911 GT1, Porsche’s Absolute Weapon: Part 1

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

In this story, we take a closer look at Porsche’s ultimate weapon for the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the 911 GT1.

In 2018, Porsche celebrated its 70th anniversary, which also marked 20 years since the 911 GT1 won at Le Mans. Besides the racing version, Porsche also developed a very rare road-going version for homologation purposes.

Development of the 911 GT1 began back in 1991. When Porsche withdrew from Formula 1 that year, the renowned Stuttgart brand suddenly found itself without a racing program and therefore decided to focus on a GT program based on its iconic 911. They entered into discussions with the FIA and ACO, with the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans also facing challenges.

Porsche bridged the gap with a number of distinctly different cars, again with considerable success. With both the Porsche 962 Dauer and the LMP2 Spyder, they managed to win three times in the Sarthe, although the name Porsche AG never appeared on the entry list during that period.

Porsche customers competing with the 911 GT2 during that period, facing a powerhouse like the McLaren F1 GTR, didn’t stand a chance. Porsche responded with the 911 GT1, thanks to their development manager Horst Marchart and race director Herbert Ampferer.

The 911 GT1 clearly distinguishes itself from the 911 in terms of its bodywork. The GT1 version is flatter and wider, and uses carbon-reinforced plastic. Furthermore, the 911 GT1 incorporates design features from the 993 and 996.

Porsche decided to use a hybrid chassis for the crash tests. The steel sheet front end is taken from the production Porsche Carrera 993. A tubular frame is placed behind the cockpit. The final 911 GT1 is flatter than the production 911 and 21 centimeters wider.

Porsche based the 911 GT1’s power unit on that of the 956/962, which produced 600 hp. While Porsche traditionally placed the power unit in the rear, the 911 GT1 became the first 911 with a mid-mounted engine.

Porsche developed the 911 GT1 in an incredibly tight timeframe. At the same time, it would become one of the rarest Porsches ever, with only 24 built. The 911 GT1 joins the ranks of extremely rare Porsches, including the Porsche 356 America Roadster (16 cars), the 911 SC/RS (20 cars), the 924 Carrera GTS (50 cars), and the 964 Turbo S (86 cars).

Join us in our 2nd part featuring the different versions of the 911 GT1 and its racing career.