Porsche RS Spyder
Encyclopedia
The RS Spyder is a racing car
designed by Porsche
to compete in Le Mans Prototype
Class 2 (LMP2) racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder
of the 1950s (combined with Porsche's common "Renn Sport" designation). The car marked Porsche's first return to the top level of sports prototype
racing since the firm abandoned its Porsche LMP
in 1999.
The RS Spyder made its debut in the final event of the 2005 American Le Mans Series
(ALMS) at Laguna Seca
winning its class. Since then the RS Spyder has won the ALMS LMP2 Championship in 2006
, 2007
and 2008
and took class honours at Le Mans in 2008
and 2009
. The outright victory at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring
was the first major victory for Porsche in endurance racing for five years and it was also the first time in 24 years that the non-premier class won the 12 Hours of Sebring overall.
with both the engine and transmission being integral stressed members. The 3.4 litre 90-degree V8 racing engine was designed from scratch as was the six-speed electro-pneumatic sequential gearbox
. Braking is via six-piston caliper carbon-fibre brake mounted on suspension controlled by four-way, spring/damper units activated by pushrods with adjustable torsion-bar springs. The car has a dry weight of 825 kilograms (1,818.8 lb)in 2010 specification but was initially 750 kilograms (1,653.5 lb).
Since its introduction in 2005 the engine, which initially produced 478 hp has been developed and modified to meet the changing regulations of both the ALMS and the ACO
. For 2008 the engine developed 503 hp using direct fuel injection
and 440 hp in 2009-spec with air restrictor limitations.
, the Monterey Sports Car Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
, entered by Penske Racing
and driven by Lucas Luhr
and Sascha Maassen
from the Porsche Junioren
factory team. The sole RS Spyder finished first in class and fifth overall.
race. This was the first LMP2 victory in a race since 2003 and the first major result for Porsche since the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans
. The results ensure victory for Penske in the LMP2 Championship and also for Sascha Maassen in the drivers' standings.
joined Penske in the ALMS. 2007 would be the most successful year for the RS Spyder with Penske repeating their outright victory in the ALMS series a further eight times and also securing an additional three class victories. Penske again won the LMP2 class in ALMS and Romain Dumas
won the LMP2 Drivers Championship. During the season the RS Spyder won eight races while the Audi R10 TDI from the largest P1 class won only four. Penske had also taken eleven class victories from twelve races.
, Romain Dumas
, and Emmanuel Collard
, secured the overall victory at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring
, winning it on the 20th anniversary of Porsche's last overall win at the race. Penske had another outright victory at the Utah Grand Prix
and also recorded an additional three class wins. At Petit Le Mans a 3rd RS Spyder was entered by Penske in an attempt to lock out the manufacturers' championship against Acura. Penske won both the LMP2 Team and drivers' championship for Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas. Porsche won the manufacturers' championship by 1 point ahead of Acura.
Danish Team Essex together with Van Merksteijn Motorsport
of The Netherlands and Horag Racing of Switzerland participate in the Le Mans Series
(LMS) all with 2008-spec RS Spyder. Team Essex and Van Merksteijn also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans
, marking the debut for the RS Spyder at the event. A RS Spyder from Van Merksteijn Motorsport
driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen
, Peter van Merksteijn and Jos Verstappen
, came first in class and 10th overall with the Essex team coming second in class (12th overall). A RS Spyder won its class in every LMS race giving it a 1-2-3 in the LMP2 standing and securing the drivers championship for Jos Verstappen and the Team championship for Van Merksteijn Motorsport
.
Penske did not compete in the ALMS in 2009 but Team CytoSport
, who had previously competed in LMP1 in 2007, purchased an ex-Dyson Racing RS Spyder and took part in four races with a best result of second in class at Road America
.
In LMS, Team Essex only competed in the 1000 km race at Spa
taking the class victory and also at Le Mans
securing the class victory and finishing 10th overall with Casper Elgaard
, Kristian Poulsen
and Emmanuel Collard at the wheel. Team Goh
also took part in the race with an ex-Van Merksteijn Motorsport
car and was running a strong second in class when it crashed with less than an hour of the race remaining.
and Greg Pickett at the longer races at Sebring, Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta. Cytosport used a full-width rear wing for the entire season, unlike arch-rivals Highcroft HPD. The CytoSport RS Spyder won the LMP2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring
and took their first outright victory at Northeast Grand Prix
at Lime Rock
. CytoSport continued their winning success by taking outright victory at a shorten race at Mosport
. They also finished the season second behind Patrón
Highcroft Racing
in the championship and Klaus Graf finished second in the drivers' standings.
No RS Spyder's were entered in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans
. The 2011 LMP2 regulations rendered the RS Spyder obsolete due to the costs exceeds the LMP2 budget limit. The RS Spyder could still be entered under the new LMP1 rules if Porsche chose to do so, albeit the minimum weight now has to be 900kg.
