Another day, another tailored German car painted Porsche Smyrna Green (smyrnagrün; non-metallic UNI; Z33; Porsche). This time around, the car in question is a 2024 Paint to Sample 911 GT3 RS (Vin: WP0AF2A91RS272361) with just 91 miles on the odometer in the used inventory over at Aston Martin Boston.
Anyone following along with the Porsche market right now will know that unless you’ve logged a big back catalogue of Porsches purchased new, not to mention likely a watch or two, you probably won’t be getting an allotment for a car as sought after as the 911 GT3 RS, much less an allotment with Paint to Sample attached. Picking one up on the used market, albeit with a healthy markup, is probably the easiest way to procure a car right now. So, when a clearly thought-out example like this Paint to Sample Smyrna Green GT3 RS hits a dealer’s inventory, much less with effectively delivery miles on it, we definitely think it’s worth a second look if you have the means.
We found this car freshly dropped on AutoTrader, and reached out to the associated dealer – Aston Martin Boston. Their sales manager Jamie Ramirez got back to us almost immediately, confirming the color was Smyrna Green. Her team also confirmed the car is one of two Smyrna Green 992 GT3 RS sold to North America, and one of one with a Canadian VIN. Given it’s Canadian and for sale in the USA, we she also confirmed the car’s warranty has been transferred to the States. We sincerely appreciated the fast and thorough turnaround, so would suggest you seek her out should you reach out to them to inquire about the car. To that end, HERE is a link to the listing.
Based on the 911 GT3 RS: elaborate customisation inside and out
Up close and personal: the Siffert family had a hand in creating this model
The right of purchase will be raffled off to interested parties in Switzerland
With the 911 GT3 RS Tribute to Jo Siffert, Porsche is paying tribute to the late Swiss racing driver while also commemorating the first victory of the legendary 917 almost 55 years ago. On 10 August 1969, Siffert and Kurt Ahrens won the first international 1,000-kilometre race at the Österreichring near Zeltweg. This was the first race win for the 917, which was initially considered difficult to drive due to the high speeds and aerodynamics. The experts at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur built the extraordinary one-off as part of the Sonderwunsch programme. The vehicle will go on display at the Swiss Porsche centres in August 2024 before going on to be one of the highlights of the “Auto Zürich” trade fair (7 to 10 November 2024). The buyer will be selected at random from all interested parties.
Stuttgart/Rotkreuz. Joseph “Jo” Siffert continues to enjoy cult status in Switzerland 50 years after his death. The Fribourg native was an extremely talented, charismatic racing driver. Siffert lived out his passion for motorsport with legendary intensity, contesting 298 races over 11 years. Sometimes he took part in several races during the same weekend. “Jo Siffert, together with Kurt Ahrens, kicked off the success story of the 917 by winning at Zeltweg in 1969. The passion with which he has pursued his dream of racing is still impressive today and fits perfectly with our brand core – Driven by Dreams,” says Michael Glinski, Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Schweiz AG.
The family of Jo Siffert was closely involved in the construction of this very special 911 GT3 RS. In addition to his son Philippe, who drove Formula Ford and Formula 3 races between 1991 and 2003 and was a works driver at BMW, his grandson Jérémy Siffert also attended the project workshop in Zuffenhausen. “To witness the creation of this Porsche in honour of my father was extremely exciting,” says Philippe Siffert. “With painstaking attention to historical details and craftsmanship of the highest quality, the employees of the Porsche Sonderwunsch Manufaktur have transformed an already rare 911 GT3 RS into an absolutely unique piece – infused with the spirit of Jo Siffert.”
Countless nods to the Porsche 917 in both the exterior and interior “This tribute model is an inspirational car in two senses: on the one hand, its visual design is based on the design of the 917 with which Jo Siffert and Kurt Ahrens drove to victory at the Österreichring almost 55 years ago,” says Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualisation & Classic at Porsche AG. “On the other hand, the one-off shows the extensive exterior and interior customisation options that we offer as part of the Sonderwunsch programme.”
