Porsche 911 Turbo Named Official Safety Car for WEC
The Porsche 911 Turbo will serve as the official safety car for the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) from now until 2020.
The German automaker has revealed the look for the safety and support cars, wearing a matte black finish with glossy red stripes. Sporting 540 horsepower and all-wheel drive, the Porsche 911 Turbo will be up to the task of serving as a safety car, especially since it sprints from zero-to-60 mph in three seconds flat.
For the most part, the safety car is just like the production vehicle, although a few modifications were necessary. Those changes include a light bar on the roof, a radio for contacting the race director, and changes to the brakes and suspension for use on the race track. It will ride on standard 20-inch wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, while inside the cabin there are full-shell racing seats and six-point harnesses for driver and passenger.
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Along with supplying the safety car for the FIA WEC until 2020, Porsche will also provide 11 intervention vehicles. A pair of 911 Turbo sports cars will travel as safety cars to all WEC events worldwide, while three 911 Turbos will head to Le Mans as permanent vehicles. Various other Porsche models will also be used for motor racing medics and track safety personnel.
“We’re delighted to have the chance to supply the safety cars and intervention vehicles for the Sports Car World Endurance Championship until 2020. As a sports car manufacturer, it was rather easy for us to find a suitable car,” said Alexander Stehlig, who is responsible for the safety car project on behalf of Porsche as the GT Motorsport program manager. “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 fulfill different functions in the WEC.”
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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