Porsche creates some fine sports cars today, but arguably some of its best came from yesteryear. Case in point: the Porsche 993 911 GT2.

For those looking for the ultimate expression of performance from the air-cooled era, the 911 GT2 is a one-stop shop, and one is heading to the Mecum Auction during Monterey Car Week August 16-19.

1996 Porsche 911 GT2

1996 Porsche 911 GT2

The 993 generation of 911 brought many improvements to the sports car, such as twin turbochargers and all-wheel drive for various road-going models. However, it's the 911 GT2 that really caused a ruckus. The 993-generation 911 GT2 was built for racing in FIA GT2 competition, which meant the homologated 911 GT2 ditched all-wheel drive as part of the package. All-wheel drive had been banned in the series. As you can see, it began a recipe for a pure sports car.

The ride height was lowered, weight was shed thanks to aluminum components, an alloy rear subframe with multi-link coil and wishbone suspension was put in place, and extensive wind-tunnel development meant the 911 GT2 was a slippery shape in the breeze. The twin-turbo 3.6-liter flat-6 was rated at 430 horsepower and its thrust was managed via a 6-speed manual transmission. See what we meant about using the word "pure" earlier?

1996 Porsche 911 GT2

1996 Porsche 911 GT2

This 1996 911 GT2 is one of just 194 Strassenversions built for the model year, which translates to "street version" from German. It happens to be finished in a pretty rare exterior hue, appropriately named "Speed Yellow." The car also comes with a Porsche letter of authenticity and other appropriate paperwork to certify this a 993 911 GT2.

What will it sell for? That's unknown, but Mecum lists it as a "main attraction" for a reason and estimates $1.6 to $1.9 million. It could fetch more, though as a similar example sold for $2.4 million just last year.

For more from Monterey Car Week and the accompanying Pebble Beach Concours, see our dedicated hub.