Porsche has reminded everyone about its heritage. The brand has restored a 2005 Carrera GT to what it calls zero-kilometre condition, and then finished it in one of its most famous racing liveries for good measure.
The work was carried out by Porsche’s Sonderwunsch division, which translates loosely to "special wishes" and, occasionally, to costly ones. With the Carrera GT now two decades old, the V10 supercar qualifies for a complete factory recommissioning programme. One owner decided to go further than a standard refresh.
Victor Gómez, a Carrera GT owner from Puerto Rico, sent his car back to Stuttgart and asked for a visual nod to Porsche’s motorsport past. The inspiration was the red-and-white Salzburg livery worn by the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Porsche 917, driven by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood.
Adapting that livery to the very different shape of the Carrera GT was not a quick tape job. Designers worked through sketches, renderings and full-scale masking to ensure the white stripes flowed cleanly over the body. The finished car wears race number 23, matte carbon fibre accents across the roof, mirrors and aero parts, and a protective transparent film over the paint. Subtle by Sonderwunsch standards.
The interior follows the same theme. Red Alcantara covers nearly everything you can see or touch, including the dashboard, door panels, centre console and even the front luggage compartment. Carbon fibre trim is used throughout, while the seat shells are carbon and trimmed in the same FIA-approved textile seen in the 918 Spyder.
Underneath the visual drama is a full mechanical recommissioning. Every component was inspected after disassembly, rebuilt or replaced where needed, and documented in detail. The result, Porsche says, is a car restored as close as possible to factory-fresh condition, with a clear paper trail for future owners.
The Carrera GT deserves the effort. Launched in 2003, it uses a naturally aspirated 5.7-litre V10, originally developed for Le Mans, producing 604bhp. A carbon-fibre monocoque keeps weight to around 1,380kg, figures that still look serious two decades on. Proof arrived recently when a Carrera GT on modern tyres lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes 12.69 seconds, 16 seconds quicker than its original time.
