Track-only 2016 911 GT3 R is lighter, faster and…cheaper to operate?

IT’S GOT A 6 1/2-FOOT REAR WING. ENOUGH SAID.

We never thought Porsche -- creators of the $365 painted key fob -- would brag about how economical one of their cars could be to operate. But it’s right there in the 991 911 GT3 press release: “Special attention was paid to lightweight design, better aerodynamic efficiency, reducing consumption, improved handling, further optimized safety as well as lowering service and spare parts costs” (emphasis ours).

Then again, the Porsche 911 GT3 R isn’t just any old 911. Even though it’s based on the 4.0-liter powered, wing-wearing, exceptionally well-vented “civilian” 911 GT3 RS, this new variant has been engineered with the needs of real racing teams in mind. And even big-name racing teams have to contend with tight budgets, so this nod to cost control is sure to be appreciated.

Still, with a list price of $487,000 -- vastly more than the $176,895 GT3 RS -- the GT3 R isn’t exactly what we’d call an affordable track toy. Bet you wish you snagged that Ariel Atom now, don’t you?

You do get a lot for half a million bucks, though: Beyond the commanding/ridiculous 6.56-foot rear wing, there’s lots of built-in safety equipment, including an FIA-conforming integrated roll-cage, removable polycarbonate windows, and an escape hatch built in to the roof. Gasoline is contained within an FIA-conforming 120-liter fuel cell.

Up front, you’ll get McPherson struts; there’s a multilink independent suspension out back. Naturally, it’s all adjustable for height, camber and toe. Awesome BBS alloy wheels with center-lock wheel nuts sit at all four corners.

We suspect the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter six-cylinder boxer engine out back, good for “over” 500 hp, sounds glorious as well. It’s the same motor you’ll find in the 911 GT3 RS. There’s no manual option -- just a sequential six-speed constant-mesh gearbox -- but we can’t complain, for once, because shaving fractions of seconds off lap times is this car’s raison d’être. Power is channeled to the rear wheels through a mechanical limited-slip differentia.

Perhaps what you don’t get on this car is more telling: Namely, weight. This car weighs just 2,690 pounds -- 341 pounds lighter than the GT3 RS, and around 330 pounds heavier than the smaller, less-powerful new Miata.

Removing the passenger seats and just about every creature comfort helps (we appreciate that Porsche has figured out how to charge for both the addition of optional equipment and the removal of standard equipment) but Porsche also replaced all the windows, including the windscreen, with polycarbonate. Further, the roof and as many body panels as possible are made of carbon-fiber composite, and a pair of side-mounted radiators has been replace with a centrally mounted radiator -- a concept Porsche says it borrowed from the 911 RSR.

Despite being 3.27 inches longer than the previous-generation GT3 R, Porsche says weight distribution has been improved as has, consequently, handling.

All in all, it’s an extreme beast. If its real-life performance matches its on-paper specs, the teams that compete with such cars should have a lot to look forward to. And if Porsche is right about the new GT3 R being more economical to operate, they might even be able to splurge on the good champagne after the race.