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+ Click to Enlarge THIS IS NOT A STREET CAR: The roll cage, single seat, bonnet clips and emergency tow point are all standard issue on the Porsche 911 GT3 R.

November 21, 2009

"R" in this case stands for Race – and you'd better believe it. This is the Porsche GT3 R, built to international regulations for GT3 Class racing and developed with the emphasis on driveability and easy handling.

It has a four-litre, flat-six, 353kW boxer engine that drives the rear wheels through a six-speed, sequential gearbox and weighs only 1200kg.

The GT3 R was developed from the 3.8-litre, 332kW Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars first seen at the Frankfurt auto show in September 2009 and which will compete in the one-make Porsche Supercup series supporting selected Formula 1 races.

Both cars are based on the 911 GT3 RS road car, which will go on sale in February 2010.

The R has anti-lock brakes, traction control and an electronic throttle with "blip" function on downshift, making it easier to get used to than its predecessor and more appropriate for what Porsche calls "ambitious amateurs" rather than professional racing drivers.

It also has way wider track, front and rear, than the previous model, distinctivelflared wheel arches and, as on all second-generation 911's, LED tail lights.

The GT3 R will be shown for the first time on January 14 at the Autosport show in Birmingham, England and deliveries to customer teams will start in early 2010.

The base price of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS is €279 000 - the equivalent of a little more than R3-million.