Porsche 911 GT1 Proves To Be a Hoot on Public Roads
It only makes sense that a car designed to dominate the competition on the track would also be quite a lot of fun on public roads, too.
Rare Bird
The idea of building a race car for the street is nearly as old as the automobile itself. And yet, while many automotive manufacturers have built homologated racers legal for on-road use, few are as hardcore as the mighty Porsche 911 GT1. This is a car that was slapped together solely to battle the mid-engine Group C competition of the mid-1990s, and 25 road-going examples were produced to satisfy homologation requirements. Recently, Tiff Needell got to sample one of them in the Scottish Highlands.
Rare Beast
By the conclusion of 1998, Porsche had built 23 left-hand-drive GT1s, and this 1997 model has just over 10,000 miles on the clock today. It's simply an incredible machine, albeit not one designed with many baked-in road manners. Regardless, the GT1 is certainly more reliable than many other homologation specials, and its on-track success makes it even more special.
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Proper Workout
Having competed in Group C racing during its heyday, Needell is already intimately familiar with the mighty GT1. Regardless, he's still admittedly a bit nervous driving the ten million pound ($13 million USD) machine around the wet roads filled with sheep, but that doesn't stop him from giving its mid-mounted, twin-turbo 3.2-liter flat-six a proper workout.
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Driver Satisfaction
Even today, that engine's 554 horsepower and the GT1's subsequent 3.9-second 0-62 mph time are undoubtedly impressive. And when you get on it, as Needell notes, that mighty flat-six produces a "meaningful, punchy sound." The hot shoe also points out that "this is what driver satisfaction is all about."
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Work Required
That's not to say the GT1 doesn't require some work to operate. The seat was designed to hold its driver in place, not provide favorable ergonomics. Needell also notes that the clutch is "very heavy," the brake pedal "is like a brick wall," and yet, the steering is "light and positive."
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Different Gearbox
As for the unique synchromesh gearbox, Needell notes that it isn't like most racing transmissions that are quick and precise. In fact, it requires a bit of patience to operate, but that was by design - this gearbox was built to withstand the abuse it would endure in a 24-hour race, and that's exactly what it did.
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Going Wild
As one might imagine, the GT1's ride quality is rough, yet it provides ample amounts of feedback. The best way to drive it is with a relaxed grip, and "to let it do what it wants," as Needell notes. "This is where it belongs - out in the wild, going wild" the hot shoe concludes. What I really love about cars like this is that when you're doing 60 miles-per-hour, it feels like you're doing 160." Perhaps one day, we too will be lucky enough to experience that magic on public roads.
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