993 GT2 The ‘Widowmaker’

The British, who know a thing or two about this, immediately christened it the ‘widowmaker’. Cruel?  Au contraire! The name sums up to perfection the characteristics of an uncompromising model. What are we talking about? The Porsche 993 GT2, a legendary car from the House of Zuffenhausen for several reasons. Presented at the 1994 Essen Motor Show, the majority of cars were racing models, but 57 were road-legal versions, built to meet homologation requirements. It is therefore one of the rarest Porsches ever.

Decidedly muscular with large wheel arches, a pronounced wing and the nolders positioned on the trailing edge of the front splitter, the Porsche 993 GT2 immediately declares its racing temperament

Stripped of every comfort and lightened by more than 200 kg – bringing total weight to 1,295 kg – compared to the 993 Turbo it was derived from, it used the rear wheels rather than all four to put its 430 hp onto the tarmac, which was later raised to 450 hp with the introduction of dual ignition on the 6-cylinder air-cooled 3,600cc boxer engine. The gearbox was a 6-speed manual and the car was totally devoid of all electronic assistance, leading many to consider it one of the most difficult and exciting cars to drive ever made.

The rear wing also houses the air vents for cooling

The widened track, riveted wheel arches, giant biplane wing and split rims completed the unmistakably racing look of the GT2, as hard as nails, as they say. In 1996 came the GT2 Evo, the final evolution and swan song of the 993 series, made in just 11 examples and characterized by even more refined aerodynamics embellished with a new biplane wing and redesigned front section.

An authentic racing car theoretically usable on the road, the Evo version of the 993 GT2 was built in 1996 to compete in the GT1 category

The Evo was as far as Porsche’s technicians could take air-cooling technology and was the last Porsche to use this solution before the arrival of the 996 and the introduction of liquid cooling. All of these elements make the GT2 a true “instant  classic”, as can clearly be seen by the prices these cars reach at auction: if you want one, get ready to sign a cheque for six-zeros…

Imagine yourself being overtaken by this car on the motorway. You would struggle not to convince yourself that you weren’t in a race yourself, even if you’re lapped