6 Things I Found Out About The Mid-Engined Porsche 911 RSR

Last week, we sat down with Porsche motorsport vice president Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser at the LA Auto Show to find out more about the latest 911 RSR
6 Things I Found Out About The Mid-Engined Porsche 911 RSR

For me, the car of the show in LA last week was the 911 RSR. A 911 with its engine in the middle? Yep, it’s happened, and in both pictures and in the metal, it’s quite a machine to behold.

Wanting to find out more ahead of the car’s Daytona 24 Hours debut in January, we sought out Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Porsche AG’s Vice President of Motorsport, and started firing over some questions. Here’s what we discovered…

A production mid-engine model isn't on the agenda

6 Things I Found Out About The Mid-Engined Porsche 911 RSR

Let’s get this out of the way now. Yes, a road-going mid-engine 911, even if it’s a short-lived special edition, simply isn’t on the agenda.

“Never say never, but we have no plans at the moment,” Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser says, adding: “With the street car, this 2+2 seater, the spacey feeling you have - that’s a 911; it makes a lot of the feeling of the car. I’m fully convinced for the street car this is the right solution. And it makes the car unique, no other car has this layout.”

Of course, it hasn’t been ruled out either, so you never know. We never thought the Cayman GT4 would happen, after all…

Not everyone was keen on the idea

6 Things I Found Out About The Mid-Engined Porsche 911 RSR

When asked how long ago the project started, Walliser says: “If I was joking I say it started in 2005! We had some interruptions, some protests. We made the final decision in March 2015.”

Speaking about whether or not there was any internal resistance to the plan, Walliser recalls: “There was some discussion, and something like ‘we prefer [a rear-engined car]’, my answer is always ‘I prefer winning races. If you prefer having the engine somewhere… maybe you do my job and I ask!’”

In the world of motorsport, performance is all that matters. “Inside the racing department, it was not a long decision,” he notes.

The changes are all within the rules

6 Things I Found Out About The Mid-Engined Porsche 911 RSR

It had been rumoured that Porsche needed special FIA dispensation for this radical change, but that’s not the case. “It’s within the rules in GTE, as long as you stay in your platform it’s fine. There’s no waiver,” Walliser says.

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This fundamental change meant the Porsche motorsport team had to start pretty much from scratch. “Setting it up is completely different to the old car. That’s something we had to learn - aero settings, spring/damper settings, the rake of the car, how it behaves….It’s not so easy,” Walliser explains.

While the platform is the same, almost everything else is new. We’re talking new bodywork with new aero, entirely new suspension, and even a new engine, with the legendary Mezger unit retired and replaced with the same flax-six found in the 911 Cup.

Oh and on the subject of aero, that wing is derived from the 919 Hybrid’s. The top mount structure is all about giving a smoother surface on the underside of the wing, which Walliser tells us is the more sensitive side of the aero piece.

Weight distribution hasn't improved by as much as you might expect

6 Things I Found Out About The Mid-Engined Porsche 911 RSR

Despite the engine now being in front of the rear axle, weight distribution hasn’t improved by a dramatic amount. “We’re talking about two to three per cent difference,” Walliser says, but while that may not sound like a huge amount to you or I, in the precise world of motorsport that’s a considerably improvement.

Crucially, weight distribution only tells part of the story. Having the engine’s mass more centralised will make the car easier to control, and there are packaging advantages too - the 2017 RSR is able to have a much larger and more effective diffuser than the old car since there isn’t a ruddy great flat-six in the way.

It has a longer wheelbase than the 911 GT1

6 Things I Found Out About The Mid-Engined Porsche 911 RSR

The 2017 RSR technically isn’t the first 911 to be mid-engined. That honour goes to the 911 GT1 prototype racer of the 1990s, which was a 911 in name and little else.

But here’s a fun little pub fact for you: the new RSR’s lengthened wheelbase (increased by 60mm compared to the old car) is actually longer than the GT1’s. That’s progress for you.

Any rich GT1 owners out there fancy staging a little race…?

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Comments

2005RS25

The engine is in the middle

11/23/2016 - 15:25 |
4 | 4
Jakob

“There was some discussion, and something like ‘we prefer [a rear-engined car]’, my answer is always ‘I prefer winning races. If you prefer having the engine somewhere… maybe you do my job and I ask!’”

How to trigger Porsche fans, step 1 of 1.

11/23/2016 - 15:25 |
240 | 0
Black_Kookie 199

In reply to by Jakob

This needs to be a book!

11/23/2016 - 21:53 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Jakob

As a porsche fan I must say that I’ve been triggered since the addition of cayenne and diesel engines to their lineup.

11/24/2016 - 08:33 |
4 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Jakob

I wonder why they couldn’t just use a Cayman racecar and call it the Cayman RSR

11/24/2016 - 11:27 |
0 | 0
The_Import_Kid

Porsche fans are triggered by this.

11/23/2016 - 15:27 |
22 | 0
11/23/2016 - 15:31 |
38 | 0

I’m a Porsche fan, not even bothered. Race cars are never based on the production car anyway. As long as the road car is rear engined it doesn’t matter, to me at least.

11/23/2016 - 17:57 |
14 | 0
DCV 1

Even though the top level GT racing is going to get better than ever before (next year Porsche-Ferrari-Aston-Ford + Corvette at LM, + BMW for 2018), I am still apprehensive about the future of WEC with no new LMP1 manufacturers confirmed. What if Toyota decides to pull the plug after 2017 or 18?

11/23/2016 - 15:47 |
6 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by DCV 1

Well, if somehow LMP1 would come to disappear to let GTE cars be the dominant class (with some more liberties given), it would be something like Le Mans in the 60’s… I’d totally watch that !

11/23/2016 - 18:43 |
4 | 0
sarveshinde
11/23/2016 - 15:47 |
40 | 0

I thought this too. If you put pictures of them side by side and ask yourself which is longer, the GT1 is probably your answer as it looks so long!

11/23/2016 - 17:57 |
10 | 0
Anonymous

Blackpanthaa approves.

11/23/2016 - 15:51 |
66 | 12
Marchel Kindangen

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

That wing is not almighty enough.

11/24/2016 - 01:28 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

Im sorry but did he just say a 2+2 porsche is spacey? If you’re in the driver or passengers seat maybe but even a baby oompaloompa wouldn’t be comfortable in those rear seats.

11/23/2016 - 16:11 |
18 | 0
Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Well, it’s more spacey than a mid-engine car with a socking great engine behind the seats…

Seriously - if you’re a family man like me they’re really useful, even if they’re small!

11/23/2016 - 16:17 |
16 | 4
Skyy

Its f*cking hot!!

11/23/2016 - 16:34 |
0 | 0
The Silver Paseo EL54

The 911 GT3 / GT3 RS is already on the market, the 911 GT2 is on the way… Couldn’t Porsche make a limited run of a mid-engined 911 GT1 successor based on the RSR?!

11/23/2016 - 17:18 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

If only homologation was still a thing

11/23/2016 - 17:46 |
2 | 0