The first race outing of the cup car optimized for the endurance circuit by Manthey-Racing – the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR – was a complete success. Run by the Tsunami RT team, the “Cup MR” won the SPX class at the 24H Dubai, and finished an impressive sixth overall. This made the number 37 Tsunami car the fastest non-GT3 car in the 91-strong field. The endurance Cup 911, based on the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup introduced for the Porsche one-make cups in 2017, is easier to drive and features modified aerodynamics.
A host of elements, including the front bumper, bonnet, fenders, side sills, engine cover and rear wing, are made from extremely light carbon fibre. Modifications like the adjustable ABS system with twelve settings, and air conditioning when required, make the car better suited to driving for long distances. The aerodynamics package designed specially by Manthey-Racing GmbH generates greater downforce. Air vents in the fenders and the bonnet differentiate the “Cup MR” from the conventional one-make cup car. Xenon headlamps make it easier to drive through the night during a 24-hour race.
The car had its premiere in December 2017 at the Essen Motor Show, where visitors were able to check out the endurance version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for the first time. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR impressed the founder of the Tsunami RT team, Irina Kolomeitseva, on its outing in Dubai. “This car is really fantastic. We were quick, the drivers immediately had confidence in the car after only a few laps, and I am very happy with our performance. Class victory and sixth place overall is far more than we had hoped for.”
“The first race outing of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR, run by our friends at the Tsunami RT team, was a complete success. The set-up work, in this case preparing the car for the customer, was absolutely no problem. The customer immediately came to grips with the car, and it could easily be prepared for the race without any major changes. The four drivers coped well from the outset and, after 24 hours of racing, were the fastest non-GT3 car in the entire field, despite time penalties totaling about five minutes. In terms of lap times, they could just about match the front-runners. The Cup MR met our expectations,” said Martin Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey-Racing GmbH, who traveled to Dubai to follow the race live.
