

There are new ceramic wheel bearings with tweaked centering pins to simplify installation of drive shafts, plus a removeable data logger USB stick. Unlike before, the sensor, endurance and pit lane link, and camera packages are now included as standard.

Changes and revisions to Porsche's global GT3-spec racecar are less extensive versus the 911 Cup, but all promise to deliver a sharper and 'friendlier' car to race with.

Mechanically, the 911 GT3 R continues to harness a larger and more powerful 4.2-litre naturally aspirated flat 6-cyl powerplant that Porsche claims can develop up to 557 HP.

Of course, actual output is determined by specific race series’ requirements.