The RS Spyder (Type 9R6) is a racing car designed by Porsche in conjunction with Penske to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 (LMP2) racing. The car takes its name from the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder of the 1950s (combined with Porsche's common "RennSport" (lit.: racing sports) 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 14 years that the non-premier class won the 12 Hours of Sebring overall. Regulation changes for the 2011 season rendered the RS Spyder obsolete but the car has left a legacy in the Porsche 918 Spyder, which uses a development of the RS Spyder's engine and the Porsche 919 Hybrid which carried Porsche's racing program on into the LMP1 category starting in 2014.
Design The RS Spyder was designed completely in-house by Porsche engineers with help from Carbotech. The chassis is a rigid carbon fibre monocoque with both the engine and transmission being integral stressed members. The 3.4-litre 90-degree MR6 V8 racing engine was designed from scratch as was the six-speed electro-pneumatic sequential gearbox. Braking is via six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers and carbon ceramic discs, mounted on suspension controlled by four-way adjustable spring/damper units activated by pushrods with adjustable torsion-bar springs. The car has a dry weight of in 2010 specification but was initially .
Since its introduction in 2005, the engine, which initially produced , has been developed and modified to meet the changing regulations of both the ALMS and the ACO. For 2008, the engine developed using sequential multipoint inject and 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 Series, 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.2005 Monterey SportsCar Championship Race Results International Motor Sports Association 15 October 2005 Retrieved 17 March 2010
2006 During 2006, Penske entered two RS Spyders in the ALMS and won seven class victories including an outright victory at the Mid-Ohio race.2006 Mid-Ohio Race Results International Motor Sports Association 21 May 2006 Retrieved 17 March 2010 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.2006 ALMS LMP2 Results ALMS Website Retrieved 17 March 2010
2007 For 2007, Porsche unveiled the 2007-spec RS Spyder (known as the RS Spyder Evo), which included an increase in power to . Dyson Racing 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.2007 ALMS LMP2 Results ALMS Website Retrieved 17 March 2010
2008 Rule changes increased the RS Spyder's weight to 825 kg and Porsche introduce a new direct injection engine developing . A Penske car driven by Timo Bernhard, 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.2008 ALMS 12 Hours of Sebring Results ALMS Website Retrieved 17 March 2010 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.2008 ALMS LMP2 Results ALMS Website Retrieved 17 March 2010
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. An 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.
2009 New restrictor rules brought the RS Spyder's power down to approximately , and the wingspan was limited by the rules, effectively decreasing downforce.Michelin Alley Mid Ohio 2010 Retrieved 24 February 2012
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 SpyderCytosport Returns With Porsche RS Spyder Speed TV Website 20 June 2009 Retrieved 17 March 2010 and took part in four races with a best result of second in class at Road America.2009 ALMS Road America Results ALMS Website Retrieved 17 March 2010
In LMS, Team Essex only competed in the 1000 km race at Spa taking the class victory and also securing the class victory at Le Mans, 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.
2010 CytoSport announced in February 2010 that it would contest the full ALMS in a RS Spyder.CytoSport to do full ALMS season Autosport Website 10 February 2010 Retrieved 17 March 2010 It was also announced that Sascha Maassen would join the regular drivers Klaus Graf and Greg Pickett at the longer races at Sebring, Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta.Maassen to rejoin CytoSport Autosport Website 19 February 2010 Retrieved 17 March 2010 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 Sebring2010 12 Hours of Sebring Results American Le Mans Website 2010 12 Hours of Sebring provisional results and took their first outright victory at Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock. CytoSport continued their winning success by taking outright victory at a shortened 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 Spyders were entered in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 2011 LMP2 regulations rendered the RS Spyder obsolete due to the costs exceeding the LMP2 budget limit.
