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Porsche 911 Turbo to be Safety Car for World Endurance Championship Until 2020

by Trackworthy,

TrackWorthy - Porsche 911 Turbo FIA WEC Safety Cars (5)
TrackWorthy - Porsche 911 Turbo FIA WEC Safety Cars (5)
The all-wheel drive Porsche 911 Turbo will be the safety car for the FIA World Endurance Challenge, including the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, until 2020. Two 911 Turbo safety cars will travel to each of the FIA WEC races. The race director deploys the safety car whenever the field needs to be slowed down and controlled in the event of dangerous situations.

TrackWorthy - Porsche 911 Turbo FIA WEC Safety Cars (2)

“We’re delighted to have the chance to supply the safety cars and intervention vehicles for the Sports Car World Endurance Championship until 2020,” said Alexander Stehlig, who is responsible for the safety car project on behalf of Porsche AG as the GT Motorsport programme manager. “As a sports car manufacturer, it was rather easy for us to find a suitable car. Basically, many of our production models fit the bill for this special task on the race circuit. Ultimately, however, we chose the Porsche 911 as the safety car. In total, 16 vehicles from different model lines will fulfil different functions in the WEC.”

The road going 911 Turbo is very well suited for the race track. The 3.8-litre flat six-cylinder engine generates 540 hp and can launch the car from 0-100 km/h in 3.0 seconds on the way to a top speed of 320 km/h.

TrackWorthy - Porsche 911 Turbo FIA WEC Safety Cars (4)

A few race-specific modifications were made to the car:

  • full-shell racing seats with six-point harnesses for the driver and front passenger
  • monitor to display track signals
  • radio to contact the race director
  • light bar on the roof
  • signal light system on the roof as well as flashing LED lights at the front and rear
  • matte-black design with glossy red stripes is modelled on the Porsche emblem design of the factory race cars
TrackWorthy - Porsche 911 Turbo FIA WEC Safety Cars (8)
  • TrackWorthy - Porsche 911 Turbo FIA WEC Safety Cars (7)
  • TrackWorthy - Porsche 911 Turbo FIA WEC Safety Cars (6)

The 911 Turbo generation’s close affiliation to motor racing is also highlighted by the way the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission is operated: In manual mode, the shift lever is actuated like in a race car. Paddle shifts mounted on the steering wheel are another standard feature. For its racetrack duties, the 911 Turbo is fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires on standard 20-inch rims.

TrackWorthy - Porsche 911 Turbo FIA WEC Safety Cars (1)

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