mklaskin

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...st-at-sebring/

While it may not be taking part in the American Le Mans Series season-opener, Porsche's latest GT contender is set to break cover later this week at Sebring.

SPEED.com has learned that the German manufacturer plans to test its new 991-based RSR GTE car Thursday at the airfield circuit, in preparation for its factory FIA World Endurance Championship campaign and return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June.

Porsche's single-day test, with an expected two-driver roster including works pilot Patrick Pilet, will mark debut of the car on U.S. soil, although there are no plans to race the development version of the car full-time in America until 2014. Porsche AG Team Manthey will campaign two of the new 911 RSR's in the FIA WEC this year as a development program.

The new Porsche GTE car is just one of more than a dozen sports cars expected to turn laps on Sebring's 3.7-mile circuit on Thursday and Friday.

Other notables includes the new BMW Z4 GTE, unveiled last week at Daytona, and P2 entrants Extreme Speed Motorsports and Level 5 Motorsports, both running HPD ARX-03b's. While Level 5 has yet to officially firm up its ALMS plans, ESM confirmed a surprise switch to the cost-capped prototype ranks last week.

Defending ALMS P1 champions Muscle Milk Pickett Racing is expected to return with its 2013-spec HPD ARX-03c, joined by Dyson Racing, which was absent from the official Sebring test earlier this month.

The newly renamed Dempsey-Del Piero Racing will also take part in the two-day private test with its new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, along with fellow Porsche teams Paul Miller Racing and Team Falken Tire.

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at askdagys@gmail.com


Perhaps some of the Sunshine State RL'er's can swing a few pics...?

jenk12m

Can't wait to hear the results if they come out

Trakcar, where are you. We need you to be there. Haha

Streak

So what's core autosport doing? I thought they were running 2 rsr's.

stuttgart46

My guess is that Core gets the 991 next season. I wouldn't be shocked if they had representatives at this test observing.

morsini

I thought Porsche was planning for a 2014 return to Le Mans.

stuttgart46

They are returning in 2014 with an LMP car and going for the overall win.
IIRC, this years GT program will be ran by the factory via Manthey. Quite a bit different than selling the cars to customers and providing support like they have over the past few years.

MUSSBERGER

They put up some nice photos of it on the track.

Mike/A.W.E.

Here she is. The Cup RSR GTE.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...1-breaks-cover

Toby Pennycuff

That is an AWESOME looking racecar!!!! I LIKE IT!

ajcjr

Was it still running, i thought i saw a tweet some where it blew up or something.

fleadh

It had some mechanical issues throughout the day (i'd imagine any car would that's in development) but they were turning laps when the track went cold at 6PM.

-mike

DB_NC_95C2

drool (it's not just my advancing age,IMHO this is a better rear end than any pit babe's)

analogmike

looks like a stealth fighter from the rear - ugly but functional.