Ferrari 296 GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3R 992 presented at Spa

During the 24 Hours of Spa weekend, Porsche and Ferrari presented their new GT3 challengers that will be on track next season, with the 296 GT3 and the 911 GT3R 992-Spec becoming a turning point for both manufacturers in GT racing.

Once the leading names in the LMGTE customer scene, both Ferrari and Porsche will see this shift after the initial year of their models, with the Le Mans production class being phased out after 2023 and GT3s taking over from 2024, which will put an extra burden on their customer program as they will see their share in the market go a tad above to compete more directly with other heavyweights in the class like Audi and Mercedes.

Porsche took everything they could from the GT Cup, GT3 and LMGTE history to cram into the new 911, with the usual 4.2 liter flat-six engine being mostly unchanged, while handling was clearly a point of focus in the new car, with the engine being slightly re-positioned and the optimized center of of the front axle allowing the development of an improved underfloor, that allows cleaner airflow, while the rear wheels being moved further back will improve tire reliability over a stint, which will bring a more stable machine overall.

While Porsche is keeping a successful formula alive, Ferrari brought in a new model, with the 296 GT3 being the first Ferrari car built by ORECA instead of Michelotto, which will see out its long history with the Prancing Horse end this year with the 488 GT3 Evo. The 600 HP 296 GT3 will be powered by a 3.0 litre V6 turbo engine, with an improved cockpit and an F1-inspired steering wheel, and the significantly improved aerodynamics should be helpful for a wide skill range, because despite the number of pro drivers that Ferrari has at disposal, the traditional focus on the customer was the center of the project, from car behavior to parts serviceability, with ease of access and quick replacement being a concern in the build.

Both cars will join the already announced Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 in 2023, with homologation being in place for them to already debut at the ROLEX 24 at Daytona, with the IGTC Kyalami 9 Hours and the GTWC America weekend at NOLA Motorsport Park likely following it.

PHOTOS: Porsche, Ferrari