The '90s decade is widely considered to be the Golden Era of GT1 racing. This amazing decade gave us some of the greatest race cars in history, as top European automakers like Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, and McLaren competed for glory. Like other manufacturers, Porsche also wanted a piece of the action, so it built a worthy contender - the 911 GT1.
As per the FIA homologation rules, Porsche had to build 25 road-legal examples of the 911 GT1. That's how the 911 GT1 Strassenversion came to be. Every gearhead agrees that the 911 GT1 Strassenversion is among the greatest Porsche road cars ever. Let's explore ten facts about this iconic car.
10 A Purpose-Built Sports-Prototype
Before 1996, manufacturers followed the same formula when building race cars. They'd take production cars and make the necessary modifications to turn them into race cars. That all changed with the 911 GT1.
Instead of developing a race version of a road-going model, Porsche effectively created a purpose-built sports prototype. The road-legal 911 GT1 Strassenversion was almost similar to the race car, which is why it's regarded as a race car for the road.
9 Beautiful Design
When designing the 911 GT1, Porsche decided to join the front half of the 993-bodied 911's chassis and the rear half of the 962's chassis. The idea seemed crazy at first, but it turned out to be a huge success. The 911 GT1 is definitely one of the most beautiful supercars of the '90s.
We love its 911-like front end, low-slung body, and massive rear wing. The design is also functional. The car's shape, hood scoop, vents all over the body, and giant rear wing all combine to make the 911 GT1 more aerodynamically efficient than most sports cars of the day.
8 The First Mid-Engined Porsche 911
Since the Porsche 911 debuted in the '60s, every gearhead has been in love with it. The 911 has always stuck to the same winning formula - timeless design, advanced engineering, and a rear-engine configuration.
However, the company decided to do things a little differently with the 911 GT1. For the first time, a Porsche bearing the 911 name was mid-engined. While a rear-engined 911 can be tons of fun, especially in the twists and turns, Porsche felt it wouldn't work on the track due to handling issues.
7 A Powerhouse
Like other manufacturers, Porsche wanted to absolutely dominate GT1 racing with the 911 GT1. As such, they equipped it with the same engine as the legendary 962 Le Mans race car - a 3.2-liter water-cooled, twin-turbocharged, and intercooled flat-six blurting out 592 hp.
The 911 GT1 Strassenversion also used the same engine. However, it was slightly detuned to comply with European emission laws, resulting in an output of 536 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque.
6 Extremely Lightweight
Although the 911 GT1 had plenty of power, it still had to be lightweight to beat the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and McLaren F1. After various weight-saving measures, the 911 GT1 Strassenversion weighs just 2,535 lbs, allowing it to go from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds and top out at 191 mph.
The 1998 version was even lighter. Since it was manufactured entirely out of carbon fiber, the 1998 911 GT1 Strassenversion weighs just 2,095 lbs.
5 A Road-Legal Race Car
Sitting in the 911 GT1 Strassenversion can leave you feeling like you're about to get on the track at the next Le Mans race. The Strassenversion has most of the elements found in the race version, including a 3.2-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six, albeit slightly detuned.
As you'd expect from a Porsche, the 911 GT1 Strassenversion is quite practical. It has air conditioning, comfortable seats derived from the Porsche 964, and enough luggage space for a weekend getaway.
4 Surprisingly Easy To Drive
You don't have to be a professional racing driver to enjoy taking the 911 GT1 Strassenversion for a spin. Thanks to Porsche's engineering expertise, the car is easy to handle even if you take it to the limits.
Fantastic gear shifts, responsive steering that lets the driver know what the front end is doing, and smooth power delivery from the turbos make the 911 GT1 Strassenversion feel like a road racer.
3 A Racing Champion
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The 911 GT1 had a short but successful racing career. The race car's debut was at the 1996 BPR Global Series where it won all three races.
The 911 GT1's most famous win was at the 1998 Le Mans. While the 911 GT1 was slower than the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and Toyota GT-One, its reliability and durability allowed Porsche to win its record-breaking 16th overall win at Le Mans.
2 A Rare Porsche
The 911 GT1 Strassenversion is a unicorn of a car. Seeing one of these cars is next to impossible unless you're lucky enough to be on the auction floor on the rare occasion that one of them is for sale.
According to FIA homologation rules, Porsche had to build 25 road-legal examples of the 911 GT1. However, most people believe that Porsche made only 23 units - 2 road-legal prototype cars in 1996, 20 units in 1997, and a single car in 1998.
1 Only Multi-Millionaires Could Afford It
The 911 GT1 Strassenversion is a beautiful, powerful, and incredibly rare Porsche with a racing history. Of course, it's not cheap. At launch, the 911 GT1 Strassenversion cost just under $1 million.
If you want one today, you'll have to part with a lot more than that. In 2017, a 911 GT1 Strassenversion sold for a whopping $5.6 million at a Gooding & Company auction, making it one of the most expensive German cars ever.