Rare Porsche 911 GT2 Evo Sells For $1.45 Million
When the hammer went down at Mecum’s 2017 Original Spring Classic auction, last week, the bid was already at $1.45 million, well above the reserve and ending up being the most expensive car at the event.
Porsche responded to the reorganization of international GT racing with a series of homologation specials beginning with the naturally aspirated 911 RS and culminating in the GT2 Evo. The lightweight RS set the basic template, using a non-turbo air-cooled flat-6 punched out to 3.8L and rated at 300 HP, bolt-on Turbo-style wheel-arch flares, larger brake discs clamped by 4-piston calipers and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars. More obviously equipped for the track, the RSR incorporated a full roll cage, a front strut brace, an adjustable tail spoiler, 6-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher. The subsequent GT2 combined the RS/RSR’s purity of purpose with a tuned version of the 993 Turbo’s twin-turbocharged engine rated at 444 HP. Essentially a street legal race car, the GT2 sported an aggressive-looking front spoiler with upturned side winglets, wider bolt-on wheel flares and a huge rear spoiler with integrated air scoops. Using 2-wheel drive instead of the production Turbo’s all-wheel system shaved even more weight, resulting in a top speed of almost 190 MPH and road-holding that bordered on the supernatural. This exceptionally rare one-owner 1996 Porsche 911 GT2 Evo represented the top specification ever produced for any air-cooled Porsche. Designed to compete in FIA GT1, it incorporated a twin turbocharged 3.6L flat-6 engine rated at a full 600 HP and 490 lb-ft of torque. Porsche widened the rear fender extensions to cover wider modular wheels and added a new front spoiler with inlets for oil and brake cooling. A second deck appeared on the already outlandish rear spoiler, which could be mounted higher in the air stream for added downforce. Alas, by then the competition in GT1 had already left the Evo behind. Only 11 were ever built before Porsche moved onto the 996, making these cars among the rarest in the 911 racing lineage. With approximately 7,000 kilometers on the odometer, this GT2 Evo is exactly as it left the factory, an unmolested artifact from one of the most exciting periods in Porsche’s racing history.
Specs:
Rare factory GT2 Evo, one of 11 produced
Top specification ever produced for any air cooled Porsche
Twin turbocharged 3.6L flat-6 engine
Factory rated at 600 HP and 490 ft/lbs torque
6-speed manual transmission
One owner car
7,000 original kilometers
Source: mecum.com
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