Located in North Norfolk, England, one of the exceedingly rare 911 GT1 Evo Strassenversion lies in wait for its next owner to come take the reins. A little known collector automobile sales firm there, known as “Trofeo Cars”, is offering a pale yellow 911 GT1 (VIN WPOZZZ99ZWS396010) for sale. This car is one of only 23 examples worldwide, and they only come up for sale once every couple of years. This is truly a collector’s dream.
In order to compete in the GT1 category at LeMans in the late 1990s, Porsche was required to produce a limited run of ‘street versions’ for public consumption for homologation purposes. The car was, at the time, the most advanced car Porsche had ever produced, and was truly a racecar for the street. Lower, longer, and wider than any 911 that had come before it, the GT1 was little more than a silhouette of a 911 draped over a mid-engine sports prototype.
The racing version of the GT1 secured Porsche’s 16th and most recent victory at LeMans in 1998.
This, combined with its rarity, has driven the prices of strassenversion cars through the roof. In July of 2011, one sold in Japan after having been listed at 1.7 million dollars. A US-registered car was offered in December 2011 at 1.95 million dollars. Most recently, a German resident car was listed at $2,325,000. #6010 for sale at Trofeo does not have a listed price, preferring to discuss the sale in person, but you can bet that the car will fall in the ballpark of two big bills.
Even with all of the car’s race-bred engineering and carbon fiber bodywork, I’ve been led to believe that the car drives like any other very powerful turbocharged 911. That is, the car is docile and easily controllable when off boost, but can easily peg the speedometer to the right when the loud pedal is depressed. This was the first road-going car to use the ‘Mezger’ watercooled flat-six that found favor among fans in the 996 and 997 Turbo and GTs, meaning reliable and predictable power for many years to come. This is a solid car, and one that collectors can count on to continue appreciating in value. With this car being the only one of the production run finished in yellow, it’s even rarer still.
From the Listing Advertisement
The Porsche 911 GT1 Evo is an iconic supercar. 1 of 20 ever made; produced as a homologation special to meet the entry requirements for Porsche to compete in the 1998 24 hours of Le Mans.
Chassis #6010 was the tenth GT1 ‘Strassenversion’ produced and was hand-built by Porsche Motorsport to the current owner’s specification and registered in 1998. The car was then exported to France, where it has been maintained to the highest standards, covering just 5,500 km from new.
Finished in light yellow with full leather interior and Recaro racing seats, this is thought to be the only yellow example produced – most were finished in white or silver – making this a completely unique car with only one owner from new.
The car is fitted with its original and genuine twin turbo 3.2-litre flat-six engine, six speed H-pattern gearbox and paddle clutch and ventilated carbon discs with four piston callipers, weighing in at an overall dry weight of just 1,150kg. A reviewer from Automobile Magazine once said, “The 911 GT1 is a racing car tuned for road use, not vice versa.” This is absolutely true.There is very little difference between the street and the racing version – the street version still produces close to 600 bhp, will reach 60 mph from a standstill start in just 3.7 seconds, and will keep going all the way to a top speed of 194 mph. This car drives and handles superbly on the road, and is very tractable.
One ‘street’ homologation was built for each race version of the GT1 – 1996, 1997, and 1998. The basis for the ’96 and ’97 street versions was the front crash structure and cockpit of a 993. After an unfortunate finish to the 1997 season, Porsche made a series of improvements to the GT1. The 1998 car is an evolution of the earlier GT1 street version, featuring modifications such as the headlights from a 996.
In 1998, Porsche took first and second place in the 24 hrs of Le Mans. The winning Le Mans GT1, driven by Stephane Ortelli, Laurent Aiello, and Alan McNish, beat the BMW V12 LM and the Mercedes CLK-LM. This was Porsche’s 16th overall win at Le Mans, making them more successful in this series than any other manufacturer in history. It’s been 16 years since they last competed at Le Mans, and 2014 marks the year of their return.
We are delighted to offer the opportunity to purchase #6010, which has been in a private collection since new. This is a unique chance to acquire an extraordinary car and own a part of Porsche’s Le Mans 24 hrs history. This rare, 1 of 20, Porsche GT1 Evo would make an exceptional addition to any serious collection.
For more information, visit TrofeoCars.com.
