When McLaren won the Le Mans 24 Hours in its first outing with the F1 GTR in 1995, the world was stunned and Porsche decided it was time for a new racing car.
Carfection’s Part 2 of the ‘Ultimate Group Test’ gives us a rare glimpse into what is perhaps the most extreme iteration of the Porsche 911 under road law: the 911 GT1.
A strange mixture of a 993 front end and the rear of a 962 racing driver, the 911 GT1 created the first mid-engined Porsche with the legendary 911 nameplate. In 1997, the stunning racing car was dressed to resemble the then-new 996, and the same style was applied to the majority of the roughly 20 street versions built for homologation purposes.
Watch: McLaren F1, Porsche 911 GT1 and Mercedes CLK GTR – Part 1 of the ultimate group test
The 911 GT1 is powered by a water-cooled 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine with two turbochargers that develops 536 hp and, with a weight of just 1,150 kg, is bolted to a six-speed manual transmission.
The interior may seem far more conventional compared to the McLaren F1’s cabin, but then again, any car doesn’t feel special next to the F1. The dashboard is all 993, the doors open conventionally and if it weren’t for the general comfort and integrated roll cage, you’d think of it as just another Porsche.
However, according to Henry Catchpole, the biggest surprise comes when you start driving fast as the 911 GT1 allows the driver to push their limits, grab them by the neck and train that twin-turbo flat-six with confidence.
Yes, it’s the least powerful of the three, but when you have to move so few pounds in combination with the thrust of this engine, it never feels less energetic. It’s a road racer that invites the driver to go faster and harder without setting limits or requiring familiarity times.
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