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The Official Teamspeed Porsche 911 GT1 Information and Picture Thread

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The Official Teamspeed Porsche 911 GT1 Information and Picture Thread

The Porsche 911 GT1 was a racing car designed for competition in the GT1 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and sold as a road car for homologation purposes. The roadgoing version was labeled the 911 GT1 Straßenversion.

History

Porsche debuted the 911 GT1 in 1995, announcing that it would compete at the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans. In spite of its name, the car actually has very little in common with the 911, its floorpan was taken from the Porsche 956|956/962 Group C car. In addition, the GT1 featured a water cooled, twin-turbocharger|turbocharged and intercooler|intercooled 3.2 L, multivalve|four valve per cylinder flat-six in a MR layout|mid-mounted position and making about 600 horsepower. In comparison, the Porsche 993|993 generation Porsche 911 GT2|911 GT2, which was otherwise the company's highest-performance vehicle, used an air-cooled engine with only 2-valves per cylinder and mounted in the rear, which is the traditional layout for the 911.

1996

The new vehicle was an outright success at Le Mans, winning the GT1 class at its debut race, although it lost the overall victory to Joest Racing's TWR-Porsche prototype, still a success in that this vehicle used a Porsche powerplant.

The 911 GT1 made its debut in the BPR Global GT Series (the FIA championship's predecessor) at the last race of the 1996 season, in Zhuhai, although the organisation was reluctant to accept the car and did not allow it to score points. Emmanuel Collard and Ralf Kelleners won outright without much contention.

1997

In 1997, the new Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR was successful in the new FIA GT Championship that replaced the BPR, as it was developed for racing. Mercedes did not enter Le Mans yet with their new car, though. The Porsche did not prove to be as fast in the FIA series, and failed to win a single race, first against the McLaren F1 GTR, and then against the new CLK-GTR.

Porsche made minor revisions to the car for the 1997 Le Mans, including restyling the front end to incorporate "kidney shaped" headlamps like what would appear a year later on the 996 generation 911s, and Boxsters; this version is known as the 911 GT1 Evo (or Evolution). However, the works cars suffered from reliability problems and did not last the full race distance; a privately entered GT1 managed 5th overall and third in its class, but was beaten by the BMW-backed and powered McLaren F1 GTRs.

1998

Porsche committed themselves to a full blown re-thinking of the vehicle for the 1998 race, as the FIA and ACO abandoned the rule that GT1 cars must be based on a production vehicle. Designed to match the Toyota GT-One and Mercedes CLK-GTR, the 911 GT1 '98 featured radical changes to the bodywork and a new sequential gearbox. In 1998, in spite of improvements to the car, the privately entered Porsches proved to be no match for the works CLKs which also were improved. This was also due to the air-restrictor rules being regarded as unfavourable to the turbo engine. The Michelin tyres of the factory team and especially the Pirelli of Zakspeed were considered inferior to the Bridgestone of Mercedes, which also would dominate in F1 for many years.

At Le Mans, it was a different story. The new BMW V12 LM retired with wheel bearing trouble, and the Mercedes CLK-LM vehicles had oil pump troubles in the new V8 engines that replaced the former V12. The Toyota GT-One was very fast but also unreliable.

The revised 1998 model, despite being slow, fulfilled Porsche's slim hopes, taking both first and second place overall thanks to reliability, giving Porsche its record-breaking 16th overall win at Le Mans, more than any other manufacturer in history.

At Road Atlanta, the 911 GT1/98 of Yannick Dalmas made a spectacular backward flip, as did the BMW V12 LMR at the same place in 2000, and most famously the Mercedes-Benz CLR at Le Mans in 1999.

1999

With Mercedes dominating FIA GT1 in 1998, all other entries including Porsche withdrew for 1999. The GT1 class was cancelled, and the FIA GT Championship was contested with GT2 cars. Porsche could have entered at Le Mans, but chose not to try to defend the lucky win of '98 against new machines from other factories.

Champion Racing brought a 911 GT1 Evo to America to race in the American Le Mans Series, but was only allowed to do so as a LMP (Le Mans Prototypes) class entry, where it proved uncompetitive against actual prototypes such as the BMW V12 LMR.

The road version

Regulations for the GT1 category stipulated that to be eligible, a total of 25 cars must be built for road use. Porsche developed a fully road-legal version of the GT1 and delivered one in early 1996 to the German government for compliance testing, which it passed. The engine had to be slightly de-tuned to meet European emissions laws, although its 544 PS (400 kW) and dry weight of 1,100 kg proved to be more than adequate; the vehicle could accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 3.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 310 km/h (193 mph).

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Source: Wikipedia/Wikicars

The one car I'm dying to see in person but don't think I ever will.

