911 Carrera

Make
Porsche
Segment
Coupe

A very special Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will be honored as the VIP car at the 2023 edition of the Porsche Supercup, as it represents a massive production milestone for the long-running line of 911 race cars. In late November last year, the 5,000th example of a one-make cup racing car based on the 911 was produced, making it one of the most widely produced racing cars globally.

Since the automaker started building cars for the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 1990, the Cup 911 has spanned seven generations, and the new 911 GT3 Cup represents the peak of this lineage. This special VIP anniversary model will stand out from the other 30 or so racing cars thanks to a unique livery.

To put that 5,000-unit number into perspective, Porsche has built 911 race cars at a much faster rate than Bugatti and other exotic brands have built road cars, with the French brand known for taking its time, having only produced 80 cars last year, including the 400th Chiron.

The first Cup 911 was the 911 Carrera 2 Cup (964), with the Carrera RS of the period being the base car. 297 examples were built, and it made 261 horsepower from its 3.6-liter engine. It laid the foundations for future Cup 911s with its roll cage, racing tires, safety harness belts, and the removal of any unnecessary comforts.

The following 911 Cup, based on the 993, introduced a multi-link rear axle in 1994, but its production run was capped at 186 units. Many more 996-based 911 GT3 Cups were made, with 873 examples and a debut at the Porsche Supercup in 1998, and with up to 385 hp, it was a lot more potent than the first-gen model.

From generations four to six, the Cup 911's output jumped from 394 to 479 hp, displacement increased to 4.0 liters, and features like shift paddles were added for the first time.

It all culminated with the debut of the 992-based 911 GT3 Cup in 2021 at the Porsche Supercup. Power had now increased to over 500 hp for the first time from the boxer engine that could run on synthetic fuel, and a fully digital cockpit was another first. Until March 2023, Porsche built 782 units of the seventh generation, including the 5,000th example featured here.

"More than 5,000 Cup 911s - this impressive figure symbolizes the huge success of our worldwide Porsche one-make cups like no other," said Oliver Koppen from Porsche Motorsport Sales. "It also stands for the high level of popularity that Porsche enjoys among teams, racing professionals, young drivers, and amateur racers worldwide. No other Porsche racing car has been produced in such large numbers or raced more frequently."

Thanks to the success of the Cup 911, there are Porsche Carrera Cups that take place all over the globe, including America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. For 2023, the Porsche Supercup season will be held at eight different European Formula 1 weekends.

"Since the debut of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in Apil 1990, the Porsche one-make cups have evolved remarkably," said Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport. "This season the number has increased to 34 series worldwide - and almost all rely on the latest 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup."