32767 view(s) 1999 was the first year in more than 2 decades that a Porsche wasn't
going for an Overall victory at Le Mans.
After its '98' win with what was only in name a 911, Porsche had come
full circle, and returned with its 911 successor the new 996 GT3.
At first the 996 was a bit of a shock for the Porsche pundits... no
Turbo's, and water cooling?
Under the sleek clean 996 Bodylines Porsche engineers had managed shoe
horn the "old" 98 GT1 Evo engine, although it didn't take
long before the 996 began to grow...not only in the number of fans but also in
size!
In 99 and 2000 the Porsche were literally in a class of their own, winning
its class at Le Mans, Daytona, the FIA GT and US Grand Am series. But
by 2001 competition arrived in the form of the Calloway C12 at Le Mans
and the V8 BMW M3GTR in the ALMS. Porsche responded in the only way
it knew ...with bigger wings, bigger wheelarches and more power, oh..
and it also called its GT3 RS an 911. There was one team that
went even further. With nothing left to prove in N-GT, RWS Motorsport
created an even "fatter" Porsche GT for Daytona to take on
the GTS class. This it turned out to be was a over enthusiastic. The
GT was still based on a the 996 production car.
By 2002 the GT3 RS are no longer alone in N-GT, new entries by the
likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Marcos mean that the Porsches have
to work for their wins.
Porsche 911 GT3-R (LM 99):
Length : 4450 mm, Width: 1770 mm, Wheelbase: 2380 mm, Height: 1270 mm,
Tyres: Michelin/Pirelli , Wheels : BBS
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