Following the demise of the FIA World Sportscar Championship in 1992, the introduction of the BPR Global GT Endurance Series revived international GT racing.

To compete in BPR and other newly established production-based racing series, Porsche responded with the GT2 – a thoroughbred competition car based on the new twin-turbo 993. In addition to 194 road-going 993 GT2s built for homologation purposes, Porsche built 78 GT2Rs, or Rennversions, developed directly from the potent Turbo S LM-GT of 1993.

On the surface, the 993 GT2 retained much of the classic 911 form, despite its aggressive GRP fender flares, prominent front air dam, and adjustable rear wing, with special openings on either side to feed the turbocharged engine.

At the heart of the racing GT2 was the purpose-built M64/81 engine with twin K24 turbochargers, larger intercoolers, high-lift camshafts, an upgraded valve train, and a TAGtronic 3.8 ECU. This package was conservatively rated at 450 bhp with 479 lbs./ft. of torque. Unlike the all-wheel-drive 993 Turbo, the GT2 – both road and racing versions – were strictly rear-wheel drive.

The suspension was largely the same as the road-going GT2, but tuned with special springs, shock absorbers, adjustable anti-roll bars, and a shock tower brace. Four-piston brake calipers and ventilated discs were managed by a race-tuned ABS. Factory prepared for endurance events, the GT2R was delivered with a 100-liter fuel cell, air jacks, and three-piece BBS alloy wheels shod in racing rubber. To save weight, Porsche made the front lid and doors from aluminum and used thin-gauge glass for every window but the windshield. The interior was purposefully equipped with a full welded-in Matter roll cage, Recaro racing bucket seats, six-point safety harnesses, and Fox fire suppression system. The race-ready 993 GT2R weighed in at just 2,535 pounds.

Campaigned by wealthy amateurs and well-established private teams, the 993 GT2Rs went on to achieve tremendous success. Between 1995 and 1998, these cars dominated international sports car racing, taking the GT2 title in the BPR Global GT Endurance Championship, IMSA Sports Car Championship, SCCA World Challenge, and the German ADAC GT Cup.

The 993 GT2R presented here, chassis 393077, is among only 49 Rennversion examples built during the model’s first production year. According to the definitive book, 911 GT2, this GT2R was built on February 20, 1995, and is one of 10 examples finished in Speed Yellow (code X4), the same vibrant livery seen in Porsche’s own literature on the model.

Sold new via Japanese exotic car dealer, Art Sports, the Porsche’s first private owner was Seigo Tanabe, proprietor of Shelby Asia Inc., an authorized importer of Shelby American and Superformance cars based in Yokohama, Japan. During his ownership, the GT2R was never raced competitively and was instead used for private track events.

The current American owner acquired 393077 in 2013, and it has since resided in a private collection that includes a road-going 993 GT2, among other significant Porsches. Other than its appearance at Rennsport Reunion V in September 2015, the GT2R has not been shown, nor has it been campaigned on track. Consistent with its limited use, the odometer showed just 5,381 km at the time of cataloguing.

As would be expected of such a well-kept, low-mileage example, this GT2R presents in exceptional, show-quality condition. Its factory-supplied components, including the Premier fuel cell, Fox fire suppression system, and Matter roll cage, remain in place and many components display appropriate 1994 and 1995 date codes. Included in the car’s history file is a copy of the Japanese export certificate, along with shipping records and recent service invoices.

The 993 GT2R represents the end of an era – the last of the air-cooled, turbocharged competition 911 models that originated with the Carrera RSR Turbo of 1974 and continued with the successful 934 and 935 series. With the 993 GT2R, Porsche closed the book on two decades of continuous development and cemented their reputation as the undisputed leaders in production-based sports car racing. Furthermore, with a total of just 272 examples, including all road and racing variants, the GT2R represents an infinitesimal fraction of the 993’s 70,000-car production run.

Among the most original and lowest-mileage 993 GT2s extant, this fantastic Speed Yellow Rennversion is a prize for the forward-thinking collector.

*Please note that this vehicle is sold on a Bill of Sale.