NEW CARRERA CUP CARS ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA

New generation Porsche Carrera Cup cars arrive in Australia – Photo: Supplied

The newest generation 911 GT3 Cup race car has arrived in Australia ahead of the fully subscribed 2018 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia season.

25 brand new 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991.II) race cars were unloaded from shipping containers last weekend, uniting with the sole second generation 991-series GT3 Cup car which has been in the country since mid-2017 on promotional duties.

As reported in the current issue of Auto Action, the official Porsche Carrera Cup test was cancelled due the late arrival of the cars. Teams will now perform their own pre-season testing programme ahead of the season opening Adelaide 500 on March 1-4, 2018.

“We’re thrilled to have all 26 911 GT3 Cup cars in the country and starting the process of delivering these race cars for some eager race teams and drivers,” said Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager, Troy Bundy.

“The feedback on the new 911 GT3 Cup from overseas has been sensational and they certainly look the part. We’re looking forward to hosting many new and returning teams and drivers for what is anticipated to be one of our best seasons to date.”

Several teams have already taken delivery of the new Carrera Cup race car, with Canberra based Cameron Hill the first to receive his new 2018 challenger.

“It’s a bit surreal taking delivery of the new 911 GT3 Cup. It’s an amazing race car – the details and build quality is incredible. You can tell that it’s a factory built race car and I’m certainly looking forward to getting it on track in the coming weeks,” said Hill.

The new 911 GT3 Cup features improvements in all key areas – power, aerodynamics, longevity, safety.

Developed from scratch, the new naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine moves from 3.8 to 4.0 litres and provides 25 more horsepower – from 338 kW (460 hp) to 357 kW (485 hp) at 7,500 rpm. This component, along with the transmission, has doubled the time before the first rebuild is due from its predecessor.

New front and rear aprons give the 911 GT3 Cup a more angular appearance while providing optimised aerodynamics, while an enlarged roof hatch and proven bodyshell of aluminium and steel hybrid construction ensures this generation 911 GT3 Cup is the safest yet.

2018 Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia Race Calendar
Round 1 – Adelaide 500, March 01-04, 2018
Round 2 – Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, March 22-25, 2018
Round 3 – Phillip Island 500, April 20-22, 2018
Round 4 – Darwin Triple Crown, June 15-17, 2018
Round 5 – Sydney SuperSprint, August 03-04, 2018
Round 6 – The Bend SuperSprint, August 24-26, 2018
Round 7 – Bathurst 1000, October 04-07, 2018
Round 8 – Gold Coast 600, October 19-21, 2018

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