The new Porsche 911 Cup has made its dynamic debut in Great Britain, completing laps of the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit with Porsche factory driver, Nick Tandy, at the wheel.
Revealed to the British public for the first time at Icons of Porsche, Sunstede Silverstone Edition, the new 911 Cup was put through its paces by the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nürburgring and Spa 24 Hours, and the 24 Hours of Daytona winner, watched by a passionate crowd of enthusiasts.
The first two examples of the new 911 Cup to arrive in Great Britain garnered a great deal of attention. Porsche fans, racing drivers, and teams, were assembled at the festival to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first Porsche arriving in Great Britain, and 75 years of Porsche motorsport. While one of the new cars wore the global 911 Cup launch livery, the other paid homage to the 911 GT3 Earls Court 51 Edition – a special edition car celebrating 75 years since the first Porsche 356 arrived in the UK in 1951. The Porsche GB 911 Cup mirrored the road-going car as closely as possible, including silver detailing around the windows designed to replicate its chrome trim. Making its debut in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup this season, and numerous Carrera Cup competitions and other series sanctioned by Porsche around the world, the new 911 Cup arrives on the Porsche Carwow Carrera Cup GB grid in 2027.
An evolution of the successful one-make 911 model currently used by Porsche Carwow Carrera Cup GB, the new car falls into line with the design of the 992.2 generation 911 GT3. The 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine features enhanced performance, with an increase of 10 hp to 382 kW (520 hp). Aerodynamic tweaks, a comprehensively upgraded braking system, optimised electronic components and cockpit features, and stability systems, focus on improved performance and simplified handling for drivers. Partner Michelin has also developed a new generation of tyre for the one-make car.
Alongside his extensive history as a professional Porsche racing driver, Nick Tandy is also a team owner, with his Bedfordshire-based team, JTR, crowned Carrera Cup GB Teams champions in 2019: “The new car has more capability in the high speed corners with the new aero kit, that’s clear, you really feel that somewhere like this, on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. And Michelin has come up with a great tyre. Therefore I’m sure the car will be significantly faster.
“From a driver and team point of view, I’m hoping that it gives more opportunity to play with the balance of the car. In terms of racing, it should be more capable to follow closely in the dirty air of the car ahead. But ultimately it is still a challenging car to drive, one you really have to get hold of and drive properly, which is what Carrera Cup is all about.”
Four former and current Porsche Carwow Carrera Cup GB drivers also took turns at the wheel of the new 911 Cup during the two-day event at Silverstone. The 2023 champion, and Porsche GB 2022 / 2023 Junior, Adam Smalley, was joined by 2024 Porsche Carwow Sprint Challenge GB champion, and 2025 Carrera Cup GB Rookie champion, Seb Hopkins. Current competitors in the fastest single-marque GT racing championship in the UK, William Jenkins (Team Parker Racing) and Jonathan Moore (JTR), also enjoyed runs on the challenging 3.6-mile Northamptonshire circuit.
Adam Smalley: “It is really cool to drive! In the cockpit everything’s laid out nicely – it’s intuitive and easy to use. Out on the track, there’s an improved balance, and I think that will make the racing better. With the ABS and traction systems you can really manipulate the way the car feels underneath you to suit your driving style. Carrera Cup GB is all about fine margins, and I think this will reward the drivers who are more experimental with these systems.”
Seb Hopkins: “Porsche have done a great job of evolving the car, it feels faster, and it’s very easy to adapt to as a driver who is familiar with the current version. You can really feel the additional power, especially around Silverstone! And the ABS system will be useful for drivers learning the best braking technique, it is a real step forward in that regard.”
William Jenkins: “It’s a great car! These cars are fantastic to drive anyway, with a really raw experience. I was a little worried about the new ABS and traction control systems taking some of that away, but it’s still typical 911 and very rewarding. And I think the systems will provide a great opportunity to close up the pack, with drivers in different categories getting closer for some exciting racing.”
Jonathan Moore: “You can play with this car a lot more than the current one, overall it’s a really nice car to drive, and I was instantly comfortable with it. I think it’s easier to get near the ultimate pace, however, to be really quick will remain a challenge, because the competition will be even closer than it already is!”
A field of identical 520 PS 911 Cup cars will line up for the opening races of 2027 in April. Keep up to date with the latest news on Instagram and X via @PorscheRaces_GB.
