PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Michigan (acquired via Champion Porsche circa 2011)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)

THIS CAR
Launched in 2007, the Porsche 997 GT2 derived its name from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) racing class for which it was built. Descended from a line of ultra-high-performance vehicles that originated with the 1973 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, the track-oriented, yet still very usable 997 was the third road-going Porsche to wear the GT2 nameplate, and the first Porsche 911 road car to break 200 mph in factory specification.

For the swan song of the 997 range, Porsche decided to produce an even more extreme 997 GT2 and anoint it with its most hallowed badge – RS, or Rennsport. Revealed at the 2010 Moscow Auto Show, the 997 GT2 RS was the fastest, most powerful road-going Porsche to date. Aerodynamic updates included reshaped side mirrors and a revised front splitter and rear diffuser. Over 150 lbs. of weight was lost through the fitting of a single-mass flywheel, carbon fiber hood, lightweight center-lock wheels, and thinner carpeting, as well as the replacement of various steel components with aluminum.

The GT2’s twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter flat-six engine received new pistons, intercoolers, and turbochargers, along with a new engine management system. Producing 620 hp and 516 lbs./ft. of torque – an 89 hp and 16 lbs./ft. increase over standard – the impressive output was sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transaxle specifically revised for the RS. Less weight, combined with more power, enabled the coupe to reach 0–60 mph in 3.5 seconds, 0–100 mph in 6.8 seconds, and a top speed of 205 mph. The model’s 7:18 lap around Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife track was a production car record in 2010 and remains a stunningly quick lap in the modern era.

This 2011 997 GT2 RS is one of just 500 worldwide and only 142 brought to the US by Porsche, making it rare and exclusive. Completed by the factory in December 2010, it was acquired by its first owner circa February 2011, and later sold via Champion Porsche of Pompano Beach, Florida, to a well-regarded Michigan collector. The GT2 RS would remain in his hands until 2017, when its current owner purchased it.

Resplendent in menacing black over black leather with red Alcantara seat inserts and black-painted wheels, this example was additionally specified from the factory with painted headlight washers, Sound Package Plus, Bluetooth phone interface, Porsche Communication Management with navigation, and a lightweight lithium-ion battery for a total suggested retail price of $254,230. Accompanied by books, keys, car cover, service receipts, and its original black leather seat cushions, this 997 GT2 RS registers less than 800 miles on its odometer. Presenting impeccably, this GT2 RS offers the unusual opportunity to own one of Porsche’s highest-performance 911 models and, critically for the purist, one of the last that is mated to a manual gearbox.