The launch of the Porsche 911 RSR 2019 has been one of the hot topics from the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019, celebrated last weekend in England.

Despite sharing the stage with other new releases such as the Audi R8 LMS GT2, or the unusual SUV ODYSSEY 21 from Extreme E, the new GTE from Stuttgart has captured most of the attention at Lord March’s estate.

Its attractiveness, however, is more than justified. The new German beast will succeed no other than the current 911 RSR, a machine that has taken, among other honours, the victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sebring and Road Atlanta 2019.

And that’s not only it. The retiring model has also conquered both the Pilot and the Manufacturer titles at the World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2018-2019. It won’t be an easy task for the new Porsche 911 RSR 2019 to keep up with the sporting achievements of its predecessor. 

An almost completely new vehicle 

The Porsche GT Department has developed a model that is 95% new from its previous version, in order to try and maintain its hegemonic rule. Project director, Pascal Zurlinden has confirmed that only a few elements from the suspension, the brake system and the lighting have been passed onto the new vehicle. 

One of the greatest changes of the new creature can be found under its bonnet. The heart of the car is a naturally-aspirated flat-six from 4.0-litres to 4.2-litres boxer engine able to produce up to 510bhp, which means it is the largest of its kind ever mounted in a 911.

Besides its sheer power, the new engine gives better drivability over a wider rev-band as compared with its 4.0-litre predecessor. The engine block sends its horses rearwards using a six-speed sequential gearbox resulting in faster shift times.

Better aerodynamic efficiency

Another innovative feature of the new Porsche 911 RSR 2019 has to do with its exhaust system. There are exhaust pipes in front of the back wheels. Such positioning has reduced the weight of the car and improve its aerodynamics. On top of that, the position of the new exhaust pipes has made extra space for the rear diffuser which now is able to generate greater downforce.

All these innovative developments and the many hours of testing in the wind tunnel have brought about a very significant transformation of the frontal aerodynamics. The new Porsche 911 RSR 2019 GTE is, in sum, a more stable, easier to drive model.  The tire management system has also been optimized, increasing the durability of the compounds, a crucial advantage in lendurance races. 

Increased safety for the driver

With the driver’s safety always in mind, the firm from Weissach has reinforced the cockpit, improving both its passive and active safety system. The roll cage and the side crash panels have been redesigned as well as the leg protection and lateral collision warning systems.

The whole cabin has been made simpler and more functional as requested by Porsche’s own drivers. After a whole year of trials and after having completed thousands of testing kilometres, the Porsche 911 RSR 2019 is ready to take on the most legendary circuits of the world. 

September debut

The first official public appearance of the Porsche 911 RSR 2019 will be with the occasion of the beginning of the WEC 2019-2020 season, on the 1st of September at the 4 Hours of Silverstone in the United Kingdom.  Later on, the new Porsche will debut at the USA’s IMSA. In any case, the German beast will soon be growling across the most important venues in the planet. Rivals beware!

 Images of ‘Porsche 911 RSR 2019’: Porsche.