Paul Newman's Porsche 911 GT3 R Headed to Auction
Paul Newman was famous for a lot of things, and this 911 GT3 R played a small role in his tremendous success over the years.
Historic Piece
Legendary actor and peddler of salad dressing Paul Newman was better known in the automotive world as a race car driver. Newman campaigned in a variety of different motorsports series over the years, driving a variety of different kinds of vehicles. That included this very 2000 Porsche 911 GT3 R, which he campaigned at the Road Atlanta Petit Le Mans that very same year. Now, the iconic racer is going up for grabs via Mecum Auctions.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
Raging Success
The number 15 car was driven by Paul Newman, Michael Brockman and Randy Wars as one of team owner Dick Barbour's many cars in his successful stable. That year, it helped Barbour achieve the ALMS (American Le Mans Series) 2000 GT class series championship, though it's homologated for both FIA GT and ALMS competition.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
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Purpose Built
This particular generation of the GT3 R, of course, is a purpose-built machine based on the Porsche 996 911. It's completely devoid of creature comforts, opting instead for things like a full roll cage and fire suppression system. The 911 rolls on a four-wheel independent suspension setup with ventilated hydraulic disc brakes at all four corners.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
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Business Cabin
The cabin of this racer is all business, too. There you'll find a Recaro racing seat, Sparco steering wheel, Willans racing belts, and little else. The spartan cabin is all about weight reduction and safety, and zero about creature comforts. Obviously, those efforts paid off on the track.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
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Proven Combo
Powering this corner carver is the familiar 3.6-liter flat-six, which is backed up by a recently rebuilt 6-speed manual transmission. It's not only a proven combo but a historically good one at that. And we can imagine that Newman and company fell in love with the intoxicating noises it produced screaming around various legendary tracks.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
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Vintage Racer
Thankfully, this 911 retains its original livery with silver with blue and yellow accents, Mobil 1 sponsorship, and the original number 15. Its racing days may be over, but the Porsche has since competed in vintage races at Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca, and Road America. Even better, it's still eligible for both Porsche Club of America and Porsche Owners Club competition events.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
>>Join the conversation about Paul Newman's GT3 R 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
Plenty of Life Left
And we certainly hope that the new owner does exactly that with the car. After all, that's what the legendary Paul Newman would have wanted. This successful Porsche racer has enjoyed quite a life, but it still seemingly has plenty left to give to its future owner, too.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
>>Join the conversation about Paul Newman's GT3 R 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
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