Porsche 911 GT2

Porsche 911 GT2
Overview
Manufacturer	Porsche
Production	1993–1998 (993) 2001–2005 (996) 2007–2012 (997) 2018– (991; GT2 RS)
Assembly	Germany: Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg
Designer	Pinky Lai Harm Lagaay
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car (S)
Body style	2-door coupé
Layout	RR layout
Related	Porsche 911 GT3 Porsche 911 Turbo

The Porsche 911 GT2 is a high-performance sports car built by the German manufacturer Porsche from 1993 to 1998, 2001 to 2005, 2007 to 2012, and then since 2018 (as the GT2 RS). It was based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engine, but features numerous upgrades, including engine upgrades, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration. The GT2 is significantly lighter than the Turbo due to its use of rear-wheel-drive instead of all-wheel-drive, and the lightening or removal of interior components. As a result, the GT2 was the most expensive and the highest trim level within the 911 lineup.

Road car

993 generation

993
Overview
Production	1993–1998
Powertrain
Engine	3.6 L twin-turbocharged H6
Power output	450 PS (331 kW; 444 hp)
Transmission	6-speed manual

The 993-generation GT2 was initially built in order to meet homologation requirements for motorsports. Because the cars were built to meet the GT2 class regulations, the road cars were named accordingly.^[1] The 993 GT2 featured widened plastic fenders and a larger rear wing with air scoops in the struts. The 993 GT2's original 3.6 L (220 cu in) engine developed 316 kW (424 hp); in 1998 it was upgraded to 331 kW (444 hp). Fifty-seven road cars were built (seven of which were right-hand drive).^[2]

Technical specifications

In 1995, this Porsche had a Safety Car in Formula One role, most notably at the Belgian Grand Prix.

996 generation

996
Overview
Production	2001–2005
Powertrain
Engine	3.6 L twin-turbocharged H6
Power output	483 PS (355 kW; 476 hp)
Transmission	6-speed manual

In 1999, the 993-generation 911 was replaced with the new 996 model. It would be two years before a new GT2 model would arrive; during that time, Porsche decided to abandon the GT2 for motorsports use, instead concentrating on the new naturally aspirated 911 GT3.

Developed primarily as a road car in contrast to its predecessor, the new GT2 featured a twin-turbocharged version of the GT3's 3.6 L (220 cu in) H6 engine. It featured an output of 462 PS (340 kW; 456 hp), which was later increased to 483 PS (355 kW; 476 hp). Like the 993 GT2, its body differed significantly from those of other 996 variants; major differences included wider fenders, a more aggressively shaped nose, and a large rear wing.

According to road testing performed by Car and Driver magazine, the GT2 suffers from hardly any turbo lag. Despite a 10-millimeter reduction in ride height from the 911 Turbo, the drag coefficient is slightly higher — 0.34 Cd vs. the Turbo's 0.33 — due to the fixed rear wing.^[3]

Technical specifications

Technical specification:

997 generation

997
Overview
Production	2007–2012
Powertrain
Engine	3.6 L twin-turbocharged H6
Power output	530 PS (390 kW; 523 hp) (GT2) 620 PS (456 kW; 612 hp) (GT2 RS)
Transmission	6-speed manual

The Porsche 996 GT2 was superseded by the 997 GT2 in 2007 after a brief hiatus, with cars arriving at dealerships in November^[5] after an official launch at the 62nd Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new 997 GT2 engine is based on the existing 3.6 L (220 cu in) flat-6 engine, but now features twin variable geometry turbochargers, which generate 530 PS (390 kW; 523 hp) at 6500 rpm and 680 N·m (500 lb·ft) at 2200 rpm. The GT2 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.6 seconds and on to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 10.6 seconds, and has a maximum top speed of 204 mph (328 km/h). This makes it the third Porsche to exceed the 322 km/h (200 mph) barrier, with the exception of the 1998 Porsche 911 GT1, a homologated race car for street use.

The American auto magazine Motor Trend tested a 2008 Porsche 911 GT2, achieving a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds,^[6] and a quarter mile of 11.3 seconds at 129.1 mph (207.8 km/h). The GT2 also recorded a braking distance from 60 to 0 mph of 98 feet (30 m), and 1.10g of lateral grip.

The appearance of the 997 GT2 once again differs from its sister car, the 997 Turbo. It has a revised front lip, newly designed rear wing with two small air inlets on either side, and a revised rear bumper featuring titanium exhaust pipes and shark fin outlets.

German Porsche test driver Walter Röhrl recently lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife on a public day in 7 minutes, 32 seconds in the new 997 GT2.

A total of 194 units were sold in the United States and 19 units in Canada.^[7]

Technical specifications

Technical specifications of the standard 997 GT2:^[8]

GT2 RS

2010 Porsche 911 GT2 RS at the Australian International Motor Show.

On May 4, 2010, an RS variant was announced to German dealers in Leipzig. The GT2 RS develops 620 PS (456 kW; 612 hp) and 700 N·m (516 lb·ft) of torque and weighs 70 kg (150 lb) less than the standard GT2, allowing for a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph) and 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration of 3.5 seconds.^[9]

According to Porsche Motorsports manager Andreas Preuninger, the RS was conceived around 2007 as a skunk-works effort. The 727 code number selected for the project corresponds to one of the Nissan GT-R's lap times around the Nurburgring's Nordschleife. When the dust settled, Porsche claimed that test driver Timo Kluck had supposedly eclipsed that target by an impressive nine seconds.

