Porsche 997 GT3 Cup

El vehículo en detalle

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has endured as an enticing event for Porsche due to its legendary status and the treacherous nature of the course, which offers the ultimate challenge to both driver and machine. The German marque first appeared on the mountain in 1958, achieving its first class victory just two years later in 1960. Over the decades, the brand has accrued nearly 30 class victories, with more surely in store for the future thanks to the ever-evolving capabilities of Porsche sports cars.

As noted within the build information on file, the vehicle on offer began as a 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for the North American market and was completed at the factory in October 2006. Unlike its circuit racing brethren, this Porsche’s racing career would largely involve climbing over 14,000 feet into the clouds to the summit of Pikes Peak. Raced by Hall of Famer Jeff Zwart in the iconic Luminox Watch livery, the vehicle’s first outing on the mountain in 2010 was contested in the 2WD Time Attack Category. Straight out of the box, this Porsche proved to be a winner, setting a new qualifying and race record for the class.

In 2013, the GT3 Cup car returned, having undergone further modifications in order to take on the titanic challenge presented by the mountain. Most significantly, the standard naturally aspirated flat six-cylinder engine was removed to make way for a twin-turbocharged unit sourced from a 996-generation 911 Turbo paired with a sequential transmission. Ultimately securing 3rd position in class, the car would return the following year in 2014 and move up the standings to 2nd in class. However, the GT3 Cup car did achieve a qualifying record. In 2015 the car finally achieved the class win and was retired from competition, with the current owner present at the race to seal the deal.

Although the car was retired from competition, it participated at Goodwood Festival of Speed and Rennsport Reunion with Zwart behind the wheel. During its retirement the car continued to benefit from upgrades by Joey Seely at E-Motion Engineering, with reliability as the primary focus. Seely was one of the original builders of the car at BBI and knew what the car needed for future reliability and usability for the next owner. A new chassis harness and MoTeC 150 ECU, turbos, clutch, and fuel cell bladder are among the most notable upgrades.

A stout performer to this day, a March 2025 dyno test indicated an output of 670 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque, making this highly capable Porsche GT3 both an iconic collector car and a frontrunning vintage racer.