In August, the wraps were pulled off a special 993-generation Porsche 911 Turbo built to celebrate this year's 70th anniversary of the German sports car marque.
Called Project Gold, the car featured the original body of a 993 911 but a new chassis and VIN and a whole host of other mods not originally found on 993 991s. Unfortunately, the new VIN means the car needs to comply with the current year's emissions and noise regulations, and since it doesn't it can't be legally driven in many countries.
Nevertheless, the car went under the hammer at a special Porsche-themed auction on Saturday hosted by RM Sotheby’s and fetched a staggering $3.1 million. Before you balk at the amount, note that that the car was put up for sale by Porsche for charity, with the proceeds from its sale going to the Ferry Porsche Foundation which supports fields of education, research, sport, culture and social affairs. The foundation was established this year as part of Porsche's 70th anniversary celebrations.
The Project Gold 911 is painted a special color that references the 2018 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series and features the characteristic side air intakes of the 993 911 Turbo's S variant. The car's flat-6 engine also matches the 450 horsepower of that generation's 911 Turbo S.
As classic car prices continue to soar, so much so that German banks now recommend them as part of a well-diversified investment portfolio, restoring and in some cases modifying old Porsches, especially 911s, is becoming more popular than ever. Names like Canepa and Singer are two of the more famous firms offering extensive restomod services, and we wouldn't be surprised if Porsche itself via its classic car department is using Project Gold as a preview of future services of its own. Already, two features from the car—the aluminum fuel cap and black tail pipes—have been made available in the Porsche Classic catalog for owners of 993 911s.