A total of 131 units were sold in the United States and 10 units in Canada.^[10]

991 generation (GT2 RS)

Porsche 911 GT2 RS rear

The 991 version of the 911 GT2 was unveiled at the 2017 E3 along with the announcement of the Forza Motorsport 7 video game. The car appears in the cover of the game. Few details are known about the car. It would be available in RS version only.^[11]

The car was officially launched by Porsche at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed along with the introduction of the 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series. The 991 GT2 RS is powered by a 3.8 L twin-turbocharged flat-6 engine that produces a maximum power of 700 PS (515 kW; 690 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 750 N·m (550 lb·ft) of torque, making it the most powerful 911 ever built. Unlike the previous GT2 versions, this car is fitted with a 7-speed PDK transmission to handle more torque produced from the engine. Porsche claims that this car will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds, and has a top speed of 340 km/h (210 mph).

The car has a roof made of magnesium, front lid, front and rear wings and boot lid made of carbon, front and rear apron made of lightweight polyurethane, rear and side windows made of polycarbonate, rear silencers made of titanium. Porsche claims that the car will have a wet weight of 1,470 kg.

A Weissach package option is available, which reduces 30 kg of weight, thanks to the additional use of carbon-fiber and titanium parts. This includes the roof, the anti-roll bars and the coupling rods on both axles made out of carbon-fiber while the package also includes a set of magnesium wheels. The car has a MSRP of US$293,200 and will arrive in the United States at early 2018.^[12]

Motorsports

Roock Racing Porsche 993 GT2 at Donington in 1997.

Jeff Zwart with the Porsche 997 GT2 RS during the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

The Porsche GT2 comes from a long line of 911 Porsche Turbo racing cars in international motorsports. Starting with the 1974 911 Carrera turbo for Group5 racing, followed by the 934 (a racing version of the 930) for Group4 racing, then the famous Porsche 935 which dominated Group5 and IMSA racing through 1984. In 1986 a Porsche 961 (racing version of the 959) would be created with little racing success but a leap forward in technology and development such as AWD, 4 valves per cylinder and water-cooled heads (which first appeared in the 1978 Porsche 935 Moby-Dick, used in the Porsche 956/962 GroupC prototypes and then in the 959/961). In 1993, Porsche had experimented with the extensively modified turbo 964, named the Turbo S LM-GT. Seeing the car's potential to be fast and reliable, as well as customer demand for a car to replace the 964 Carrera RSRs, Porsche chose to develop the turbocharged 993 for customer use.

The 993 GT2 race car featured a stripped interior, integrated rollcage for safety, minor adjustments to the bodywork and wings in order to decrease weight as well as increase downforce, and wider fenders to handle racing slicks. The suspension was modified to improve racing performance, while the engine was slightly tweaked for endurance. Twin KKK turbochargers, fitted with required air restrictors, allowed for 335.7 kW (450 hp).^[1]

At the same time, Porsche also developed a GT2 Evo, able to race in the GT1 category. The Evo saw an increase in power to 447.6 kW (600 hp) through the use of larger turbochargers. Other modifications included a new, higher-mounted rear wing, larger fenders to house the wider tires allowed in the GT1 class, and a decrease in weight to 1,100 kg (2,425 lb).^[13] The GT2 Evo was short-lived, however, as Porsche decided to replace it with the purpose-built 911 GT1 in 1996.

The GT2 and GT2 Evos were initially campaigned in the BPR Global GT Series as well as several other smaller national series, and earned seven wins in their class out of eleven rounds during their first full BPR season in 1996, as well as a class victory in the 1996 and 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the new FIA GT Championship that year, although Porsche faced factory-backed competition from Chrysler, the 911 GT2s managed to win three races. By 1998, however, the capabilities of the GT2 were unable to combat the increased number of Chrysler Viper GTS-Rs in the series, earning only a single victory.

By 1999, the GT2s had been largely overpowered by the Vipers, as well as newcomers Lister. Despite this, a GT2 prepared by Roock Racing managed to win the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Daytona. An increase in engine displacement to 3.8 liters in 2000 was unable to help Porsche, and support for the project ended. Porsche chose instead to concentrate on the new N-GT category with the GT3-R that same year. GT2s continued to be used by private teams until 2004.

With the launch of the 996 generation GT2, several privateers attempted to continue on the motorsports history by building their own racing versions. Belgian PSI Motorsports' 911 Bi-Turbo and German A-Level Engineering's 911 GT2-R were used with mixed success in national series such as Belcar, but were not competitive in international series.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Porsche 911 GT2.

• Porsche Cars North America - Porsche 997 GT2 microsite
• Porsche Cars North America - 1995 Porsche 911 GT2
• Porsche Cars North America - 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 Evo