With the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup just around the corner, the chaps at Zuffenhausen have increased the power output of the new 911 GT3 Cup racing car and shaved off enough weight to undercut the likes of the already waif-like Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.
The production GT3-based 3,6-litre boxer engine has undergone some fettling and features a special racing exhaust system that aids the car in producing 309 kW, some 15 kW more than the standard GT3. The powerplant is mated with a six-speed sequential transmission that enables the driver to make full-throttle shifts without dislodging a retina.
Race-ready features include an aerodynamically enhanced front spoiler; various carbon-fibre reinforced plastic components in the doors, adjustable rear wing and rear body panels. The usual motorsport must-haves like a welded-in roll cage, flame-resistant bucket seat and a HANS (Head and Neck Support)-adapted six point seatbelt.
Sticking to tradition of making the Cup Racers as close to the production car as possible, the rear end has seen numerous updates including the addition of air venting slits for the improved release of hot-air from the rear-mounted flat-six.
The suspension is height, camber and track-adjustable, while the Mobil 1 Cup-only 380 mm PCCBs (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes) and six-piston fixed aluminium calipers peek out from behind lightweight-alloy three-piece 19-inch BBS wheels. Although the GT3 Cup only just tips the scales at 1 150 kg in race trim, and besides the ceramic-composites setting new standards in terms of responsiveness, resistance to fading and a longer service life, they also shave a further 20kg off the total, definitely an advantage in a world where optimum power to weight ratios are king.
Out of the 265 racing units built at the Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen production line, the 26 cars used for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will also feature a special sports exhaust system which is said to generate sound patterns reminiscent of a Formula 1 car. The remaining Porsche are destined worldwide for the Carrera Cup, with a few models having already been shipped for New Zealand and delivery of the Carrera Cup Germany and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup cars taking place during March of 2008.