Over the weekend I took advantage of some frankly great streaming video from the IMSA Racing application to view some of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. And the action was thrilling, with several classes being decided not in the last hour, but in the last minutes. Of particular interest to me was the GTLM category, where Porsche had been going round after round with team Corvette over the past few years. And while they weren’t challenging for the overall victory, it gave me pause to consider Porsche’s contribution to racing. You see, Porsche has recorded 22 overall victories at Daytona, but what’s perhaps more impressive is the claimed 77 class victories they’ve claimed. It wasn’t to be this year, but one of the 991 RSRs did make it to the podium. Fitting, then, that we should look at one of the more impressive and expensive variants of the 911 RSR; the 993 Cup 3.8. Only 30 of these racing variants were produced; less even than the road-going 3.8 Carrera RS with which it shared its name. Lightened, widened and with something like 400 horsepower coming from the race-prepared motor, these are still seriously potent track weapons today some 20 years later:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera Cup 3.8 RSR on Race Cars Direct
Year: 1995
Model: 911 Carrera Cup 3.8 RSR
Engine: 3.8 liter flat-6
Transmission: 5-speed
Mileage: Not Listed
Price: E.290,000 ($315,792 today)
This 993 Cup 3.8 RSR was the first car ever engaged in GT Championship by the famous and subsequently multi-Le Mans winner French team IMSA. Last races when the car was engaged in GT Championship by IMSA were in Pau and Monza back in 2002. The car was then driven in club and historic car races. The car just won in 2015 the FFSA GT Classic championship for historic GTs up to 1997, outperforming other cars such as 993 GT2 and Dodge Viper.
The car is in excellent mechanical and optical condition. The engine and gearbox were fully disassembled and rebuilt in October 2015 for a detailed inspection prior to the sale. Engine dyno test available. Clutch is new. Shock absorbers and transmissions have less than 8h.
The car has been maintained at the highest standards by Pierre Ofzky in Switzerland, one of the most capable mechanic in Europe on air-cooled Porsche. More than 100.000 EUROs of regular maintenance invoices available since 2010. Very nice body condition and paint.
A comprehensive spares package is also available at extra-cost including additional wheel sets (center lock speedlines), body parts (rear and front bonnets, rear wing and original doors), transmissions, brake discs and pads, clutch, etc…
Car delivered in 1995 as supercup to Lafon / Jarrier and subsequently homologated by IMSA as 3.8 RSR in GT Championship. Chassis number: WPOZZZ99ZSS398099, matching numbers. Full documentation and complete history available upon request.
This car certainly looks very fresh and clean overall, and the $100,000 worth of rebuilt items over the past few years is both a comfort and a warning; these are expensive cars to run. But the increase in value of 911 models has me wondering if a well documented and excellent condition example like this isn’t a bargain. How is $315,000 a bargain? Well, it’s $235,000 less than the 911 Carrera 3.8 RS that sold at Sotheby’s in August. Granted, the road cars have a greater appeal and ability to be used, but Porsche factory racers have been a hot commodity over the past few years. While it’s far out of the realm of consideration for most (if not all) of our readers, you could make a pretty strong argument that this car could be a great investment.
Plus, look at it. Dear Lord, it’s just perfect automotive art. And, it’s old school speed; make it as light and stiff as possible, stick some massive BBSs on it and a big honkin’ flat-6 in the rear. This was the end of an era.
-Carter
