Porsche Bringing 2 Factory-Backed 991 GTEs to Le Mans

It has not been a major secret that PorschePorscheGermany, 1931 > present43 models
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had already begun testing a racecar based on its new 991-chassis 911Porsche 911 Gen.6 [991 Series]Germany, 2011 > present110 versions
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. We saw it testing at Oschersleben in August, but the assumption was that Porsche would wait and homologate the latest GT3 to have a more capable racecar. However, Porsche has surprised us all by announcing it will enter two 991-based 911 GTEs into the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

Porsche's announcement said that the team would field the car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship. It will be the first time that Porsche has entered a factory-backed GT car team in international competition since 1998. 

The new car is called the 911 RSR. Note the lack of GT3 designation, because the car is based on the standard 991 Carrera, not the yet-unreleased GT3 version.

The team will be called Porsche AG Team Manthey. Olaf Manthey will run the team. Manthey is an experienced Porsche racer, and his team won five consecutive Nürburgring 24 Hour races from 2006 to 2011. 

“The new 911 RSR is currently being developed by our engineers and tested by our works drivers. What better time could there be to introduce the new car than the Porsche 911’s 50th anniversary," said Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen.

Porsche has kept tight-lipped about the car. It has not released any official images yet or said anything about the car's powerplant. Still, a new, factory-backed Porsche team a year before it returns to prototype racing is enticing. 

The GT3 road version is rumored to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and the 2013 FIA WEC season starts in April at Silverstone. There would be no way for Porsche to produce enough of them for homologation. The new GT3 road car will have a rumored 450hp, but the the reason to homologate it is that Porsche can put the suspension changes from the road car on the racecar.