Porsche 911 GT3 Cup | PH Auction Block

A 991 GT3 is a great roadgoing track car - but if great isn't quite good enough...

Despite their considerable ability that comes baked in from the factory, the demand for modifying 911 GT3s is plain to see. It's evident in the extensive range of options for a new one, from Leichtbau this to Weissach that, and with used cars given that bit extra to suit the owner’s taste. Personalising a GT3 has even reached the point where Talos will carbon body and turbocharge a 991, so it really seems like the sky’s the limit.

When it comes to modifying any car, and especially Porsches, things are often taken to extremes. Look at Singer’s obsessiveness, for example, or whatever it is Magnus Walker does, keen to stand out in a busy space. Here’s one approach, with its PH auction kicking off on Sunday. For as long as the Porsche Supercup has existed (Carrera Cup over here), the cars have been celebrated as pretty simple machines as far as sportscar racers are concerned, with plenty of bits taken from the production 911. GT3s are lauded as about as close to competition spec as is reasonable for the road. You can probably guess what happened with this one…

Yep, it’s a 991 GT3 converted to Cup spec, but still eligible for road use. That’s not merely in terms of design, either, even though the carbon door cards, respray and outrageous rear wing do a good job of telling everyone this isn’t a standard GT3. Instead something like £300,000 has been spent making every element of this 991 even better. When they say road-legal Cup car, that probably sells the work short…

So there’s now a remote reservoir, four-way adjustable Intrax dampers, a Drexler LSD and Cup brakes just for starters. It had one of the later, less troublesome 3.8 flat-sixes installed 5,000 miles ago, at a cost of £27k, a new gearbox in 2017, even air jacks for the full racer vibe. That roll cage is exactly as found in the Cup car, too.

It wouldn’t be a surprise, then, if having spent all this money (there are many more mods beside) the owners of this GT3 barely left their local pitlane. Or ones further afield, for that matter. But no: this 2014 car has just 15,000 miles on it, with periods in storage keeping miles low. That’s reflected in the condition, with the bare minimum of paint rash and limited wear on the Recaros.

It should mean as well that there’s plenty of life left in the extensive raft of upgrades fitted to this GT3. Things like Porsche Motorsport camber arms and control arms, adjustable anti-roll bars, Porsche Motorsport calipers, braided brake lines, the harnesses, the OZ racing wheels… it has everything you could possibly need and more for the ultimate 911 track experience, seemingly with little use.

It isn’t some hastily cobbled together club racer, either; what’s left of the cabin looks great, as does the new dash display. Moreover, a stripped-out interior with a little more power - courtesy of forged pistons and titanium conrods - should mean an even faster GT3. This isn’t just trying to make a road racer; it’s as good a Cup homage as we’ve ever seen.

And now it’s going up for auction, with all that time and money invested and nothing left to do, seemingly, but enjoy this 911 to its fullest. Sure, it won’t be as easygoing as a standard GT3 on the road, but it’s going to be even more thrilling where it matters. And a whole lot more affordable than trying to do the same again…

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