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
designed by Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
to compete in Le Mans Prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
Class 2 (LMP2) racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder
Porsche 550
The Porsche 550 was a sports car produced by Porsche from 1953-1956.Inspired by the Porsche 356 which was created by Ferry Porsche, and some spyder prototypes built and raced by Walter Glöckler starting in 1951, the factory decided to build a car designed for use in auto racing. The model Porsche...
of the 1950s (combined with Porsche's common "Renn Sport" designation). The car marked Porsche's first return to the top level of sports prototype
Sports prototype
A sports prototype, also referred to as simply a prototype, is a form of racing car that is used as a top category in sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars differ from street-legal and production-based racing cars that also compete in sports car racing.Prototype racing cars have...
racing since the firm abandoned its Porsche LMP
Porsche LMP
The Porsche LMP was a stillborn Porsche Le Mans Prototype project with intentions to race in 2000. It was a planned replacement for both the LMP1-98 and 911 GT1-98 following Porsche's one year sabbatical from the top Le Mans Prototype class in 1999...
in 1999.
The RS Spyder made its debut in the final event of the 2005 American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
(ALMS) at Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....
winning its class. Since then the RS Spyder has won the ALMS LMP2 Championship in 2006
2006 American Le Mans Series season
The 2006 American Le Mans Series season was the 8th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
, 2007
2007 American Le Mans Series season
The 2007 American Le Mans Series season was the 9th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2. It began March 17, 2007, and ended October 20, 2007 after 12 races...
and 2008
2008 American Le Mans Series season
The 2008 American Le Mans Series season was the tenth season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Tourer race cars divided into four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
and took class honours at Le Mans in 2008
2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...
and 2009
2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...
. The outright victory at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring
2008 12 Hours of Sebring
The 2008 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida was the 56th running of this event and the opening round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at Sebring International Raceway, Florida on March 15, 2008...
was the first major victory for Porsche in endurance racing for five years and it was also the first time in 24 years that the non-premier class won the 12 Hours of Sebring overall.
Design
The RS Spyder was designed completely in-house by Porsche engineers. The chassis is a rigid carbon fibre monocoqueMonocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
with both the engine and transmission being integral stressed members. The 3.4 litre 90-degree V8 racing engine was designed from scratch as was the six-speed electro-pneumatic sequential gearbox
Semi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is an automobile transmission that does not change gears automatically, but rather facilitates manual gear changes by dispensing with the need to press...
. Braking is via six-piston caliper carbon-fibre brake mounted on suspension controlled by four-way, spring/damper units activated by pushrods with adjustable torsion-bar springs. The car has a dry weight of 825 kilograms (1,818.8 lb)in 2010 specification but was initially 750 kilograms (1,653.5 lb).
Since its introduction in 2005 the engine, which initially produced 478 hp has been developed and modified to meet the changing regulations of both the ALMS and the ACO
Automobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest , sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race...
. For 2008 the engine developed 503 hp using direct fuel injection
Gasoline direct injection
In internal combustion engines, gasoline direct injection , also known as petrol direct injection or direct petrol injection, is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke and four-stroke gasoline engines...
and 440 hp in 2009-spec with air restrictor limitations.
Race results
2005
The RS Spyder made its race debut at the final round of the 2005 American Le Mans Series2005 American Le Mans Series season
The 2005 American Le Mans Series season was the 7th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
, the Monterey Sports Car Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....
, entered by Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
and driven by Lucas Luhr
Lucas Luhr
Lucas Luhr is a German race car driver, currently contracted by Audi.-Early career:Luhr began his career in karts in 1989. Throughout the early 1990s, he won several local and national karting trophies...
and Sascha Maassen
Sascha Maassen
Sascha Maassen, born September 28, 1969, in Aachen, Germany) is a veteran sports car driver. He is currently a Porsche factory driver, and drives the #6 Porsche RS Spyder for Penske Racing in the American Le Mans Series.-Early career:...
from the Porsche Junioren
Porsche Junioren
The Porsche Junioren are a team of young racing drivers, employed by Porsche and driving for various private teams, as Porsche officially retired from factory racing after winning the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans overall with the Porsche 911 GT1....
factory team. The sole RS Spyder finished first in class and fifth overall.
2006
During 2006, Penske entered two RS Spyders in the ALMS and won seven class victories including outright victory at the Mid-Ohio2006 American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio
The 2006 American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio was the third race for the 2006 American Le Mans Series season at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It took place on May 21, 2006....
race. This was the first LMP2 victory in a race since 2003 and the first major result for Porsche since the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans
1998 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 66th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 6 and 7 1998.-Race:1998 saw a significant increase in manufacturer involvement. Porsche and Mercedes-Benz remained, with upgraded cars in both GT1 and LMP. Toyota sent three of their new, extremely fast...
