Whether you’re an air-cooled Porsche purist, a Porsche motorsport enthusiast, or a Porsche fan for over 20 years, Porsche North America hosts a very special Porsche gathering in the USA every three to five years: “The Rennsport Reunion.” It is the world’s largest gathering of classic Porsche racing cars and their drivers.
The end of September 2023 called for the fourth Porsche Rennsport Reunion in Monterey, California, at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The highlight of this year was the most expensive “production Porsche 911” of all time: the Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport.
This track tool is the official successor to the modern Porsche 935 (2018). Just as Porsche reinterpreted the 935 (2018) based on the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport in the past, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport (992) also benefits from the chassis engineering expertise of the KW automotive group. Our KW colleagues in the Motorsport department outfit the limited edition “track tool Porsche” with our KW V6 Racing dampers. However, we preconfigure a distinct setup for the “Rennsport” variant.
The level of authenticity of this “track tool” in relation to real motorsport is no longer a question. The Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport is built upon the foundation of the current Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) used in the sports car manufacturer’s global customer racing program, featuring a double-wishbone front axle and a multi-link rear axle.
But it gets even better: Porsche motorsport engineers had the freedom to unleash their creativity on this special edition without adhering to any motorsport regulations or submitting to the Balance of Performance restrictions.
Equipped with a custom gearbox, it allows for a higher top speed in the sixth gear compared to the shorter FIA-homologated ratio. Consequently, the “Rennsport” achieves a speed increase of approximately 20 km/h at 9000 RPM, while the 620 PS 4.2-liter six-cylinder boxer engine can rev up to 9200 RPM. Depending on the Balance of Performance (BoP) regulations, the engine may be restricted to 565 PS in motorsport races.
In addition, the design diverges from the current GT3 customer racing norms and regulations, providing the engineers and designers more freedom for their vision of a track tool. As a result, the ‘Rennsport’ exhibits a subtle increase in width and a strikingly elongated visual profile. Furthermore, it boasts a maximum performance stance with our 5-way adjustable KW V6 Racing shocks.
While the roof and front hood are derived from the GT3, Porsche independently sculpted the aerodynamics for this special edition, limited to around 77 units, which are likely to be sold out again by next week. The function remained unaffected because ‘form follows function’ is the guiding principle in motorsport. Fundamentally, only the front hood and roof were adopted from the standard GT3 R.
The use of exterior mirrors has been intentionally omitted, with cameras taking their place for visibility. Even more eye-catching than the absence of exterior mirrors, however, is the oversized rear wing, paying a particular homage to the 935/77 driven by Peter Gregg, Toine Hezemans, and Rolf Stommeln. With the iconic Brumos-Porsche of that era, Porsche celebrated its seventh overall victory at the Daytona Endurance Classic.
The 620 PS potent track tool weighs approximately 1,240 kilograms, and the BBS 18-inch wheels feature their racing-inspired design, complete with a central locking system. The Michelin tires are based on a particular compound. Rest assured, for those of you seeking similar suspension technology for your track tool or even a road car. In our KW V5 coilover suspension and the KW V5 Clubsport suspension, we also rely on the KW Solid Piston technology proven in GT3 customer racing and series like DTM.
For more information about our suspension technology or custom coilover suspensions for your sports cars or classics, you can visit our KW authorized dealers or go directly to our international website, www.kwsuspensions.net.
Foto Porsche Motorsport
