Porsche 911 GT3 R Evolves for 2026 With Aero, Handling Gains
Porsche will launch a further refined 911 GT3 R for the 2026 season, giving customer teams a GT3 race car with optimised aerodynamics, faster set-up work and calmer, more predictable handling. Porsche Motorsport will offer the next-generation Porsche 911 GT3 R to customer teams at €573,000 excluding country-specific VAT and options, and will support existing owners with an update kit. The car has already completed its first competitive race outing, confirming reliability under real pressure.
Since its debut in early 2023, the current 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 R has amassed more than 500 race starts, hundreds of victories and multiple titles worldwide. Customer teams won the unofficial GT3 World Championship for manufacturers in the Intercontinental GT Challenge and topped all three GTD Pro classifications in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, Porsche delivered 106 cars to teams, and the GT3 R took six wins from eight races on the Nordschleife. The vehicle also secured the inaugural FIA WEC Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 teams and drivers, including a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It remained unbeaten at the French classic again this season. In DTM, 2023 champion Thomas Preining reignited his 2025 title charge with victory at the Norisring.
Porsche focused the evolution on suspension and aerodynamics to deliver even more balanced behaviour and improved driveability for professionals and gentleman drivers, especially when conditions change. “Our focus for this update was on optimisation. Small changes can make a big difference when built on a solid, proven foundation,” says Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “Driver feedback after the first race outing during the development phase in April confirmed our direction. We’re confident this evolution will allow our customer teams to continue competing successfully across the globe.” Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport, adds: “The Porsche 911 GT3 R’s record of more than 420 podium finishes says it all. It crowns our range of GT customer racing cars. Together with the 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, which represents the ideal entry point into international GT racing, this new evolution offers a strong overall package for the 2026 season. The option to upgrade existing 911 GT3 R models via an update kit also represents an attractive solution for our customer teams.”
The most visible change is a set of vent ducts on the upper surfaces of the front wheel arches. These louvres work with the re-optimised double-wishbone front suspension to add anti-dive, resist front-end compression under braking and stabilise aero balance. The result reduces pitch sensitivity and gives crisper, more predictable braking. At the rear, a swan-neck wing with a 4-millimetre Gurney flap increases downforce and widens the window for balance adjustments. A fully enclosed underbody reinforced at the rear improves efficiency, while revised multi-link rear-axle kinematics add anti-squat to limit rear compression under hard acceleration and improve load distribution between axles. In combination with an adapted fifth-generation Bosch racing ABS, these updates produce more consistent, confidence-inspiring handling.
Porsche also acted on extensive customer feedback from events across the globe. The electrohydraulic power steering gains extra fluid cooling to stabilise steering forces over long stints on demanding circuits such as the Nürburgring Nordschleife. New ceramic wheel bearings increase robustness, and modified centring pins make driveshaft installation quicker. Dedicated NACA ducts in the side skirts now cool the driveshafts directly, independent of the brake cooling, to boost stability on low-ride-height, high-speed tracks like Monza and Le Castellet. Teams can also fine-tune rear brake cooling with greater precision, a practical advantage at Daytona.
Inside, a revised driver air vent keeps cockpit airflow consistent in endurance races. The RLU USB stick (Remote Logger Unit) stores driving data directly to a removable USB device that crews can swap during a short pit stop, eliminating the need to plug in a laptop.
Former options now come as standard ex-works. The sensor package, endurance package, pit lane link package and camera package include four laser ride-height sensors, two master brake-cylinder potentiometers, a track-temperature sensor, a rear-view camera and mountings for a drinks-bottle system. A refuelling detection sensor and additional refuelling LED help teams meet minimum refuelling times and energy-quantity rules in IMSA, the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Teams can still tailor cars to series-specific demands. For FIA LMGT3 and IMSA, Porsche offers special driveshafts; for NLS, a modified pre-silencer similar to the LMGT3 specification and wing supports with an adjusted range.
The proven 4.2-litre flat-six and drivetrain carry over, delivering up to 416 kW (565 PS) depending on Balance of Performance. For 992-based cars already in service, Porsche plans around 60 update kits priced from €41,500 plus local sales tax, allowing teams to install the new-generation modifications.
Porsche began development in August 2024, testing at Weissach and on permanent circuits including Sebring, Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. A key milestone arrived in mid-April when Herberth Motorsport entered a test car in the Michelin 12H Spa-Francorchamps. Former Porsche Junior and reigning IMSA GTD Pro champion Laurin Heinrich, with team-mates Ralf Bohn and Alfred Renauer, finished second overall in the two-part race, underscoring the car’s race-ready performance.
