PORSCHE 997 GT3 RSR
EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES RACE WINNER
FASTEST ITERATION OF PORSCHE'S ICONIC 997 RSR
ELIGIBLE FOR LEADING HISTORIC RACE SERIES 'ENDURANCE RACING LEGENDS'
LE MANS CLASSIC ELIGIBLE
The iconic Porsche RSR moniker has rightfully earned its place in the lexicon of the brand thanks to decades of successes across the globe. The marque's new 997 had the not insignificant task of following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the 996 RSR, which happened to be one of the winningest GT racing cars of all time. Thankfully for the 997, it was not long before it too achieved a plethora of successes across the globe. Weissach's new offering immediately began challenging Maranello's finest. Indeed, it wasn’t until the arrival of Aston Martin’s Vantage, that the two iconic marques had any serious competition anywhere. Aside from the odd surprise result, the smaller brands such as Spyker and Panoz simply did not have the speed or reliability to compete against the German and Italian giants.
Only 35 new 997 RSRs were delivered in 2007 to compete against Ferrari’s first ever factory GT2 car, the F430 GTC. Whilst the new car used the same 385bhp 3.8-litre engine as the last generation of 996s, improvements were made across the board elsewhere. One of the key areas reworked was the transmission, which was replaced in its entirety. Lifting knowhow from the RS Spyder LMP2 car Porsche reduced internal friction and lighten the gearbox. They also flattened the driveshaft angles which widened scope for teams to try different setups. The suspension also some changes over the 996 RSR, but retained Sachs four way dampers. The 997's bodyshell was notably stiffer, whilst its bodywork provided greater downforce and reduced drag.
With Ferrari and Porsche nearly equally sharing class honours at Le Mans for both victory and podiums, it was the Nürburgring 24hrs where the 997 RSR racked up more successes. The same dominance can be seen in historic racing today, with both the 997 GT3 RSR and Ferrari F430 GTC frequently doing battle at the front of Peter Auto’s Endurance Racing Legends GT2C class.
Chassis WPOZZZ99Z7S799924
The car we offer for sale is an excellent example of the 997 GT3 RSR. Still in the hands of its original owner, it has been maintained in superb condition since its retirement from racing in 2008. Chassis 799924 is remarkably well preserved having competed in just two seasons of active racing between 2007 and 2008. However it proved remarkably competitive given its amateur pairing. Scoring two impressive 4th in class results in 2007, it notably finished 3rd in class at the Nurburgring.
In 2008, the team returned to the European Le Mans Series with a new and improved lineup, clearly aiming for even better results. Whilst reliability proved a challenge across the season, the team scored perhaps the ultimate class victory . It managed to defeat the might of Ferrari on home soil at Monza, the legendary ‘temple of speed’. Not only is this car an ELMS race winner, it was also driven by the late, great Danish GT legend Allan Simonsen and endurance racing stalwart Richard Westbrook.
The car is currently located in Europe and maintained in fantastic condition with all of its period race stickers still on display. The engine has approximately 10 hours use, whilst the gearbox has zero hours use. Having been rebuilt for display in the owner's collection, the car would need preparation prior to its next race to include crack testing, replacement of the fuel cell, seat belts and fire extinguisher. This car presents the perfect opportunity to challenge for victory in Europe’s leading historic race series Endurance Racing Legends GT2C class.