The GT1 in Zuffenhausen

The 1998 Porsche 911 GT1 LM Strassenversion, the only one on earth:

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There have been a number of pointless picture threads started in recent months. This is not one of them!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC919 (Post 1357504)

There have been a number of pointless picture threads started in recent months. This is not one of them!!

REP! wise words.

I really want the GT1 steering wheel and shift knob for my 993; same as the 993 rs but SO badass that the GT1 had it (GT2 did also of course).

At my first trip to the Monterey Historics, Porsche was the featured marque and brought their 911 GT1-98 fresh from its overall victory (Porsche's last) at Le Mans. I was dumbstruck.

http://allcarcentral.com/porsche/Por...na_seca_98.jpg

One of my favorite Porsche 1:43 model sets is the GT1 collection. Fantastic!

http://www.modelcarexpo.com/producti...P020SET23a.jpg

Finally, one of the coolest things Porsche's done was to drive the GT1 around in its bare carbon/kevlar body (maybe someone can find a better pic):

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/q...r199661ra7.jpg

How has no one posted this?

I still remember hearing the 1998 variant at Road Atlanta at the first Petit Le Mans: despite watercooling, it still had that air-cooled snarl, and it sounded like a pipe organ on boost. A shame that it flipped on the back straight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guest (Post 1358188)

Yes, a shame.

I love this car! As far as road versions go, I've tried to gather a bunch of information from various sources, anybody want to correct or confirm any info here:

1996 there were just 3 road going versions made.

http://www.fastestlaps.com/photos/GT13.jpg

One's in Germany, another is in a garage in New Jersey (owner used to be active on TS), and the other has been seen at Porsche parades.

Then in 1997 I believe there were 21 of these built:

http://www.rsiauto.fr/images/PORSCHE...T1-(996)-1.jpg

And only one of these built in 1998:

http://cdn.speedhunters.com/wp-conte...6477f1fb_o.jpg

That makes 25 cars, but like I said this is based on conflicting information.

That's the same info I have about it Carrera.

http://www.supercars.net/carpics/154...enversion1.jpg

I spent hours and hours drawing the 98 car when I was a kid. That was really the first year I really got into racing. The first year I watched F1 - I still remember Schumi's drive in Hungary and the fiascos at Spa. I went to Petit with my dad that fall, and I remember begging to leave after the Porsche crashed about halfway through - I had zero interest in staying to watch the 333 SP win. Since the corner workers and marshals at Road Atlanta are often Georgia good ol' boys, dad chatted a few of them up while I "borrowed" the right mirror from the piled up wreckage at the beginning of pit lane (I was 9). You definitely couldn't get away with that now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guest (Post 1358291)

That's such a cool story. Do you still have it? You should post up a pic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carrera (Post 1358303)

That's such a cool story. Do you still have it? You should post up a pic.

Somewhere, maybe at my parents' house. I'll try to, although I'm a terrible photographer and have never owned a camera (apart from phones, and the current one is broken).

Cool thread. I saw the polka dotted one that was for sale in Houston a few years back. They took it to the Texas Mile and ran the car of all things. I believe they are cool at a distance. Some of the lines are awkward compared to the sex of the CGT. But it's an awesome car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amzamus (Post 1358256)

Yes, a shame.

BIG Porsche flip at Road Atlanta - YouTube

Reminds me of this...
(fast forward o 0:30)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris from Cali (Post 1357955)

Finally, one of the coolest things Porsche's done was to drive the GT1 around in its bare carbon/kevlar body (maybe someone can find a better pic)

I'm sure you saw it, but that's in the video that The JC posted right after your post. Here's another pic:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172192408.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911Boy (Post 1358578)

Reminds me of this...
(fast forward o 0:30)
Le Mans 99' Mercedes CLR-GT1 Crash Live - YouTube

Mark Webber likes to do "stunts".

That GT1-98 Strasse version is unbelievable. I would kill for that car... though the maintenance would kill me!

Super hi-res wallpaper version:

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-conten...emans_1998.jpg

^^ great post Chris! New wallpaper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911Boy (Post 1360246)

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7...k4gko1_500.jpg
Source: That911.com

The links on Flickr for higher resolutions:

1024 x 720: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7...2dfcb86c_b.jpg

1600 x 1124: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7...2daa3eb4_h.jpg

2048 x 1439: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7...b1bdb9ab_k.jpg

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Another pic:

1024 x 680://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7516560972_26913eedae_b.jpg

1600 x 1063: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7...9d99165f_h.jpg

2048 x 1360: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7...d4959150_k.jpg

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I saw a GT1 once parked at the Nürburgring. Always loved it to death!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carrera (Post 1358264)

One's supposedly still in Germany yes but they only made one more. The one that the NJ TS member had went to the Middle East to be owned by another TS member.

The one in the 24h du mans museum :

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/9888/mg7151.jpg

I think someone here or on *** had one in their collection I recall... none the less awesome car...