Porsche 911 GT2

Infobox Automobile


name =Porsche 911 GT2
manufacturer =Porsche
class =Sports car
production =1993 – current
body_style =RR 2-door 2 seater coupé
engine =3.6 L twin-turbo flat-6
transmission =6-speed manual
length =
width =
height =
weight = Auto lb|3175|0
related = Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche 911 Turbo
similar = Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera
designer = Pinky Lai
Harm Lagaay

The Porsche 911 GT2 is a sports car built by the German manufacturer Porsche since 1994. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and retains the turbo, but features numerous upgrades, including a more powerful engine, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration. The GT2 is significantly lighter than the Turbo due to the use of rear-wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive, and the lightening or removal of interior components.

The new 997 version of the car recently set one of the fastest laps at the Nürburgring Nordschleife for production street legal vehicles with Walter Röhrl rounding the circuit in 7 minutes 32 seconds.

Road car

993 generation

The 993-generation GT2 was initially built in order to meet homologation requirements for motorsports. The GT2s were developed as Porsche's customer entry in international grand tourer racing, replacing the 964-generation Carrera RSRs. Because the cars were built to meet the GT2 class regulations, the road cars were named accordingly.citeweb | url = http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/philosophy/history/racingcars/1995-911gt2/ | title = 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 | publisher = Porsche Cars North America | accessdate = 2007-12-13] It featured widened plastic fenders, and a larger rear wing with air scoops in the struts. The 993 GT2's original 3.6 litre engine developed Convert|430|hp|kW|0|abbr=on; in 1998 it was upgraded to Convert|450|hp|kW|0|abbr=on. 57 road cars were built (seven of which were right-hand drive).Fact|date=March 2008

Technical specification:

*Configuration Air Cooled Twin Turbo Flat 6
*Valvetrain SOHC 2 valves / cylinder
*Displacement 3600 cc / 219.7 cu in
*Power 335.6 kw / 450 bhp @ 6000 rpm
*Torque 585.71 nm / 432 ft lbs @ 3500 rpm
*Bhp / Liter 125.0 bhp per litre
*Bore 99.1 mm / 3.9 in
*Stroke 76.2 mm / 3.0 in
*Weight 1295 kg / 2855 lbs
*Length 4245 mm / 167.1 in
*Width 1855 mm / 73.0in
*Height 1270 mm / 50.0 in
*Wheelbase 2272 mm / 89.4 in
*Front Track 1475 mm / 58.1 in
*Rear Track 1550 mm / 61.0 in
*Top Speed 299 km/h / 185.8 mph
*0 - 60 mph 3.7
*quarter mile 11.8

996 generation

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, but in that time Porsche had decided to abandon the GT2 for motorsports use, instead concentrating on the new naturally-aspirated 911 GT3.

The new GT2 featured a turbo-charged version of the GT3's 3.6L engine. It featured an output of Convert|462|hp|kW|0|abbr=on, which was later increased to Convert|483|hp|kW|0|abbr=on. Like the 993 GT2, its body differed significantly from those of other 996s; major differences included wider fenders, a more aggressively-shaped nose, and a large rear wing.

Technical specification:Fact|date=September 2008

*Displacement 3.6 litre, 4 valves per cylinder

*Bore × stroke convert|100.00|mm|in|1|abbr=on × 76.40 mm convert|3.94|in|mm|0|abbr=on × 3.01 in
*Compression ratio 9.40:1
*Bore/stroke ratio 1.31

*Maximum power convert|483|hp|abbr=on @ 5700 rpm
*Specific output 132.2 bhp/litre

*Maximum torque convert|640.0|Nm|lb·ft|abbr=on @ 3500 rpm
*Specific torque 177.78 Nm/litre

*Wheelbase convert|2355|mm|in|1|abbr=on
*Length convert|4450|mm|in|1|abbr=on
*Track front convert|1485|mm|in|1|abbr=on
*Track rear convert|1520|mm|in|1|abbr=on
*Width convert|1830|mm|in|1|abbr=on
*Height convert|1275|mm|in|1|abbr=on
*Kerb weight convert|1430|kg|lb|0|abbr=on

*Fuel capacity Convert|89|L|usgal impgal|0|abbr=on

*0-100 km/h 3.90 s
*Top speed convert|319|km/h|mi/h|0|abbr=on
*Power-to-weight 332.87 bhp/ton