. The results ensure victory for Penske in the LMP2 Championship and also for Sascha Maassen in the drivers' standings.
2007
For 2007, Porsche unveiled the 2007-spec RS Spyder (known as the RS Spyder Evo), which included an increase in power to 503 hp. Dyson RacingDyson Racing
Dyson Racing is a professional sports car racing team based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. Founded by Rob Dyson in 1974, the team is one of the longest-running and most successful privateer racing organizations. Over the years, it has competed in IMSA GTO and GTP, SCCA Trans-Am,...
joined Penske in the ALMS. 2007 would be the most successful year for the RS Spyder with Penske repeating their outright victory in the ALMS series a further eight times and also securing an additional three class victories. Penske again won the LMP2 class in ALMS and Romain Dumas
Romain Dumas
Romain Dumas is a French racing driver.Dumas started karting in 1992, in 1996 he competed in the French Formula Renault Championship. In 1998, he joined the French Formula 3 Championship....
won the LMP2 Drivers Championship. During the season the RS Spyder won eight races while the Audi R10 TDI from the largest P1 class won only four. Penske had also taken eleven class victories from twelve races.
2008
Facing competition from the multiple Acura teams, Porsche made improvements to the RS Spyder for the 2008 season, mainly in the area of aerodynamics. Larger front diveplanes are now used to claw back on downforce deficits to the Acura. Direct Injection was introduced at Long Beach. Rule changes increased the RS Spyder's weight to 825kg. A Penske car driven by Timo BernhardTimo Bernhard
Timo Bernhard is a sports car racer. He is currently a Porsche factory driver, but has been seconded to Audi for selected events in 2009 and 2010...
, Romain Dumas
Romain Dumas
Romain Dumas is a French racing driver.Dumas started karting in 1992, in 1996 he competed in the French Formula Renault Championship. In 1998, he joined the French Formula 3 Championship....
, and Emmanuel Collard
Emmanuel Collard
Emmanuel Collard is a French racing driver. He is a member of the Porsche Junioren factory team, but drives also for other marques....
, secured the overall victory at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
, winning it on the 20th anniversary of Porsche's last overall win at the race. Penske had another outright victory at the Utah Grand Prix
2008 Utah Grand Prix
The 2008 Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix was the fourth round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at Miller Motorsports Park, Utah on May 18, 2008.-Race results:Class winners in bold...
and also recorded an additional three class wins. At Petit Le Mans a 3rd RS Spyder was entered by Penske in an attempt to lock out the manufacturers' championship against Acura. Penske won both the LMP2 Team and drivers' championship for Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas. Porsche won the manufacturers' championship by 1 point ahead of Acura.
Danish Team Essex together with Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport is a Dutch motorsport company active in both circuit racing and rallying. Established in 2008, under the ownership of Peter Van Merksteijn, Sr. and with Gerard Grouve as team principal, this motorsport company won both the LMP2 class title in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le...
of The Netherlands and Horag Racing of Switzerland participate in the Le Mans Series
2008 Le Mans Series season
The 2008 Le Mans Series season was the fifth season of ACO's Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototype and Grand Touring style cars broken into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
(LMS) all with 2008-spec RS Spyder. Team Essex and Van Merksteijn also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans
2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...
, marking the debut for the RS Spyder at the event. A RS Spyder from Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport is a Dutch motorsport company active in both circuit racing and rallying. Established in 2008, under the ownership of Peter Van Merksteijn, Sr. and with Gerard Grouve as team principal, this motorsport company won both the LMP2 class title in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le...
driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen
Jeroen Bleekemolen
Jeroen Bleekemolen is a Dutch racing driver.In a Chrysler Viper GTS-R he drove in the FIA GT Championship, with great success. He competed in the very competitive German Formula 3 Championship and drove a number of times at the Masters of Formula 3 at Circuit Zandvoort, the unofficial F3 World...
, Peter van Merksteijn and Jos Verstappen
Jos Verstappen
Johannes Franciscus "Jos" Verstappen nicknamed "Jos the Boss" is a Dutch racing driver. He is the most successful Dutch Formula One driver, and has also won races in A1 Grand Prix and Le Mans Series LMP2 races...
, came first in class and 10th overall with the Essex team coming second in class (12th overall). A RS Spyder won its class in every LMS race giving it a 1-2-3 in the LMP2 standing and securing the drivers championship for Jos Verstappen and the Team championship for Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport is a Dutch motorsport company active in both circuit racing and rallying. Established in 2008, under the ownership of Peter Van Merksteijn, Sr. and with Gerard Grouve as team principal, this motorsport company won both the LMP2 class title in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le...
.
2009
New restrictor rules brought the RS Spyder's power down to 440 bhp, and the wingspan was limited by the rules, effectively decreasing downforce.Penske did not compete in the ALMS in 2009 but Team CytoSport
CytoSport
CytoSport is a Benicia, California, manufacturer of sports-oriented nutritional products, or "supplements". It offers a line of protein-enhanced powders, shakes, and bars has broken into the mainstream market with a ready-to-drink form of protein supplement "Muscle Milk", a non-dairy beverage...
, who had previously competed in LMP1 in 2007, purchased an ex-Dyson Racing RS Spyder and took part in four races with a best result of second in class at Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
.
In LMS, Team Essex only competed in the 1000 km race at Spa
2009 1000 km of Spa
The 2009 1000 km of Spa was the second round of the 2009 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, on 10 May 2009...
taking the class victory and also at Le Mans
2009 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 77th Grand Prix of Endurance, an endurance auto race run over 24 hours. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest over June 13–14, 2009 and was started by Fiat and Ferrari chairman Luca...
securing the class victory and finishing 10th overall with Casper Elgaard
Casper Elgaard
Casper Elgaard is a Danish auto racing driver. He has competed several times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001, as well as regular drives in the Le Mans Series. In 2008 he finished second in the LMP2 class of Le Mans for Team Essex in a Porsche RS Spyder. He also won his class at the 2008...
, Kristian Poulsen
Kristian Poulsen
Kristian Poulsen is a Danish auto racing driver, who currently competes in touring car racing.-Career:He made his debut in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2008 with a part season. For 2009 he will compete a full season in the WTCC with Liqui Moly Team Engstler in a BMW 320si alongside...
and Emmanuel Collard at the wheel. Team Goh
Team Goh
Team Goh International is a Japanese auto racing team founded by Kazimuchi Goh in 1990s. Initially competing in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship , Team Goh won the 1996 championship with a McLaren F1 GTR and drivers John Nielsen and David Brabham...
also took part in the race with an ex-Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport is a Dutch motorsport company active in both circuit racing and rallying. Established in 2008, under the ownership of Peter Van Merksteijn, Sr. and with Gerard Grouve as team principal, this motorsport company won both the LMP2 class title in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le...
car and was running a strong second in class when it crashed with less than an hour of the race remaining.
2010
CytoSport announced in February 2010 that it would contest the full ALMS in a RS Spyder. It was also announced that Sascha Maassen would join the regular drivers Klaus GrafKlaus Graf
Klaus Graf is a German race car driver. He is the son of rally driver Peter Graf. He lived in the United States while competing in the American Le Mans Series, Trans-Am, and in certain NASCAR and ARCA races. He is considered a Road Course Ringer in the world of NASCAR.Graf has won championships...
and Greg Pickett at the longer races at Sebring, Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta. Cytosport used a full-width rear wing for the entire season, unlike arch-rivals Highcroft HPD. The CytoSport RS Spyder won the LMP2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring
2010 12 Hours of Sebring
The 58th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida was the 2010 running of the 12 Hours of Sebring and the opening round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Florida on March 20, 2010...
and took their first outright victory at Northeast Grand Prix
2010 Northeast Grand Prix
The 2010 American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix was held at Lime Rock Park on July 24, 2010. It was the fifth round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season.-Qualifying:The qualifying session saw David Brabham give Highcroft Racing another overall pole...
at Lime Rock
Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park is a natural-terrain motorsport road racing venue located in Lime Rock, Connecticut, United States, a hamlet in the village of Lakeville, Connecticut, in the state’s northwest corner...
. CytoSport continued their winning success by taking outright victory at a shorten race at Mosport
2010 Grand Prix of Mosport
The 2010 Grand Prix of Mosport presented by Mobil 1 is the penultimate round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season. It will take place at Mosport International Raceway on August 29, 2010. The race marks the 100th ALMS race that David Brabham has competed in. As a result, the Patrón Highcroft...
. They also finished the season second behind Patrón
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
Highcroft Racing
Highcroft Racing
Highcroft Racing is an American auto racing team based out of Danbury, Connecticut and founded by driver Duncan Dayton in 1989. Initially founded for Dayton's involvement in historic motorsport, specifically the restoration and preparation of classic automobiles, the team was expanded for Dayton's...
in the championship and Klaus Graf finished second in the drivers' standings.
No RS Spyder's were entered in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans
2010 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also known as the Grand Prix of Endurance. The race took place on 12–13 June 2010 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . Fifty-six cars participated in the...
. The 2011 LMP2 regulations rendered the RS Spyder obsolete due to the costs exceeds the LMP2 budget limit. The RS Spyder could still be entered under the new LMP1 rules if Porsche chose to do so, albeit the minimum weight now has to be 900kg.