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Porsche sets IMSA GTLM lineup, reveals GTD upgrade plans

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Nos. 911 and 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR. Photo courtesy of IMSA

As part of Porsche’s annual Night of Champions in Stuttgart, Germany, the manufacturer’s GT plans came into focus in full after weeks and months preparing to reveal its 2018 program.

The IMSA GT Le Mans side will, as expected, see ex-LMP1 drivers Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber return to North America. The pair has enjoyed rapid, meteoric trajectories as Porsche factory drivers and will be back to being split in the pair of Porsche 911 RSRs next season.

Tandy will share the No. 911 car with Patrick Pilet, and Bamber the No. 912 car with Laurens Vanthoor.

Gianmaria Bruni, who co-drove with Vanthoor in the second half of 2017, has been transferred over to Porsche’s FIA World Endurance Championship entry and will run as third driver in the No. 912 car next year. Fred Makowiecki will be third driver in the No. 911 car.

Dirk Werner, who co-drove with Pilet in North America this year, will race for Porsche in both the Intercontinental GT Challenge and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup next year.

Porsche has also revealed the technical details behind the “evo” package upgrade for its Porsche 911 GT3 R GT3 car, which enters its third year in 2018.

Per Porsche, the customer car receives an upgrade – not a fully new car – for the 2018 season. The parts kit, which can be used to update all 2016 and 2017 models, includes among other things, a new front lid/hood for the optimization of thermal management and side flicks on the front bumper to improve aerodynamic balance.

IMSA’s 2018 season starts with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 in early January, then the Rolex 24 at Daytona itself later that month.

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