Always better
Ah, those regulations. We don’t want to go into them here, that would take us too far afield. What is important here are the FIA N-GT and ACO GT classes from 1999 onwards, in other words, the small classes of GT racing cars that were particularly important for Porsche in customer racing. On the basis of the 996 GT3, Porsche built the GT3 R from mid-1999, which made its debut that year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and immediately took a class victory. The well-known 3.6-litre boxer engine served as the drive, which in racing trim produced 415 hp at 8200 rpm and a maximum torque of 380 Nm at 7000 rpm. A total of 66 units were produced, including WPOZZZ99ZYS692096 (2000), which was driven by Paul Newman, among others, and sold at auction in 2013 for just 121,000 dollars.
In 2001, the GT3 RS arrived, with improved aerodynamics in particular. (Probably) 51 units were produced – and they were even more dominant than the GT3 R. They also did well in overall victories: Bergmeister/Bernhard won the 24-hour race at Daytona in 2003. The car we show below, chassis number WP0ZZZ99Z2S692071, came second in class at the 2002 Le Mans 24 Hours and third overall at the Spa 24 Hours. Because life is becoming more expensive in general, RM Sotheby’s in Milan expects 300,000 to 500,000 euros for this GT3 RS in 2025.
It wasn’t until 2004 that Porsche had to follow up again. The GT3 RSR was given a sequential 6-speed transmission, power increased to 455 hp at 8500 rpm, and maximum torque increased to 410 Nm at 7200 rpm. As with all these GT3 racing versions, the weight was 1100 kilos, and the RSR can be easily recognised by its teardrop-shaped headlights. It is said that 37 units were produced, the one below has the chassis number WP0ZZZ99Z5S693068 and was still available for less than 200,000 euros in 2018.
This is one of the stories that belongs to our series about rare Porsche 911s, here. Otherwise: archive.
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