Driving the $375,000 Porsche race car that debuted as a $12 DLC in iRacing

Video game launches for new cars are increasingly common these days—Gran Turismo alone has hosted dozens of “Vision” concepts —but Porsche decided to go a little more serious for the digital debut of its latest model.

iRacing , the online driving sim that has been punishing people’s digital driving indiscretions since 2008, was not only the first place anyone could drive the new 911 Cup, but also serves as a sort of digital feeder series to Porsche’s one-make Porsche Carrera Cup.

That sim makes a great venue because the 911 Cup is as hardcore a racer as iRacing is a hardcore racing game.

When I was invited to drive that new car for real, I knew exactly where to start.

While there are faster and more expensive versions of Porsche’s 911, the GT3 has long been the ultimate “racer for the road” spec, riddled with track-focused upgrades yet offering just enough creature comforts for daily driving .

Its 4.0 L flat-six engine makes 502 hp (374 kW) and 331 lb-ft (449 Nm) of torque, available connected to either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Free of a racing livery, you could be mistaken for thinking this is just another 911 GT3 doing some laps.

Credit:
Tim Stevens Free of a racing livery, you could be mistaken for thinking this is just another 911 GT3 doing some laps.

Credit:
Tim Stevens
The 911 Cup builds from there, ratcheting up the performance not by adding much more power, but by removing just about everything else.

The interior has been gutted, and the bodywork reshaped to add even more downforce.

Interestingly, though, for this new 911 Cup, Porsche made a few concessions in the name of reducing operating costs.

The big front splitter is now made of three separate parts, making it cheaper and easier to replace.

A simpler front bumper and rear wing likewise make on-track oopsies that much more affordable.

Nothing will ever be more affordable than doing it digitally, however.