At the turn of the millennium, the twin-turbocharged 911 GT2 Evo and its naturally aspirated counterpart, the 993 Cup 3.8 RSR, marked the end of the half-century era of air-cooled Porsche GT race cars. This final non-turbo air-cooled 911 race car was developed by the customer racing department in Weissach for teams wishing to compete in the GT3 classes of the American IMSA and European GT series. It was robust enough to withstand the demands of 24-hour endurance races at Daytona, Spa, and Le Mans, as well as the popular long-distance events on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Delivered in turnkey condition, it followed the motto: "Just add the driver."
In total, Porsche built 45 Cup 3.8 RSRs—lightened to 1,200 kilograms—with 30 produced in 1997 and 15 in 1998. They were delivered to customer teams around the world, from Europe and the US to Japan.
Like the 993 Cup car on which it was based, the RSR was equipped with a fully welded Matter roll cage, an aluminum front lid, a front strut brace, fully ball-jointed suspension, a special front spoiler, and an adjustable rear wing. A single Recaro racing seat with a Sabelt six-point harness, a fire-suppression system, and a battery master switch were mandatory equipment for any racing GT under the regulations.
Yet that was far from all. The cars only became thoroughbred RSRs thanks to the "Z 20631" package, which included two-way adjustable Bilstein dampers (rebound and compression), bolt-on fender flares to accommodate even wider tires, and larger 380-mm front brake discs similar to those of the GT2. The heart of the Cup 3.8 RSR was its air-cooled M64/75 flat-six. Its output was raised from the 315 hp of the one-make series 993 to 350 hp at 6,900 rpm, paired with the close-ratio G50/34 six-speed gearbox. To maximize power and torque (380 Nm at 7,000 rpm), Porsche fitted the 3.8-liter engine with stronger, lighter valves, high-lift camshafts, and special pistons and cylinders. The intake and exhaust manifolds were thoroughly revised, too, and the engine breathed through six individual throttle bodies.
The car now offered by Hamann Classic Cars is the very last of the 15 units built in 1998. Bearing chassis number WP0ZZZ99ZWS398025 and finished in Firn White, it was delivered in March 1998 to Zakspeed, the Eifel-based team renowned for the spectacular Group 5 Ford Capri Turbo and its Formula 1 participation between 1985 and 1989.
Unlike a standard RSR, it was further upgraded with the so-called "Le Mans" package, consisting of a Kevlar underbody panel (except below the engine), Kevlar doors, a lightweight engine lid with the Le Mans rear wing, Le Mans fender flares, and BBS wheels with wider outer rims.
Other distinctive features of this car include seven air vents in each rear fender, a 100-liter fuel tank for endurance racing, and a front anti-roll bar adjustable from the cockpit. The package is rounded off by a Zakspeed-developed crossover exhaust system with neither muffler nor catalytic converter. A second exhaust with catalytic converter and silencer for sprint races comes with the car as a spare.
Between 1998 and 2000, Zakspeed rented the car out to various guest drivers, who campaigned it in endurance races, primarily at the Nürburgring. In May 2001, Zakspeed sold the car to its second and, to date, last owner. That same year, the new owner himself competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, sharing the pit garage with the Zakspeed crew, who had by then switched to the Dodge Viper GTS-R. Upon seeing the Porsche—parked in front of the garage, immaculately prepared but no longer slated for active duty—the collector struck a deal with team principal Peter Zakowski on the spot.
Since then, he has driven it only a few times, and only briefly, at Zolder in Belgium and at the Hockenheimring, while having it serviced once a year. Now this very last air-cooled Porsche 993 Cup 3.8 RSR is up for sale. Its mechanicals are fully intact, it retains its matching-numbers engine, and it needs only a thorough technical inspection after its long periods of inactivity. After that, it is ready for premium events such as Le Mans Classic, Silverstone Classic, and Estoril Classics, or, in the US, the Classic 24 at Daytona and Rennsport Reunion at Laguna Seca.