The car is predominantly painted in Pure White and, like the car that inspired it, features Viper Green contrast sections on the front wings and parts of the front end. Both colours come from the “Paint to Sample” programme. The middle section of its large rear wing is also painted in this shade of green. The start number is the same as the one used in the inaugural 1,000-kilometre race. The “29” is reprised on the doors, the front bonnet, under the rear wing and on the valve caps on the tyres. The classic Porsche lettering with striped design on the doors and side sections was also inspired by the original vehicle.
With great attention to detail and the able support of Bosch and Shell, the Porsche design experts also reproduced the contemporary sponsor decals. The Bosch decal with the spark plug is positioned on the rear wheel arches. The Shell decal with the wordmark in the shell is positioned below the rear window by the service flaps for oil and water.
The silhouette of the 917KH can be seen on the centre lock of the satin black magnesium wheels; this stylised side view also adorns the sideplates of the rear wing. A special badge in the helmet design is positioned on the B-pillars: as a personal reference, the name and signature of Jo Siffert are represented there.
The interior exudes a tasteful racing atmosphere: Race-Tex dominates in Black and Guards Red. The helmet motif is embroidered in the headrests. The door entry guards are adorned with the 917 silhouette combined with the signature. Even the vehicle key has been painstakingly customised: the side bolsters are painted in Pure White or in the modern Viper Green, with the 917 silhouette printed in the respective contrasting colour. Jo Siffert’s autograph is embossed on the cover of the centre console and in the leather key case.
About the Porsche 917 with Jo Siffert at the wheel “We owe the 1969 World Sportscar Championship in large part to Jo Siffert. He was by far the fastest man on our team,” former senior race engineer Peter Falk recalled of the Swiss in 2018. Porsche won seven out of ten races that season. Siffert took five of these victories together with the Briton Brian Redman and one with Kurt Ahrens – the one on 10 August 1969 in Zeltweg. “Our victory in Zeltweg was the start of the success story of the 917 and it was a great pleasure and honour for me to be able to share the cockpit with Jo,” says his companion Ahrens.
In 1968, the FIA had surprisingly changed the regulations of the Manufacturer’s World Championship and increased the displacement limit to five litres – and the number of units required for homologation had been reduced to 25 cars. The three-litre Porsche 908 was no longer truly competitive. A new five-litre car was called for – the 917. Today, its record of success is legendary: after taking the Sports Car World Championship title in its maiden campaign in 1969, Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood achieved the coveted triumph at Le Mans in 1970. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep were able to repeat this greatest motorsport triumph for Porsche in 1971. George Follmer, in 1972, and Mark Donohue, in 1973, dominated the North American CanAm series with the over 1,000-PS turbo versions 917/10 and 917/30, further developments of the 917.
Jo Siffert would not have the chance to witness these later events: after his Porsche career, he died in a fatal accident at the age of 35 at the Formula 1 race at Brands Hatch (UK) on 24 October 1971.
About the Sonderwunsch programme Porsche is reinterpreting its legendary Sonderwunsch programme from the late 1970s, which will enable it to design individualised, one-off cars – co-created by the customer and professionally produced by Porsche. The expanded range is divided into the installation of specific colour and material requests directly during production as well as subsequent refinements and even custom vehicle concepts on customer request after delivery – regardless of the age of the vehicle.
Customers can contact their Porsche Centre for customisations on new cars. If the request is beyond the bounds of the Exclusive Manufaktur options offered in the Car Configurator, the Sonderwunsch process kicks into gear with an arranged personal customer consultation at Zuffenhausen or one of the international locations, such as Atlanta or Los Angeles. Here, the manufacturer’s experts are dedicated to the prompt assessment and technical approval of individual customer requirements.
Porsche Brand Ambassador Jörg Bergmeister turns to Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur and the Sonderwunsch team to create a 911 GT3 RS worthy of a 24-hour winner.
[source: Porsche AG]
The afternoon of 2 February, 2003, was a historic day for Porsche. When a privately entered 911 GT3 RS crossed the line at the Daytona International Speedway, it had not only won its class at one of the toughest and most prestigious endurance events on the international sports car calendar, but in so doing had beaten all-comers to take an unprecedented overall victory.
