Without question older and exclusive Porsches are proving to be excellent investments, so it's not surprising to find this 1996 911 GT2 heading to auction next month at RM Sotheby's New York event with an estimated value between $1.1 million to $1.4 million. But the '96 GT2 was outright nuts. Considered to be the ultimate street-legal 993, like its GT2 successors, it too eliminated the Turbo's all-wheel drive system in favor of directing all of that power (430 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque) to the rear wheels.

In fact, the 993 Turbo produced 480 hp, but Porsche reduced that for the GT2 for obvious reasons. Thanks to familiar weight saving measures like rear seat elimination and power front seats, a total of 500 pounds was shaved off. This resulted in a 0-60mph sprint time o less than four seconds and a top speed around 190 mph. The GT2's bodywork was also unique thanks to aluminum doors and front trunk lid and an aggressive aero package. Note the front air splitter with up-turned canards and a large bi-plane rear wing that also features air ducts that feed the intercoolers. Even the 18-inch wheels are special with "Speedline for Porsche" alloys with aluminum outer rims and magnesium centers.

This particular 911 GT2 was sold to its current owner in Japan about 13 years ago and has since been meticulously maintained. It has just 7,127 miles on its clock, and still has the original tool roll, jack, air compressor, and space-saver spare tire. Considering there aren't many road-going 993 GT2s in existence, there's no doubt someone will be more than happy to pay the ransom for ownership. Photos courtesy of RM Sotheby's.