The Best Porsche 911 Ever isn't Even Street Legal

Porsche has unleashed its all-new race car at the 2016 L.A. Auto Show.

The newly developed GT racer takes advantage of the breadth of the Le Mans 24 Hours GT regulations, said Porsche. Along with the 911 RSR’s systematic lightweight design, the German automaker has placed the flat-six engine in front of the rear axle, making it mid-engined. It’s a 4.0-liter powerplant that promises to deliver around 510 horsepower, depending on the size of the restrictor.

For the first time, a Porsche GT race car has state-of-the-art assistance systems, and the 911 RSR is equipped with a radar-supported collision warning system. Even in the dark, the faster LMP prototypes are detected early enough to help prevent misunderstandings.

2016 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The German automaker also made changes to the carbon fiber body, allowing certain elements to be exchanged completely in a very short period of time through quick-release fasteners. The same goes with the suspension, where changes can be done more quickly and safely.

For next year’s race season, Porsche plans to run the 911 RSR at 19 events. Look for the new Porsche 911 RSR to make its race debut at the Daytona 24 Hour Race in January 2017.

“For the 911 RSR, we deliberately focussed on a particularly modern and light normally aspirated engine, as this gave our engineers immense latitude in developing the vehicle,” explains Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, head of Porsche Motorsport. “Apart from that, in principle, the LM-GTE regulations stipulate the absolute equality of various drive concepts, as the torque characteristics of turbo and normally aspirated engines are aligned.”