One of the drivers that day was Jörg Bergmeister, a graduate of Carrera Cup competing in only his second 24-hour race at Daytona. Alongside him were Michael Schrom, Timo Bernhard and team owner Kevin Buckler, whose 996-generation customer racer was entered by TRG or ‘The Racer Group’ and finished in the team’s now familiar blue and yellow livery.
Fast forward two decades and the teammates are now old friends in regular contact. And when the new 911 GT3 RS was announced in August 2022, a seed was sown by Schrom that would lead Bergmeister on an 18-month journey to a unique and a deeply personal car of his own design.
“The idea came from Michael Schrom”
“The idea actually came from Michael in the summer of 2022,” Bergmeister says. “When he heard about the new GT3 RS he pointed out that the following year was the 20th anniversary of our win at Daytona in a GT3 RS. It was perfect timing.”
Bergmeister was able to secure an allocation for a GT3 RS with the provision for all-important Paint to Sample. His Daytona winner was painted in Rivierablue, a colour that had been with the driver since his earliest days racing Formula cars in his native Germany. Working closely with Porsche’s Sonderwunsch team, a design was gradually created that would closely replicate the original livery while introducing a number of unique elements to commemorate the anniversary of that special win.
Panels in Rivierablue
Bergmeister specified a car without the bare carbon Weissach Package in order to paint all the panels in the correct Rivierablue. Exterior elements in contrasting Racing Yellow were applied to match those on the TRG race winner and the rear wing was painted in white with side plates in Racing Yellow. On the underside of the rear wing, a Porsche crest was also applied, while further exterior touches included the model name on the rear deck and foil decals on the car’s flanks in matching Racing Yellow.
Inside, Bergmeister specified extended black leather with stitching in contrasting GT Silver and additional Race-Tex covering the dash. The car was also ordered with the Club Sports package that includes a one-kilogram road-legal fire extinguisher, another nod to its thoroughbred predecessor. But the most striking feature of the interior would be the unique carbon fibre door sill panel, the lettering on which emulates the engraving on the Rolex watches awarded to winners of the 24 Hours of Daytona.
After a year-long wait, Bergmeister was finally presented with his bespoke GT3 RS in Zuffenhausen in mid-February, by happy coincidence on his 48th birthday. He credits Sandy-Marc Bauer from International VIP & Special Sales and Boris Apenbrink, Director Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles and Options, and his dedicated team with the successful realisation of his dream.
“A lot of people were involved with this project,” Bergmeister says, “helping to get all the little details on there. And everyone who has seen the car since and knows the story behind it really likes it.”
The car is now receiving full paint protection before its maiden outing, with Bergmeister eager for the drier conditions of spring to arrive. “I can’t wait to drive it but first the weather needs to get better. I’m definitely not going to take it out on salty winter roads. It’s a little too precious to me to be a daily driver!”
When the right day arrives, it is certain to be a poignant moment for everyone involved. “I’m still proud of what we achieved back then at Daytona, and this car has brought back those memories already. I’m not usually that emotional, but when I first saw it I got goose bumps. I feel so fortunate that it’s finally done and I’m super-stoked with how it’s turned out.”
Porsche first pulled the wraps off its 992 GT3 RS show car at The Quail on Friday, and with end of secrecy now completed it headed over to the Porsche Zentrum at The Barns at Cooper Molera near downtown Monterey. That’s where we caught up with it.
This show car, dubbed “Wingman” that no doubt pays tribute to its trick aerodynamics, pays tribute to 50 years of the original Carrera RS 2.7 with attention-grabbing green and white livery that will enjoy limited-availability as the Tribute to Carrera RS Package from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.
The main color of the Porsche is simply listed as white, while the eye-catching stripes are painted in Porsche Python Green. In person, it looks fantastic thanks to the iconic history associated.
“Wingman”, along with several other key Porsche models and historic cars, was on display for the remainder of Monterey Car Week and available for public view during operational hours of the Monterey Car Week Porsche Zentrum temporary facility.
Check out more photos from our first encounter with Wingman in the gallery below.
