Next 911 Race Car Mid-Engine? What?

[thstone]

Dr. Frank Walliser, the head of Porsche's motorsports division, told Sportscar365 ​that the new car "must be ready for '17, so we must work like hell." But when Sportscar365 asked if the car's engine would be a variant of the Carrera's turbocharged flat-six, he would not comment.

Additionally, Porsche has reportedly pitched the concept of a mid-rear engined concept to the FIA. This would require technical waivers because the layout would be different from the road car.

Read more here: New 2017 Porsche 911 RSR GTE Confirmed, Might Be Mid-Rear Engined

[Gelbster]

Do they mean the mid-engined 988? allegedly a 4Litre, flat 8

[Porsche9]

Let's see if FIA goes for it.

Porsche could just go with the Cayman. If the Carrera is mid-engined would it be renamed to the Carrman, Cayrera, Boxrera or Carrster?

[kk2002s]

Can call it the 911SortOf
How will someone be able to take two couples out for dinner without the back seats?

Is there any reason they can't use the Mid Engine Cayman? Hello it's already in production.

Talk about stubborn - Instead of taking a known platform, take the 911 and try and move the engine into the back seat. I guess they would be rotating the Engine/Trans-axle around. Kind-of sounds like a Cayman
If it walks like a duck.....

Maybe Porsche should bring back the Rear Engine Beetle and put in a Flat 8. They could name it Herbie

What would be interesting is to build this mid-rear engine 911 and a Cayman with same power plant and see which one works best

[j.fro]

Chevy is coming out with a mid engine Corvette as well. File under "Things Boxster owners have known since 1997"
+1 on racing the Cayman.

[tomonomics]

They practically made it a rear-mid engine with the 991....wheelbase back 4 inches, engine forward as much as possible over the rear axle.

The announcers were discussing this during the last Blancpain race, they need to move it forward to remain competitive. I think it's all up to the FIA rule-makers, because I don't see Porsche from racing anything else than a '911' in the current series.

[cas951]

This is a tough decision for Porsche. When you have almost a dozen variant of the 911 model lineup it will be difficult to promote a Cayman in its place to represent the brand. BMW has taken several steps and steered away from their racing icon a few years ago to be competitive. They started using the Z4 over the M3 a few years ago and now the M6.
I think for short term they should develop the Cayman to take its place, produce a limited production to meet the requirement. This will also boost the Cayman into more racing series.

[Perfectlap]

I think we all know if Porsche were burned to the ground today and had to start with a clean slate tomorrow the rear engine thing would be only a fond memory.

But I'm not so sure that mid-engine is necessarily the automatic choice. In the past the Z06 and GT-R could lap quicker than a rear engine (road going) Carrera with similar HP/T, p to w as well. I think if they're going to acknowledge the limitations of rear engine then they would need to explore all options fully.

p.s.
I really wish they would stop calling the 981 the Cayman or Boxster if they are going to shake things up.
Those are nothing more than marketing names. Even Mazda dumped the whole Miata thing and just go by model number.
I think they should call it the 550 if they do decide to dump rear engine.

[DWBOX2000]

The entry level porsche is possibly becoming the game changer. Time to buy the 1st years, they are going to be Ferrari prices. 😜Corvette, 911 as mid engine cars, blasphemy.

[Retroman1969]

As I recall, Zora Arkus Duntov originally envisioned a mid engine layout in the Corvette.
I read an interview back in the early 90s where he was asked what he thought of the current Corvettes. His response was something like. "They're great, but the #%%@ engine is still in the wrong place!"

[Racer Boy]

The Corvette is mid-engined, but it's a front-mid-engine car. The engine is behind the centerline of the front wheels, and that doesn't seem to holding that car's performance back too much.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Racer Boy

The Corvette is mid-engined, but it's a front-mid-engine car. The engine is behind the centerline of the front wheels, and that doesn't seem to holding that car's performance back too much.

Not mid-engine enough!!

[Retroman1969]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Not mid-engine enough!!

LOL! Agreed.

[fridsten]

There was a mid-engined 911 race car in 1996. It was called the 911 GT1.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_911_GT1

[BIGJake111]

Wouldn't they need a street model to homologate.

That being said the 991 refresh turbo isn't out yet.... We could be in for a surprise when the turbo comes out since it does need something to distinguish it from the base model cars which are now turbo as well.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by BIGJake111

Wouldn't they need a street model to homologate.

That's where the 911 GT1 history comes in. You can buy that "Carrera" and drive it on the street. I think the only Carrera thing about it was the front end chasis borrowed from a 993. So for a "981 Carrera" or "Cayman Carrera" , I don't see a reason why they would be exempted this time around other than political b.s. which the other teams would jump all over. The last thing they want to see is a Porsche sprinter with the engine in the middle finally.

[jdraupp]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

That's where the 911 GT1 history comes in. You can buy that "Carrera" and drive it on the street. I think the only Carrera thing about it was the front end chasis borrowed from a 993. So for a "981 Carrera" or "Cayman Carrera" , I don't see a reason why they would be exempted this time around other than political b.s. which the other teams would jump all over. The last thing they want to see is a Porsche sprinter with the engine in the middle finally.

Don't forget the gt1 and it's 996 fried egg headlights. It wore them best of all.

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

That's where the 911 GT1 history comes in. You can buy that "Carrera" and drive it on the street. I think the only Carrera thing about it was the front end chasis borrowed from a 993. So for a "981 Carrera" or "Cayman Carrera" , I don't see a reason why they would be exempted this time around other than political b.s. which the other teams would jump all over. The last thing they want to see is a Porsche sprinter with the engine in the middle finally.

They'd have to fun the car as a prototype as corvette does their mid engine cars.

At that point it's just a power plant showcase as ford has been doing with the 3.5 ecoboost now in the new GT.

Which the GT will be well... A gt car next year in the ALMS. So Porsche will definitely have some competition.

Not to mention inevitable dieselgate budget cuts, no telling what is head for Porsche Motorsport.

[Racer Boy]

The IMSA prototype Corvette is as much a Corvette as a NASCAR Toyota is a Camry. It's a name only.

The GT cars, however, are somewhat production based, and have to have the same chassis layout and engine structure.

Porsche is like Harley Davidson in that they are both stuck with an obsolete design (911 = rear-engine chassis, H-D = air-cooled 45 degree V-Twin engine) that their faithful customers will not give up on.