2012 Porsche 991 GT3 Cup

• Just 1500 GT3 Cup cars made for the world

• Engine enlarged from 3.6 to 3.8 liters

• Weighs nearly 400 lbs less than 2012 GT3RS road car

After being introduced for the 2005 season, the GT3 cup received massive upgrades for the second half of the generation, also known as 997.2. Cup cars like this one on display were the first cars built off of the GT3 RS platform, instead of the GT3, with more power, wider bodywork, less weight, and more downforce to keep the car planted. With 1500 of these cars made from 2005 through 2013 aiming to comprise various GT3 Cup racing series around the world, these cars represent some of the most competitive one make racing events in the world.

This GT3 Cup car is a non-street legal race car built identically to all other GT3 Cups. The Cup series focuses on driver skill, putting the cars and drivers on an equal platform to sort which drivers can manipulate the vehicles best. There are different levels of GT3 Cup racing, though all are generally entered by amateur racers working to elevate to higher levels of racing. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the highest level of GT3 Cup racing, and as a Formula 1 support program, these cars race prior to Formula 1 races on the same circuit as the pros.

The 997.2 GT3 Cup was the first Cup car based off of a GT3RS instead of a GT3 and included numerous improvements over the earlier cars of the generation. Engine displacement was enlarged from 3.6 to 3.8 liters, resulting in a power increase from 420 hp to 450 hp. Wider bodywork was introduced, allowing 9.5-inch-wide front wheels and 12-inch-wide rear wheels to be fitted. All unnecessary weight has been removed, most noticeable of which are the carbon fiber doors weighing almost nothing. Total weight is slashed to just 2646 lbs., nearly 400 lbs. lighter than the already slim GT3RS road car. A lot of the weight savings comes from removing road car standard comforts such as sound deadening. The removal of the deadening creates an extremely harsh driving environment.

These cup cars are track focused machines and are not cars that are suited to lackadaisical driving styles. Sequential transmission allows the car to shift quickly, though it is far from the comfortable and smooth dual-clutch transmissions we commonly see in road cars of today. The sequential transmission can manage hours of abuse and hard shifts at high rpm and lasts much longer than a dual clutch in racing environments. Shifting the sequential transmission takes a lot of effort from the driver, adding to the extremely demanding driving experience these cars offer.

Specifications:

911 chassis code 997.2

Engine: 3.8 Liter Flat 6-cylinder

Transmission: Hollinger sequential 6-peed

Power: 450 @ 7600 rpm / 317 lb-ft torque @ 6250 rpm

Suspension: Coil springs, adjustable anti-roll bar,  Front - McPherson struts, Rear – Muti-link

Steering: Rack-and-pinion, power assisted

Speed: 175 mph (top) / 0-60 3.5 sec

Weight: 2646 lbs