Monterey, CA – The 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS made its first in-person appearance today at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, only two days after its digital world premiere. The show car – customized by the GT Model Line and Style Porsche – is a tribute to the 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7.
Additionally, as announced by Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America Inc. (PCNA), the car will serve as inspiration for a limited-availability Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur offering exclusive to U.S. customers: a Tribute to Carrera RS Package.
“America is the second home of the 911 and a special tribute exclusive to the U.S. is the perfect way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7,” said Gruner. “So many of us idolized the original 1972 car. We want to create a special experience that combines exclusive options on the new GT3 RS with a one-of-a-kind list of accompanying items. Together, it will be an exciting and individual tribute to the RS lineage. This is a live project in its early stages, and is being created by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts as a joint effort between our colleagues in Zuffenhausen, Flacht and our team in America. The ideas and concepts are really exciting and we’re having a lot of fun developing it – all of us are looking forward to sharing more details with you soon.”
Appropriately for Monterey Car Week, the model on display is extensively personalized. Finished in white with key areas in Python Green, the car is a direct reference to the iconic white and green color configuration offered in 1972 on the first 911 “RS” model as well as a new interpretation of it. In this instance, the body is finished in non-metallic white including side air intakes painted to match with model designation graphics on the sides and rear in Python Green, forged aluminum wheels in Python Green with white pinstripes. Exclusive Design taillights emphasize the green-on-white theme by eliminating the red color from the rear taillights and third brake light. Finally, the side plates on the left and right ends of the large rear wing are painted white with RS logos in Python Green.
“Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur allows customers to personalize their car to a point where the vehicle is as much a reflection of them as it is of Porsche,” said Karl-Heinz Volz, Director of Exclusive Manufaktur Options. “Personalization is a Porsche tradition dating back to our first production model, the 356, when a customer requested a wiper be added to the rear window of their car. Today it is an incredibly extensive personalization program, offering options ranging from small changes to true one-off creations.”
The headlights also feature a pinstripe ring in white, something that is not available via the normal list of factory-available options. The color combination continues inside the car with matching stitching, trim panels in white to match the exterior.
“As a car enthusiast growing up, my walls were plastered with models that I was particularly fond of. One of the most influential was the 911 Carrera RS 2.7. As a young kid it captured me imagination and even today it puts a smile on my face,” Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Lines, said. “That’s where the styling inspiration of the 996 GT3 RS came from, which was one of my first projects at Porsche. At the time, that car felt totally extreme so colors nodding to the forefather made sense. Today, it’s a very emotional moment for me to pay tribute to the first 911 RS model with our most extreme and capable 911 GT3 RS yet.”
About the 2023 911 GT3 RS
The 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is the most extreme street-legal 911 model yet. Its 4.0-liter naturally aspirated boxer six-cylinder engine generates 518 hp, and revs to 9,000 rpm (911 GT3 RS: Fuel consumption* combined (WLTP) 13.2 l/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (WLTP) 299 g/km, CO2 class G ). That power is routed exclusively to the rear wheels via a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. Making extensive use of motorsport-derived aerodynamics, it generates more than 900 lbs. of downforce at 124 mph and 1,895 lbs of downforce at 177 mph.
This is also the first example of a 911 GT3 RS with active aerodynamics, a feature that is used to offer incredible levels of downforce, provide deceleration assistance by creating an air brake, and by offering a Drag Reduction System (DRS) that can reposition aerodynamic elements to cut drag at the driver’s command in certain conditions.
About the 1972 / 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7
Fifty years ago, the world knew the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 as Germany’s fastest sports car. It began as a homologation special and featured many technological innovations. It was the most powerful version of the first-generation 911, generating 210 PS at 6,300 rpm and 188 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,100 rpm from its air-cooled flat-six developed by Hans Mezger and Valentin Schäffer.
A more potent engine was only part of the success story. Much like the new 911 GT3 RS, wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic science introduced never-before-seen technology to the 911. The ducktail, now as much an icon of style as an element of function, was critical in achieving stability at high speeds. Not only did it unlock the ability to drive faster, but it did so without incurring additional drag. In fact, it reduced the drag coefficient
