Porsche 993 3.8 Cup

The vehicle in detail

Chassis No. WP0ZZZ99ZTS398105

In the late 1980s, Porsche legend Jürgen Barth steered the brand back toward producing factory-built GT racing cars for customers. Starting with multiple 944 Turbo Cup series in 1986, Porsche later expanded to offering 911s for various national and international competitions, including the one-make Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercup. By 1994, competitors in this fiercely contested championship—now a support series for Formula One’s European rounds—were racing the latest 911 model, the 993.

The 1996 993-generation 911 Cup 3.8 boasted an impressive spec sheet: a 315-horsepower, 3.8-liter air-cooled flat-six engine, a stripped-down interior with a full Matter roll cage, three-piece Speedline magnesium center-lock wheels, and a full coil-over suspension. Aerodynamic improvements introduced in 1995 included a large rear wing and lower front bumper “flicks.” Weight, a crucial factor in racing, was trimmed to approximately 1,100 kilograms—even lighter than the 964-generation Cup car.

Finished at Porsche’s competition department in time for the 1996 race season, this Carrera Cup 3.8 is one of only 57 produced that year and one of just seven examples finished in Black. Based on period race results and photography, this Cup 3.8 competed in the 1998 French FFSA GT Championship with Luis Marques at the wheel. With support from Estoril Racing Team, the yellow car with splashes of green and red finished 12th at Spa and 15th at Magny-Cours as its best results in a large field comprised of 911 GT2s and Venturi 400s. By 2000, the Cup 3.8’s DMSB Wagenpass records an initial entry beginning in September of that year with ownership by Alexander Hack and a single event completed under his ownership. By January 2001, the car was acquired by Dieter Kaiser and competed under start number 29 in a slate of 10 “GTP Weekend” races that season that included those at the Nürburgring, Spa, Zandvoort, and Monza. That winter, a letter from RDM Racing notes the installation of a replacement “reserve” engine into the car.

By 2006, documentation notes that the Carrera Cup 3.8 was imported to the United States by NGT Motorsport for Thomas Pisello of Winter Park, Florida. Under Pisello’s ownership, the car was a participant of Porsche Rennsport Reunion III at Daytona. In 2008, the car was acquired by the consignor who notes that it has been regularly maintained with pre-track set up, post-track inspection, and servicing by the well-known Wright Motorsports operation based in Batavia, Ohio. Furthermore, while under current ownership, it captured the Pavilion Award in the Porsche Competition class during the 2023 Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance proving that the 911 Carrera Cup 3.8 is just as competitive on the track as on the lawn!