At first glance, this Polar Silver Porsche 911 looks like it has just been recently discovered from a forgotten garage, because of the thick layer of dust covering the car. In reality, this vehicle already caused a massive sensation two and a half years ago when it was auctioned in late 2023 in this exact condition. Since that previous sale, the ultimate modern barn find has apparently remained completely undisturbed in a private collection. Now, still wearing its famous layer of grime, this untouched 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 “Straßenversion” is set to cross the block again at RM Sotheby's Woodcote Park Auction on the 8th of July, with an estimate of 1.85 to 2.2 million pounds.

To understand the significance of this ultra-rare homologation special, one must look at the exceptional career of the 964 Carrera RSR. In the early nineties, this 380-horsepower, lightweight flat-six beast was virtually unstoppable on the international stage. It conquered the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the 1000 Kilometres of Suzuka, and the 24 Hours of Interlagos, taking outright victories against pure racing prototypes. Beyond a dominant class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it famously swept the top four category positions at Daytona, cementing its status as Zuffenhausen's ultimate turn-key racer. It's still eye-wateringly fast, even by today's standards. 3.8 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h was outstanding in the nineties, and the difference from a modern-day 911 GT3 isn't even half a second.

While most of the 51 built RSRs went straight to the starting grid, one of Porsche's VIP clients had a different vision. Visiting Porsche's Exclusive Manufaktur department at a time when the Zuffenhausen company had severe financial struggles, this collector placed an astonishing bulk order for six ultra-rare cars. His purchase included four Turbo S Lightweights and a pair of road-legal RSR Strassenversions. To make his individual fleet stand out and tie them together, he requested two signature details across all six vehicles: gold brake calipers and Speedline wheel centres finished in Amethyst Metallic.

Fulfilling this massive order required unprecedented patience from the customer. While standard RSR production wrapped up in the summer of 1994, this specific car, chassis 496107, was not delivered until March 1996. The delay of almost two years was caused entirely by the owner's obsessive interior demands. He specified a full Interior-to-Sample Guards Red leather cockpit. Porsche's artisans did not just wrap the seats and dashboard — they painstakingly hand-stitched the entire Matter roll cage, the steering column, and even the built-in air jack lines in matching red leather. Even the ignition barrel, switches, and wiper stalks were trimmed in leather to create the perfect blend of a luxury and a race car.

Even though it was equipped with a Le Mans-specification twin-ignition engine and a 120-litre fuel cell, this car was destined for storage rather than the racetrack. Rediscovered in 2015 with a mere 10 delivery kilometres on the odometer, it still retains its factory protective Cosmoline coating and stands on its first set of tyres. Because its subsequent owners chose to keep the car entirely preserved as they bought it, it returns to the market still carrying the dust of its decades-long slumber, which is a part of the car's character at this point. Cleaning it would wash away the history of the car.

Photos: Neil Fraser for RM Sotheby's

 

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