WEC's newest safety car is a 540hp Porsche 911 Turbo

Keep your eyes peeled for a certain flat six-powered safety car at this year's FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In fact, prepare to see several examples of it in various races until 2020. Say hello to the newest WEC safety car, the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Based off the current 991 platform, the 911 Turbo safety car is armed with a 3.8-liter twin turbo flat-six that generates 540 PS and 660 Nm of torque. Married to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, it allows the 911 Turbo to sprint from 0 – 100 km/h in 3 seconds flat and reach a top speed of 320 km/h. While the potent engine relatively remains stock, Porsche optimized the suspension and braking system for the racetrack. Lastly, the intervention vehicle rolls on 20-inch alloys wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

But being the safety car that it is, the special purpose 911 gets a myriad of features that will help fulfill its role on the racetrack. For starters, it comes with an LED light bar on the roof, flashing lights mounted at the front and rear, and a dedicated radio system for contacting the race director. Open the doors, and the 911 Turbo safety car gets full-shell racing seats with six-point harnesses for improved cabin safety.

“We’re delighted to have the chance to supply the safety cars and intervention vehicles for the Sports Car World Endurance Championship until 2020. As a sports car manufacturer, it was rather easy for us to find a suitable car. Basically, many of our production models fit the bill for this special task on the race circuit. Ultimately, however, we chose the Porsche 911 as the safety car. In total, 16 vehicles from different model lines will fulfil different functions in the WEC,” said Alexander Stehlig, GT Motorsport program manager at Porsche.

A total of eleven 911 Turbo safety cars will be used by WEC. Two will travel the world alongside every WEC championship round while three will be permanent intervention vehicles for this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The rest could be used as backup safety cars.