997 generation

The Porsche 996 911 GT2 was superseded by the 997-generation GT2 in 2007 after a brief hiatus, with cars arriving at dealerships in November [cite web|url=http://www.porsche.com/usa/aboutporsche/pressreleases/pag/?pool=international-de&id=2007-07-16|title=New 911 GT2 with 530 Horsepower|publisher=Porsche AG|date=16 July 2007] after an official launch at the 62nd Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new 997 GT2 remained based on the 3.6 litre flat-6 engine, but now featured twin variable geometry turbochargers, which generated Convert|390|kW|hp|0|abbr=on at 6500 rpm. The GT2 accelerates in 3.7 seconds to Auto km/h|100|0 and in 11.2 seconds to Auto km/h|200|0 and has a maximum top speed of convert|329|km/h|mi/h|abbr=on. This makes it the first Porsche 911 to exceed the Auto mph|200|0 top speed, with the exception of the 1998 Porsche 911 GT1 which is not considered by enthusiasts to be an actual Porsche 911 due to its mid-mounted engine.Fact|date=December 2007 The Porsche 997 GT2 also has a curb weight of Auto kg|1440|0, convert|680|Nm|ftlbf|abbr=on of torque from 2200 to 4500 rpm, and a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The American auto magazine Motor Trend recently tested a 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 0-60 mph at 3.4 seconds [cite web|title=2008 Porsche 911 GT2: Exclusive First U.S. Test!|publisher="Motor Trend"|url=http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0805_2008_porsche_911_GT2_first_test/driving_impressions.html|accessdate=2008-02-28] , and 11.4 seconds at convert|127.9|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on for the quarter mile. The GT2 also recorded a braking distance from convert|60|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on to 0 of convert|98|ft|m and recorded 1.10g lateral grip.

The appearance of the 997 GT2 once again differs from its sister-car, the 997 Turbo. It has a revised front lip, also carries a newly designed rear wing with two small air inlets on either side, and it has a different rear bumper now 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, besting supercars like the Bugatti Veyron and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and only slightly trailing the Nissan GT-R.

Technical specificationFact|date=September 2008

*Cylinders 6
*Displacement 3600 cc
*Engine layout Rear engine
*Engine power Convert|390|kW|hp|0|abbr=on
*Torque convert|680|Nm|ftlbf|abbr=on @ rpm 2,200 - 4,500 rpm
*Compression ratio 9.0 : 1
*Front brakes: 6-piston monobloc aluminum-fixed calipers
*Rear brakes: 4-piston monobloc aluminum-fixed calipers
*Top Speed convert|329|km/h|mi/h|abbr=on
*0-100 km/h 3.7 s
*0-200 km/h 11.2 s
*0-60 mph 3.6 s
*0-100 mph 7.5 s
*Length convert|4469|mm|in|0|abbr=on
*Width convert|1852|mm|in|0|abbr=on
*Height convert|1285|mm|in|0|abbr=on
*Wheelbase convert|2350|mm|in|0|abbr=on
*Drag coefficient (Cd) 0.32
*Curb Weight convert|3175|lb|abbr=on
*Luggage Area Volume convert|0.1|m3|cuft|abbr=on
*Fuel tank Convert|67|L|usgal impgal|0|abbr=on

Motorsports

In 1993, Porsche had experimented with the use of a turbocharged convert|911|in|mm|0|abbr=on international motorsports with the use of the extensively modified turbo 964, named the Turbo S LM-GT. Seeing the potential of the car not only to be fast and reliable, as well as customer demand for a car to replace the 964 generation Carrera RSRs, Porsche chose to develop the turbocharged 993 for customer use.

The 993 GT2 race car would featured a stripped interior, built-in rollcage for safety, minor adjustments to the bodywork and wings in order to decrease weight as well as increase downforce, as well as wider fenders to handle racing slicks. The suspension would be modified to better handle racing use, while the engine would be slightly tweaked for endurance use. Twin KKK turbochargers running mandated air restrictors allowed for Convert|450|hp|kW|0|abbr=on.

At the same time, Porsche would also develop a "GT2 Evo", able to run in the GT1 category. This further modified the GT2 by increasing power to Convert|600|hp|kW|0|abbr=on through the use of larger turbochargers. Other modifications included a new rear wing mounted higher, larger fenders to allow for the wider tires allowed in GT1, and a decrease in weight to convert|1100|kg|lb|0|abbr=on . [citeweb | url = http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/philosophy/history/racingcars/1995-911gt2evo/ | title = 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 Evo | publisher = Porsche Cars North America | accessdate = 2007-12-13] The GT2 Evo would be 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 in their first full BPR season in 1996, as well as a class victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and again in 24hLM|1997. 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 sole victory.

By 1999 the GT2s were proven to be outdated compared to the Vipers, as well as newcomers Lister. An increase in engine displacement to 3.8 litres 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-Rs that same year. GT2s continued to be used by small teams up to 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 to mix success in national series such as Belcar, but were unable to be successful in international series.

Naming conventions

The GT1 Turbo is a model of the GT1 family.The GT2 all have turbo, so there is no model of GT2 named "Turbo"

References

External links

* [http://www.porsche.com/microsite/911gt2/usa.aspx Porsche Cars North America] - Porsche 997 GT2 microsite
* [http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/philosophy/history/racingcars/1995-911gt2/ Porsche Cars North America] - 1995 Porsche 911 GT2
* [http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/philosophy/history/racingcars/1995-911gt2evo/ Porsche Cars North America] - 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 Evo