When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Just for clarification, these are the facts as we believe them:
1). Europe. The UV 991 GT3RS. This car reportedly (via the verbal background dialogue with the owner) has a replacement engine at 1600km and the "replacement" engine as shown in the footage had traveled 480Km and looked to have been subject to a fire on the LHS of the car with a hot spot around or underneath the rear tail light. We have no knowledge of what caused the fault with the first engine and it may not have been related to a fire.
2). Europe. The white car pictures after an accident which has clearly destroyed key suspension components. We have been led to believe via some media sources that this incident happened at the track. It is also very evident from pictures take after the incident that some combustion and hot spots (fire) have been evident around the area of the LHS rear tailight and LHS of engine. It is unknown if the fire created a loss of power which lead to the accident or if the accident caused the engine area to catch fire.
3). Europe. The white 991 GT3RS shown in the picture above. This incident looks to have taken place in Europe at a track day event. At this stage no information is know. It appears the engine or ancillaries have caught fire. There is evidence of oil or fluids on the LHS trunk cover but the fire in this case seems more centralized looking at the damage to the rear bumper. Otherwise nothing solid is know at this point in time.
4). There is chatter of a LO? car having caught fire at a European track day over the last 10 days. Im awaiting details. I understand simply that the car had 2-3000km on it and lost power with the resultant flames emanating from the rear LHS of the vehicle through the grill under the trunk lid. I will update when details come to light.
It has been a very hot summer in Europe and track season is mid flow with tonnes of 991 GT3, GT4 and RS currently on the European circuits. European cars were first to be delivered to customers so it is no surprise like with the 991 GT3 that issues are reported early here. I think this is WAY too early to suspect the issue is engine related. Personally I suspect this is actually related to a rear wheel clearance issue maybe rubbing through a pipe or oil hose causing combustion with friction, speed and compression.
The 991GT3R 2016 race car is fully under development and will share a 9A1 engine with the GT3/RS. There will be no deviation from this plan. The engine in the RS I believe has integrity. I wouldnt over react just yet IMO...
Just for clarification, these are the facts as we believe them:
1). Europe. The UV 991 GT3RS. This car reportedly (via the verbal background dialogue with the owner) has a replacement engine at 1600km and the "replacement" engine as shown in the footage had traveled 480Km and looked to have been subject to a fire on the LHS of the car with a hot spot around or underneath the rear tail light. We have no knowledge of what caused the fault with the first engine and it may not have been related to a fire.
2). Europe. The white car pictures after an accident which has clearly destroyed key suspension components. We have been led to believe via some media sources that this incident happened at the track. It is also very evident from pictures take after the incident that some combustion and hot spots (fire) have been evident around the area of the LHS rear tailight and LHS of engine. It is unknown if the fire created a loss of power which lead to the accident or if the accident caused the engine area to catch fire.
3). Europe. The white 991 GT3RS shown in the picture above. This incident looks to have taken place in Europe at a track day event. At this stage no information is know. It appears the engine or ancillaries have caught fire. There is evidence of oil or fluids on the LHS trunk cover but the fire in this case seems more centralized looking at the damage to the rear bumper. Otherwise nothing solid is know at this point in time.
4). There is chatter of a LO? car having caught fire at a European track day over the last 10 days. Im awaiting details. I understand simply that the car had 2-3000km on it and lost power with the resultant flames emanating from the rear LHS of the vehicle through the grill under the trunk lid. I will update when details come to light.
It has been a very hot simmer in Europe and track season is mid flow with tonnes of 991 GT3, GT4 and RS currently on the European circuits. European cars were first to be delivered to customers so it is no surprise like with the 991 GT3 that issues are reported early here. I think this is WAY too early to suspect the issue is engine related. Personally I suspect this is actually related to a rear wheel clearance issue maybe rubbing through a pipe or oil hose causing combustion with friction, speed and compression.
The 991GT3R 2016 race car is fully under development and will share a 9A1 engine with the GT3/RS. There will be no deviation from this plan. The engine in the RS I believe has integrity. I wouldnt over react just yet IMO...
This is what i thought as well.. The oil splash on the trunk had me thinking its an oil line that "blew up" and that the fire was caused because of the oil spilling on the hot exhaust.. Just speculation of course..
As far as the 2016 Cups are concerned, OF COURSE, they are going to race with mezger because those motors are already in the cars (and they have to use up the inventory already committed to), and current car specs are not changing for 2016. They aren't going to make teams swap motors. They want teams to buy the new Cups w/new motors when they come. This is just common sense, not some revelation.
Deliveries of 2016 Cups for US customers don't start until late in the year so the idea that teams would be forced to swap motors......
I've heard the inventory argument before and it's hard to buy. The idea that a margin-obsessed company committed to JIT production to the level where some supplier parts arrive the same day they're installed on the assembly line would decide to have 3+ years of Mezger motor inventory warehoused for an unknown level of demand.....
