2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Footnotes

"Since its launch in 1999, the Porsche 911 GT3 has been the benchmark against which every other track-focused car has been rated. There are more powerful, more expensive 911s, but the GT3 represents the sports car at its purest and most intense. In fact, all four generations of GT3 arguably rank alongside 1973's legendary 2.7 RS in the annals of greatest 911s." - Auto Express.

Intended primarily for racing, though still road legal, the Porsche 911 GT3 - first introduced in 1998 - can trace its ancestry all the way back through a succession of high-performance models to the legendary 911 Carrera RS of 1973. The car takes its name from the FIA's GT3 category of production sports car racing, and has been produced in a variety of versions since its introduction in 1998 on the Type 996 iteration of the perennial 911.

For 2006 the GT3 was extensively redesigned and improved on the Type 997 platform. New features included 'zero lift' aerodynamics and Porsche's PASM electronically adjustable active suspension system specially configured for track use. Porsche claimed a 0-97km/h (0-60mph) time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 310km/h (193mph) for the new GT3. And just in case there was any doubt about the Type 997 GT3's abilities as a competition car, in 2006 Porsche's official test driver, rallying ace Walter Röhrl, lapped the spectacular Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit - widely recognised as one of the most demanding tests of man and machine - in an astonishing 7 minutes 42 seconds, then the equal fastest time posted by a production car - a feat that attracted much favourable publicity.

Porsche had introduced the first racetrack-only 'Cup' model in 1998 on the Type 996, and the Type 997.2 GT3 version duly arrived at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The GT3 Cup featured a new 3.8-litre engine producing 444bhp at 7,500rpm with a red line of 8,500 revs. Externally, the body was wider at the rear and lower at the front, and featured an enlarged rear wing, while there were also new LED taillights. Running gear improvements included 9.5Jx18" front and 12Jx18" rear wheels shod with Michelin racing tyres; additional Unibal joints on the track control arms; and adjustable anti-roll bars at both ends.

This Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was sold new in Italy and has raced only in that country, almost always with the current owner driving. The car is presented in overall good condition, the engine having run for 10 hours since rebuild and the gearbox 5-6 hours. Accompanying documentation consists of copies of the Porsche Motorsport data sheet and old Passaporto Tecnico recording its race history.