This is an interesting time to revisit the GT2, too. Built to homologate turbocharged 911s for racing in the mid-‘90s, two class wins at Le Mans and widespread success in the hands of privateer race teams in Europe, America and beyond underline the GT2’s race pedigree. To the untrained eye the road version might look like a Porsche with a bad aftermarket bodykit but this provenance – and the rarity – makes them among the most valuable 911s around, as demonstrated by the £1.8m one made at auction a few years back. Appropriately, Porsche is leading the category’s modern revival with a 700PS 911 GT2 RS Clubsport aimed squarely at ‘gentleman drivers’ and yours for 405,000 euros, plus VAT.
This is its inspiration. Badged simply ‘Porsche GT’, this is a factory restored 993 GT2 R, as the customer race versions were known. The road cars got an interior but kept the wild looks and a 430PS engine based on that in the regular 993 Turbo, albeit rear- rather than four-wheel-drive. The R was but one step removed with 450PS, revised gearing for the regular H-pattern manual, race-spec suspension, the cage, harness and seat required to go racing and a massive wing bolted on crude extensions to the existing road car mounting points.