Competition history
Complete American Le Mans Series results (key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap. +Complete American Le Mans Series resultsYearEntrantClassDriversRounds1234567891011122005 Penske Racing Lucas Luhr Sascha Maassen61010SEBATLMIDLIMSONPORAMEMOSPETMON1235th2006 Penske Racing Sascha Maassen Lucas Luhr Emmanuel Collard Timo Bernhard6All1-61, 9–107-9SEB2†TEX3†MID2LIM2UTA1POR2†AME1MOS2PET1MON22001st Romain Dumas Timo Bernhard Patrick Long Lucas Luhr Mike Rockenfeller7All1-617-109SEBRetTEX5†MID1LIM1UTA3POR3AME2MOS1PET2MON12007 Penske Racing Sascha Maassen Ryan Briscoe Emmanuel Collard6AllAll1, 11SEB8STP1LNB2TEX3UTA1LIM1MID2AME2MOS2DET7PET5MON22511st Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas Hélio Castroneves Patrick Long7AllAll111-12SEB2STP2LNB1TEX1UTA2LIM2MID1AME1MOS1DET1PET1MON1 Dyson Racing Team Andy Wallace Butch Leitzinger Andy Lally16AllAll1, 11SEB5STP5LNB3TEX6UTA3LIM5MID4AME5MOS7DET2PET4MON61462nd Chris Dyson Guy Smith20AllAllSEB6STP6†LNB5TEX5UTA4LIM4MID5AME4MOS5DET5PET2MON52008 Penske Motorsports, Inc. Ryan Briscoe Hélio Castroneves510-1110-11SEBSTPLBHUTALRPMDOELKMOSDETPET1LAG4457th Penske Racing Patrick Long Sascha Maassen Ryan Briscoe6All1-8, 10–111, 9SEBRetSTP3LBH3UTA2LRP3MDO4ELK4MOS3DET5PET3LAG82101st Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas Emmanuel Collard7AllAll1SEB1STP1LBH2UTA1LRP2MDO1ELK2MOS7†DET4PET2LAG3 Dyson Racing Team Chris Dyson Guy Smith16AllAllSEB3STP4LBH7UTA6LRPRetMDO5ELK6MOS7DET6PET6LAG51293rd Andy Wallace Butch Leitzinger Andy Lally20AllAll1, 10SEB2STP8†LBH5UTA4LRP6†MDO6ELK3MOS8DET8PET4LAG6 Horag Lista Racing Fredy Lienhard Didier Theys Jan Lammers27111SEB5STPLBHUTALRPMDOELKMOSDETPETLAG189th2009 Team Cytosport Klaus Graf Greg Pickett Sascha Maassen66-7, 9–106-7, 9–109SEBSTPLBHUTALIMMOH2ELK3MOSATL3LGA2†0NC2010 Muscle Milk Team Cytosport Klaus Graf Greg Pickett Sascha Maassen Lucas Luhr61, 911, 99SEB1ATL21622ndLMP Klaus Graf Greg Pickett Sascha Maassen Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas2-82, 4-5378LBH3LGA2MIL3LRP1MDODNSROA2MOS1Sources: † Did not finish the race but was classified as they completed more than 70% of the race distance.
Complete Le Mans Series results (key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap. +Complete Le Mans Series resultsYearEntrantClassDriversRounds123452008 Horag Racing Jan Lammers Fredy Lienhard Didier Theys27AllAllAllCAT6MON3SPA2NUR12SIL2322nd Team Essex Casper Elgaard John Nielsen31AllAllCAT3MON1SPA3NUR3SIL5253rd Van Merksteijn Motorsport Jos Verstappen Peter van Merksteijn Sr. Jeroen Bleekemolen34All1-3, 54CAT1MON2SPA1NUR1SIL1481st2009 Team Essex Emmanuel Collard Casper Elgaard Kristian Poulsen31222CATSPA1PORNÜRSIL117thSources:
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results (key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap. +Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans resultsYearTeamClassDriversPosition2008 Team Essex31 Casper Elgaard John Nielsen Sascha Maassen2nd Van Merksteijn Motorsport34 Peter van Merksteijn Jeroen Bleekemolen Jos Verstappen1st2009 Navi Team Goh5 Seiji Ara Keisuke Kunimoto Sascha MaassenRet Team Essex31 Casper Elgaard Kristian Poulsen Emmanuel Collard1stSource:
Legends of Le Mans Series results (key) +Complete Legends of Le Mans Series resultsYearEntrantClassDriversRounds1234567892026 JMB Racing François Perrodo831-2IMO1IMO1SPA1SPA1LMSLMSLMSBAHBAH
Race victories