Thursday 5th May 2005

Porsche launches GT3 Cup car

Next season's racer now out - no Le Mans motor yet

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Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Porsche Cars GB has launched the all-new 911 GT3 Cup (997). You won't be likely to want one for the road though, as the company is introducing it in time for the 2006 Carrera Cup and expects it to continue for 2007 and 2008 seasons. The existing model (Type 996) has been used in the Carrera Cup GB since the championship was introduced in 2003.

According to Porsche, since it first supported the British Touring Car Championship in 2003, the Carrera Cup GB has become firmly established as the fastest single marque racing series on the UK’s premier national motorsport calendar. Sadly, we didn't get any tech info on the car.

Porsche reckoned the association between racing and selling road cars makes sense -- it sees the 911 as a favourite for drivers seeking a precisely engineered, powerful race car, and that it's immediately recognisable by spectators and sponsors alike.

Porsche Cars GB reckoned that it will continue to offer competitors the same high level of support for the Carrera Cup, including the prize fund, technical support, race centre hospitality, championship management, TV coverage and media services.

The company said that it re-affirmed its long-term commitment to British motorsport. Maybe now it's time for the parent company to follow suit with a GT car for Le Mans...

[Marlon]

Tell me, why do the Cup cars have pea-shooters for exhausts? They do sound good though...

[z_chromozone]

Marlon said:

Tell me, why do the Cup cars have pea-shooters for exhausts? They do sound good though...

Huge exhausts may look the part, but over a certain size they just add weight with no gains / and potential reduced gas speeds.

I doubt the rules dictate the exhaust size (waits to be corrected).

Z

[911nutter]

saw that car at reading yesterday. looks great in the flesh.

[Wintermute]

Marlon said:

Tell me, why do the Cup cars have pea-shooters for exhausts? They do sound good though...

I believe that an exhaust is only as good as narrowest point in the pipe, so the tailpipe only needs to be as wide as the narrowest point of the whole exhaust, which may be restricted due to packaging.

Also as Z says beyond an optimal exhaust diameter extra size just adds weight, and I have even heard about anecdotal evidence of "sucking in air" if diameter too big.

I think I read somewhere that a diameter of 2 inchs is enough for a two litre NA engine, so as a very unscientific calculation then two tailpipes of just under two inches (2x2in=4in) would be enough (IIRC the new cup car is 3.8).

Regardless, the new racer looks the fabulous!

[griff2be]

Interestingly the trusty old Tuscan, 15 years old and yours for £15k plus engine, is less than a second a lap slower than the current Carrera Cup cars round Donington. And thats with no aero and all the drag from being open top. Slightly modified or relaxed from the old Tuscan Challenge regs, a Tuscan could show a very clean pair of heels to one of these cars for a fraction of the cost.

I'd still like one thought

[RR-Eng]

I was watching the Porsche GT race that supported the imola GP last weekend. I hate to say it but from certain angles this new car looks far too similar to a chaved up new beatle.

Would be interested to see what the engine they use in this car, will the 3.8 from the S be able to stand up to track (ab)use.

[stefan1]

Porsche are using a 400bhp development of the existing dry sumped GT3 engine, which is based upon the GT1 block. I can verify this because a) I saw the car at Reading OPC on Sunday and b) I have the press pack!

The 3.8S engine would not withstand racing for very long at all, and I have it on very good authority will not be used in the road going version of the GT3 as has been suggested by Autocar.





>> Edited by stefan1 on Thursday 5th May 14:01

[speedy_thrills]

Marlon said:

Tell me, why do the Cup cars have pea-shooters for exhausts? They do sound good though...

Lets just get this straight, a gas will flow through an orifice of any size, just the rate of flow will increase, pressure will decrease in accordance with the Bernoulli equation.

Generally however we tend to try to avoid these features in order minimize back pressure:

Changes in direction, particularly sudden ones tend to cause internal turbulence in the fluid. This is why the exhaust system on your car has sweeping curves.

Changes in the diameter of the exhaust: Particularly sudden changes as they can create transition and turbulent flow and so should be avoided. Believe it or not most “Head loss” (energy lost to friction in the pipe and fluid) is actually caused by air going from a small orifice into a large orifice.

In an exhaust system the above are integrated with engine harmonics and so your car gets a couple of more ponies.

Any other questions?

I certainly have one, is it variable intake like the last cup car?

[wheelman]

I got to drive a SC3 the about four months ago but have'nt been able to find any info on it. All I can say is that it was the greatest street machine I've ever driven!!! Some of the guy's I was working with could'nt believe the amount of power and noise (from the exhaust). The smile on my face was forcing my ears to fold back.