Porsche pays tribute to Swiss race driver with one-off model

MANILA: Porsche paid tribute to Swiss racing driver Jo Siffert with a one-off model based on the 911 GT3 RS.

According to the German car brand, Siffert’s family was closely involved in constructing the special 911 GT3 RS. His son Philippe — who drove Formula Ford and Formula 3 races between 1991 and 2003 and was a works driver at BMW — went to the marque’s project workshop in Zuffenhausen alongside his grandson Jérémy Siffert.

“To witness the creation of this Porsche in honor of my father was extremely exciting,” Philippe said.

“With painstaking attention to historical details and craftsmanship of the highest quality, the employees of the Porsche Sonderwunsch Manufaktur have transformed an already rare 911 GT3 RS into an absolutely unique piece — infused with the spirit of Jo Siffert,” he added.

Built through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program, the one-of-one 911 GT3 RS received countless nods to the 917, the car that Siffert and Kurt Ahrens used to win the first international 1,000-kilometer race at the Österreichring near Zeltweg.

It is predominantly finished in Pure White and, like the car that inspired it, features Viper Green contrast sections on the front wings and parts of the front end. The middle section of its large rear wing is also painted in this shade of green.

The start number — the Stuttgart-headquartered carmaker pointed out — is the same as the one used in the inaugural 1,000-kilometer race. The “29” is slapped on the doors, the hood, under the rear wing, and on the valve caps on the tires.

The classic Porsche lettering with a striped design on the doors and side sections has been adopted by the 911 GT3 RS.

Porsche also enlisted the help of Bosch and Shell, which were the sponsors of the famed 917. On that note, a Bosch decal with the spark plug has been added to the rear wheel arches while the Shell decal with the wordmark in the shell has been installed below the rear window by the service flaps for oil and coolant.

It rides on stylized satin black magnesium wheels that have been decorated with the silhouette of the Porsche 917. The same easter egg can also be found on the sideplates of the rear wing. Additionally, a special badge in the helmet design is positioned on the B-pillars: as a personal reference, the name and signature of Jo Siffert are represented there.

“This tribute model is an inspirational car in two senses: on the one hand, its visual design is based on the design of the 917 with which Jo Siffert and Kurt Ahrens drove to victory at the Österreichring almost 55 years ago,” Porsche Individualization and Classic Vice President Alexander Fabig stated.

“On the other hand, the one-off shows the extensive exterior and interior customization options that we offer as part of the Sonderwunsch program,” he added.

Inside, the tribute Porsche 911 GT3 RS gets Race-Tex in Black and Guards Red. The headrests are adorned with an embroidered helmet motif while the door entry guards get the 917 silhouette combined with the signature. Siffert’s autograph is embossed on the cover of the center console and in the leather key case.

The vehicle key has also been customized with side bolsters painted in Pure White or in the modern Viper Green, with the 917 silhouette printed in the respective contrasting color.

“Jo Siffert, together with Kurt Ahrens, kicked off the success story of the 917 by winning at Zeltweg in 1969. The passion with which he has pursued his dream of racing is still impressive today and fits perfectly with our brand core — Driven by Dreams,” Porsche Schweiz Chief Executive Officer Michael Glinski said.

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