(from Porsche Press Release) Porsche today disclosed early technical information and images of the first prototype racecar it has designed and constructed since the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans winning Porsche 911® GT1. The new model was commissioned by Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) and Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) for racing customers who compete in the LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2) class of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). It features a completely new Porsche engine, transmission, and chassis, all incorporating the latest in Porsche automotive technology and created to conform to new 2006 rules and regulations of international sanctioning body Automobil Club de l’Ouest (ACO).

The heart of the new Porsche LMP2 is its newly-designed 3.4-liter, 90-degree, V8 engine. Limited to 480 horsepower at 10,100 rpm by ACO air restrictor regulations, the power plant is lightweight with a very low center of gravity. It features four valves per cylinder, a dry sump lubrication system, and an air intake manifold with single cylinder throttle valves.
The engine is mated to a Porsche-engineered sequential six-speed constant mesh transmission. A structural part of the car, the gearbox is operated by a paddle shift system on the steering wheel and incorporates a triple-disc carbon fiber racing clutch.

Like the 1998 911 GT1 racecar and current Carrera® GT street car, the Porsche LMP2’s monocoque chassis is constructed of carbon fiber. Attached to this strong yet lightweight framework (built to the latest safety standards of international road racing) is a front and rear double-wishbone suspension with ball joints, adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars, and four-way shock absorbers. For optimal stopping performance, the braking system includes twin master cylinders, adjustable brake balance, and internally vented carbon brake discs (380 mm front and 355 mm rear). For driver comfort and safety, the new prototype is equipped with power steering and a tire pressure control system. An integral partner in the car’s development process, Michelin is supplying race tires for the new Porsche prototype.

Similar to modern aircraft construction, the bodywork is comprised of carbon fiber reinforced by Kevlar composites. Incorporating an adjustable rear wing, it has been created for maximum aerodynamic efficiency and the lowest possible weight and replacement cost. Considering the car is intended for customer teams, its LMP2 mandated weight of 1,653 lbs. or 750 kgs. was achieved through an integrated lightweight design rather than the mere use of expensive and exotic materials.

Penske Motorsports, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Penske Racing, Inc., will field the new Porsche prototype in its first full season of competition exclusively in 2006. It is anticipated they will debut the new Porsche prototype at the final two races of the 2005 ALMS season, the Oct. 1st Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and the Oct. 16th season finale at Laguna Seca, as test events before entering the entire 2006 season.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., and its subsidiary, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., are the exclusive importers of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne® sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada.
A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG, PCNA employs approximately 300 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 207 U.S. and Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service.

---- Specifications ----

Engine 3.4 liter V8

Weight 1653 lbs

Aspiration natural

HP 480 hp

HP/Weight 3.4 lbs per hp

HP/Liter 141.2 hp per liter

New sports prototype named RS Spyder - drivers for race premiere confirmed
Posted by: kak on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 01:24 AM

Porsche continues its long motorsport tradition with the building of an open sports prototype for customer endurance racing and with the choice of name for its new purpose-built racecar. The type designation 'RS Spyder' stems from a long success story which began back in 1953 with the Spyder 550 1500 RS. The first open Porsche Spyders competed at the 1954 Carrera Panamericana. In 1956 Umberto Maglioli clinched the first major overall win for Porsche driving a 550 A Spyder at the Targa Florio in Sicily under race director Huschke von Hanstein. This victory marks the start of a success streak that came to an end with a Porsche Spyder taking the overall win at the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1997.

The new RS Spyder completed an initial three-day test programme under race-like conditions on the Estoril circuit in southern Portugal. Director of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen summarises the results: "The new 3.4-litre V8 engine, the transmission and chassis fulfilled the high expectations that we had after the roll-out and first shake-down on our test track at the R&D centre in Weissach. We are therefore very optimistic about further tests."

In Estoril, works drivers Lucas Luhr (Monaco) and Sascha Maassen (Belgium) shared the cockpit of the open sportscar that Penske Motorsports will enter in the Le Mans prototype class 2 (LMP2) of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The pair will pilot the RS Spyder at its inaugural race on 1 October in Atlanta (USA) and at Laguna Seca (USA) on 16 October. Emmanuel Collard from France joins the duo for the 'Petit Le Mans' race in Atlanta, which runs over a distance of 1,000 miles or a duration of 10 hours.

Luhr and Maassen won two GT championships each with Porsche in the ALMS and secured victories in the Gran Turismo class at virtually every major sportscar race, amongst others at the Le Mans 24 hour race and in Sebring. Emmanuel Collard belongs to the most experienced sportscar pilots. Together with Luhr and Maassen the Frenchman won the Sebring 12 hour race in 2001 driving a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

The test and race programme that began at Estoril serves as preparation for 2006, when Penske Motorsports will run two RS Spyders over the entire ALMS racing season and assist Porsche in further developing the car for possible ALMS customer teams in the future.

Porsche places trust in the technical assistance and support for the LMP2 project from long-standing sponsors, Michelin, ZF Sachs, Mobil 1, Hyatt and mail2web.

More about the Porsche RS Spyder here:
New Porsche Racing Prototype hits the track (21.06.05)