Or that Porsche would design the new 991 chassis around a new DFI motor and then be so bad at planning that they end up with years worth of excess Mezger inventory such that they're forced to use the old motor in the new chassis for the spec Cup cars....
Yeah, maybe it's all true but it's sure not a bet I'd put money on.
Regardless, sooner they bring on the new motor the better. Nobody wants to see it kick butt more than I do. Even better if it's virtually interchangeable with our street motors.
Deliveries of 2016 Cups for US customers don't start until late in the year so the idea that teams would be forced to swap motors......
I've heard the inventory argument before and it's hard to buy. The idea that a margin-obsessed company committed to JIT production to the level where some supplier parts arrive the same day they're installed on the assembly line would decide to have 3+ years of Mezger motor inventory warehoused for an unknown level of demand.....
Or that Porsche would design the new 991 chassis around a new DFI motor and then be so bad at planning that they end up with years worth of excess Mezger inventory such that they're forced to use the old motor in the new chassis for the spec Cup cars....
Yeah, maybe it's all true but it's sure not a bet I'd put money on.
Regardless, sooner they bring on the new motor the better. Nobody wants to see it kick butt more than I do. Even better if it's virtually interchangeable with our street motors.
Just for clarification, these are the facts as we believe them:
1). Europe. The UV 991 GT3RS. This car reportedly (via the verbal background dialogue with the owner) has a replacement engine at 1600km and the "replacement" engine as shown in the footage had traveled 480Km and looked to have been subject to a fire on the LHS of the car with a hot spot around or underneath the rear tail light. We have no knowledge of what caused the fault with the first engine and it may not have been related to a fire.
2). Europe. The white car pictures after an accident which has clearly destroyed key suspension components. We have been led to believe via some media sources that this incident happened at the track. It is also very evident from pictures take after the incident that some combustion and hot spots (fire) have been evident around the area of the LHS rear tailight and LHS of engine. It is unknown if the fire created a loss of power which lead to the accident or if the accident caused the engine area to catch fire.
3). Europe. The white 991 GT3RS shown in the picture above. This incident looks to have taken place in Europe at a track day event. At this stage no information is know. It appears the engine or ancillaries have caught fire. There is evidence of oil or fluids on the LHS trunk cover but the fire in this case seems more centralized looking at the damage to the rear bumper. Otherwise nothing solid is know at this point in time.
4). There is chatter of a LO? car having caught fire at a European track day over the last 10 days. Im awaiting details. I understand simply that the car had 2-3000km on it and lost power with the resultant flames emanating from the rear LHS of the vehicle through the grill under the trunk lid. I will update when details come to light.
It has been a very hot simmer in Europe and track season is mid flow with tonnes of 991 GT3, GT4 and RS currently on the European circuits. European cars were first to be delivered to customers so it is no surprise like with the 991 GT3 that issues are reported early here. I think this is WAY too early to suspect the issue is engine related. Personally I suspect this is actually related to a rear wheel clearance issue maybe rubbing through a pipe or oil hose causing combustion with friction, speed and compression.
The 991GT3R 2016 race car is fully under development and will share a 9A1 engine with the GT3/RS. There will be no deviation from this plan. The engine in the RS I believe has integrity. I wouldnt over react just yet IMO...
Macca, I apologize for this n00b question. I was looking at the PCNA new car warranty and it claims no coverage on issues that happen during racing/tracking, even Porsche sanctioned events. Not sure if it's different in Europe, or perhaps I'm reading it incorrectly. For these cases you listed -- at least the track ones, are these owners basically on the hook for repair costs?
Seriously, what sort of testing do they do that doesn't expose any of these failures prior to public release?... Parade laps or something? I can't understand how seemingly on two separate occasions (GT3 and now RS) cars have done tens of thousands of kilometres as mules without incident and then the production cars can't make it to their first service... VW are doing Porsche no favours....
What would be interesting to see how many of these incidents are where people switch the car off and on to clear error codes and keep driving. There are a lot of posts on this forum where people put it down to software glitches which could be a larger mechanical or electrical problem. The current ECU actually does a pretty poor job of protecting the car when you have an issue IME.
My 3.8L 9A1 in my Cayman has been bulletproof after 5 days of solid testing and having techs track side to troubleshoot issues, I felt like I was doing the factory testing but came away with a new found appreciation for how poorly designed the ECU is...
isn't that the point of a track worthy car? i.e., take it to the track and not worry?
I took my 997.2 rs onto the track with only a few hundred miles on it. My break in miles were from the drive to the track. I flogged it in 90 degree heat. Guess what? it didn't burn down. Only issue then were the wheels falling off of some cars. I would gladly trade a wheel falling off the 991rs over the engine blowing up. oh, btw, I do have an rs coming, so I cannot be criticized as a 991rs basher.
sadly, I hope this gets resolved before more cars are delivered.
08-26-2015, 08:56 PM
