2002 Porsche 911 Type 996 GT2 Club Sport Coupé

• One of only 17 GT2 Club Sports delivered to the UK
• Six-speed manual gearbox
• Full service history
• Last serviced by JZM in September 2023
• Stored by DK Engineering
• Circa 35,850 miles from new

Intended primarily for racing, though still road legal, the Porsche 911 GT2 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 GT2 category of production sports car racing, for which it was homologated, and has been produced in a variety of versions since its introduction in 1993 on the Type 993 iteration of the perennial 911.

The GT2 was based on the contemporary 911 Turbo, using essentially the same twin-turbocharged engine. In the GT2 the 3.6-litre air-cooled flat-six engine produced around 414bhp initially, which was good enough for a top speed of 301km/h (187mph). To make the GT2 fit for track use the brakes, suspension, and wheels were up-rated to cope with the substantial increase in performance, while aerodynamic downforce was enhanced by a larger front air dam and a rear spoiler. Of rear-wheel drive configuration, the GT2 was considerably lighter than the Turbo, many of the interior fittings having been deleted, and was the most expensive model in the 911 range. In its original Type 993 incarnation, the Porsche 911 GT2 was produced up to 1998.

A major step forward, the Type 996 successor version of the Porsche 911, introduced in 1997, really did justify its maker's claims to be 'all new'. With the 996's introduction, Porsche finally adopted water cooling for the flat-six engine, which remained behind the rear wheels of a car that shared no panels with its immediate predecessor and was longer, wider and higher than before. Despite the overall increase in size, Porsche's engineers managed to lower the 996's drag co-efficient by raking back the windscreen, with a beneficial reduction in fuel consumption at high speeds. Bonded-in front and rear screens contributed to a significant increase in the stiffness of the aluminium chassis, which was clad in galvanised steel body panels. Water radiators were mounted at the front: two for manual transmission cars, three for those with the Tiptronic semi-automatic 'box. The new, more compact, 24-valve engine displaced 3.4 litres compared with the 993's 3.6 yet was more powerful, producing 300bhp (up from 285), which was good enough for a top speed of 174mph.

Although the Type 996 range had arrived in 1999, it was not until 2002 that a GT2 version of this new model became available, by which time Porsche's motor sports programme had switched to the normally aspirated GT3. Thus the Type 996 GT2 was developed primarily as a road car, albeit one that retained its track-orientated predecessor's characteristically aggressive-looking bodywork. Motive power was still provided by a 3.6-litre twin-turbo engine, though now it was water-cooled. Maximum power was around 455bhp (later 476bhp), which was transmitted to the wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Production of the Type 996 GT2 ceased in 2005.

Over the GT2's four-year production period only 1,287 were built, only 70 of which were delivered in enhanced Club Sport specification like this example. The UK received 129 GT2s in total, 17 being Club Sports. Additions included a roll cage; bucket seats with a six-point harness on the driver's seat; a fire extinguisher; a battery cut-off switch; and side airbag delete. Its accompanying Porsche Certificate of Authenticity records that this GT2 was delivered via Rivervale Porsche and first registered on 1st March 2002. The colour scheme is recorded as Basalt Black Metallic with Black Club Sport interior and red seat belts. As well as the Club Sport package, the car also featured a top-tinted windscreen and a CDR-22 CD/radio.

Accompanying documentation consists of a comprehensive history file of service/maintenance invoices from various Porsche dealers and independent specialists, the most recent being issued by JZM for a service carried out in September 2023. The car also comes with a current V5C registration document and MoT to 24th April 2024. It should be noted that clerical errors have resulted in the chassis number being recorded incorrectly on both the V5C and Porsche CoA. A corrected CoA has been requested from Porsche.

This rare and exciting Porsche Type 996 GT2 Club Sport is one of the marque's most sought-after models of recent times; pampered examples in such good condition are extremely hard to find.