It was the end of the wild 90s in motorsport when Porsche won Le Mans with the 911 GT1 in 1998. After 1996 and 1997, this is the third and final year in which the 911 GT1 will be used at Le Mans. The statutes of the FIA GT1-class at the time stipulate that for the homologation of a racing car, at least 25 examples must be built with street approval and that the base vehicle used should still be somewhat recognizable. In 1996, Porsche didn't really meet this requirement with only two examples built, and in 1997 they missed the target a second time with a total of 21 road-legal versions of the sports car, which at the time cost 1.5 million German marks (former German currency). But the starting field at Le Mans is thin at this point and the FIA is turning a blind eye to getting Porsche as the driving force for the event. In addition to some racing versions, the label Werk83 also presents the road version of the 911 GT1 in the first evolutionary stage from 1997 on a scale of 1:18. Collectors can choose between the colors silver and the white “plain body version”. The models reflect Werk83's usual high level of detail and bring a real rarity from Porsche history into fans' collections.
In order to save time-consuming crash tests, the road version of the Porsche 911 GT1 1996 is based on the Porsche 993 from the front to the B-pillar. From the B-pillar onwards, a tubular space frame is used. In 1997, with the model change from the 993 series to the 996 model series, the well-known “fried egg headlights” and taillights were also used in the Evo version of the GT1. On March 7th, 1997, the first evolutionary stage 911 GT1 Evo rolled out of the halls in Weissach as the first of the 21 examples mentioned. The water-cooled six-cylinder biturbo mid-engine, which originally began its history in the legendary Group C regulations in models like the 956C or the 962, is slowed down to 544 hp and 600 Nm in the GT1 1997 by an air restrictor. The road version of the racing car, which weighs just 1,150 kilograms, still has a top speed of 308 kph. After just 3.9 seconds, the speedometer needle shows 100 kph. According to some testers, the loud racing gearbox and the lack of major insulation measures make it difficult to have conversations inside the vehicle at speeds above 70 kph.
Today, the Porsche 911 GT1 is one of the rarest Porsches ever built, with only 24 examples built. This number is made up of two examples built in the 1996 version, the 21 examples built in 1997 and a unique piece from 1998, which is in Porsche's own museum. Opinions differ when it comes to the name “911”, since the GT1 uses a mid-engine and not a rear engine as is traditional. The price development from originally 1.5 million German marks in 1997, over 5 million euros in 2017, plus 12.3 million euros in 2020 makes it clear that the 911 GT1 is definitely suitable as an investment.
Porsche 911 GT1 Street Version 1997 silber 1:18 WERK83, UVP 79,95 €
Art-Nr.: W18012005
Porsche 911 GT1 Street Version 1997 Plain Body Edition 1:18 WERK83, UVP 79,95 €
Art-Nr.: W18012003
produkter
Porsche 911 GT1 Street Version 1997 sølv 1:18 WERK83 | 39,95 € | |
Porsche 911 GT1 Plain Body Edition 1997 hvid 1:18 WERK83 | 39,95 € |