1997 Porsche 911 GT2

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$2,397,500 USD | Sold

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  • One of just 17 examples reportedly delivered new to Japan
  • The last in the line of great air-cooled, turbocharged 911 models, and the hand-built “holy grail” of Porsche’s 993 generation
  • Finished in the stunning shade of Glacier White over extended black leather upholstery
  • Powered by its numbers-matching 430-hp, twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter “M64/60R” engine
  • Currently shows just 15,226 km (~9,461 miles) at time of cataloguing and presented in highly original condition
  • Desirably equipped with air conditioning, locking differential, white fog lights, power steering, Speedline RS wheels, front strut tie bar, and Porsche CR-3 radio
Addendum
Please note that this lot is titled as a 1996.

Porsche’s 1997 911 GT2—initially called the 911 GT and badged as such—is not only the undisputed king of the company’s 993-generation lineup, but is also widely regarded as the last great, air-cooled, turbocharged 911. Only 194 roadgoing examples are believed to have been built by the factory, of which the White Collection’s specimen offered here (chassis 2077) is a well-documented and tastefully specified example.

Paperwork on file shows that GT2 number 2077 started its life as a Japanese-market car, and was imported to Meguro, Tokyo in November 1996 via Mizwa Motor Sales. For nearly 50 years, Mizwa was the main importer of Porsches into the country before Porsche themselves gained a Japanese foothold in 1995, finally taking over Mizwa’s business entirely in November 1997.

In fact, this car is certainly among the last of those 17 examples reportedly delivered new to Japanese customers.

All buyers of this ultra-exclusive model could order a wide variety of options to make their order more, or less, like the GT2 racecar which it homologated, although all roadgoing cars received a slightly detuned M64/60R engine, producing 430 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged, 3.6.-liter blueprint. The White Collection’s 911 GT2 not only features a very noteworthy configuration, but also retains its numbers-matching engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Further, it displays a high degree of overall originality throughout.

The car’s first owner was a notable Yokohama business executive and avid skier. The first attribute surely explains his ability to afford Porsche’s most expensive and powerful model alongside a generous suite of optional equipment; the latter characteristic seems a likely motive for his GT2’s stunning Glacier White (3AU) exterior, which glistens and sparkles in a way that contrasts with this machine’s huge, flared wheel arches, 73-inch-wide rear, and menacing performance potential. Some 26 years later, this spectacular GT2 still emits an intimidating aura, and one struggles to imagine just how much of a frenzy this car must have created in downtown Tokyo (or at ski resorts outside the city) during the late 1990s.

GT2 number 2077’s stunning exterior visage is completed by a set of white fog lights and spotless Speedline RS wheels, over an interior which has been richly trimmed with extended black leather and creature comforts such as air conditioning, power steering, a leather-wrapped Momo Clubsport steering wheel, and Porsche CR-3 cassette radio. And yet, the car still boasts manual windows—which is a particularly unique configuration in consideration of the other comforts required by its original owner. Optional pieces of factory “sports” equipment are limited to a front strut tie bar and an electronically controlled locking differential (ABD).

The car was regularly serviced at Mizwa (and later Porsche Meguro) facilities until some point between 2004 and 2009, when this GT2 was imported into Germany, and then subsequently to Italy. It remained in Italy until November 2015, when it was purchased by the White Collection and has since remained quietly tucked away within their climate-controlled museum in Houston, Texas. It has been started and run to operating temperature monthly. Since 2016, it has been treated to a comprehensive regimen of cosmetic refinishing and detailing, with all OEM parts being supplied directly from Porsche of North Houston; even the smallest details appear to have been considered and corrected. Although the hood and fender flares (which are known to fade with time) have benefitted from high-quality repaints in the past, the rest of this low-milage car remains in highly original condition both inside and out; it is accompanied by its original owner’s manual, as well as tools and service documentation.

This is the ultimate 993-generation 911 within this finely curated collection of rare Porsches, and certainly the most aggressive-looking. Owning one of these 911 GT2s remains a potent status symbol among even the highest ranks of Porsche collectors, and this Glacier White example will no doubt attract a great deal of attention wherever it goes. As roadgoing GT2s are rarely offered for public sale, the opportunity to acquire such a beautiful example of one of Porsche’s most exclusive, air-cooled, turbocharged 911 supercars should not be missed.