1998 Porsche 911 GT1

From any angle and at any speed, it is the perfect picture of what a modern sports prototype should look like

After its 1994 Le Mans victory with a decade-old design, Porsche needed a new long-term strategy for its international sports car competition. Enter the 911 GT1.

Keeping to the spirit of the regulations, Porsche used an existing 911 road car, the type 993, for the body shell. It was stiffened by a substantial roll cage that also supported the engine, gearbox and suspension. In line with 911 tradition, the motor was a horizontally opposed six cylinder, but it was mounted ahead of the rear axle line rather than behind it like the road cars. The 3.2-liter, four-valves-per-cylinder “boxer” was water-cooled and turbocharged with a pair of intercooled KKK turbos. Maximum power of 600 hp was developed at 7,200 rpm and transmitted to a six-speed gearbox equipped with its own oil cooler.

A strong visual association with the 911 road car was necessary, so several subtle styling cues reinforced the link, but otherwise the GT1 looked every inch the...