www.QV500.com - Porsche 993 Part 6: 993 GT2
 
The GT2 was Porsche's customer race car for the 1995 racing season and thereafter. Named in recognition of the class it was built to contest, these evocative machines were pitched against the likes of Chrysler's Viper, the Venturi 400 GTR and Callaway's Corvette. To be homologated, 25 road-going examples had to be built, from which any racing variant had to be closely derived. Porsche's experience with the 964 Turbo S LM (raced by the factory between 1993 and '94) served as a useful inauguration for the GT2. It consequently went on to dominate in much the same way as its illustrious forebears.
 

Based on RS underpinnings, the rear drive-only GT2 featured adjustable suspension with solid bushes, variable stabilisers and adjustable anti-roll bars all round. There were also new front axle kinematics, a stiffer rear subframe and link bearings for more precise wheel control, particularly at the rear. Ventilated and perforated 322mm discs got four-piston aluminium calipers. Mechanically, the GT2 featured a 3.6-litre engine based on that of the production Turbo, however, those units fitted into these homologation specials were tuned to produce 430bhp. They were designated Typ M64/60R and displacement remained unchanged at 3600cc along with compression at 8.0:1. Where the 60R motor was a bit special lay in its re-mapped engine management and increased turbo boost, the latter having been upped from 0.8 to 0.9bar. The result was an extra 22bhp over the production Turbo, this being developed at an identical 5750rpm. Weighing in an amazing 200kg lighter than the Turbo, all GT2's used a reinforced Typ G50/32 six-speed gearbox and unsurprisingly posted the best performance figures for any 993. Top speed was a monumental 184mph, 0-60 taking a meagre 3.7 seconds.
 

Visually the GT2 was a stunning looking automobile, its dropped ride-height lending an aggressive stance that was enhanced by the wild aero devices and massive wheelarch extensions. At the front was a wraparound chin spoiler, air being fed into a supplementary nose-mounted oil cooler. Much of the bodywork was reinforced, the pop-riveted fender flares having been manufactured from lightweight fibreglass. Deep body-coloured sills ran between the wheels, the new front spoiler being joined by a radical bi-plane rear deck wing that featured integral engine cooling pods located on either side.
 
The cockpit was stripped in much the same way as Porsche's normally aspirated 3.8-litre Carrera RS, the GT2 having its rear seats junked along with nearly all the electrical equipment and even the airbag. Leather-covered bucket seats were standard. Customers could go a stage further and specify the optional Club Sport pack that included a fully integrated roll cage, race-spec Recaro bucket seats with six-point seat harnesses, a battery cut-out switch and a fire extinguisher. Those who wanted to go in the other direction could have their cars equipped with a stereo, leather sports seats from the Turbo 4, driver and passenger airbags, air-conditioning and even electric windows. Production began in March 1995 after the GT2 made its debut at the Geneva Salon. 57 road cars were built (seven of which were right-hand drive) in addition to 110 racers. That wasn't quite the end of the story though as in April 1998, Porsche introduced an Evolution version that was available by special request. Introduced to homologate a more extreme racing variant, 21 road-going Evolution's were eventually manufactured, all of which featured high output 3.6-litre engines producing 450bhp at 6000rpm. The extra 20 horses knocked a tenth off the 0-60 sprint (now 3.6 seconds), top speed rising to 187mph.