One to Buy: 500km from new 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show Porsche 911 GT Evolution Harlequin Art Car (993) (SOLD)
In addition to Erich Strenger’s litany of era-defining promotional posters created primarily to celebrate his employer’s competition success, the Porsche company has also crossed the ether from automobiles to art by way of racing cars that have worn some of the most iconic liveries in the history of motor sport.
From the 550s that ran in the Carrera Panamericana during the 1950s, the spectacular 917s and 908s campaigned by Porsche Salzburg and Martini International during the early 1970s, to the trio of spectacular 963s that ran at Le Mans in 2023, only BMW has used the motor car as a canvas for artistic creativity more than their rival from Stuttgart.
Currently on offer at the Mechatronik showroom in Pleidelsheim is one of the most spectacular Porsche Art Cars every produced: the 993 GT Evo produced for the Frankfurt Motor Show that took place from September 14th to the 24th 1995.
Conceived in-house by Porsche’s marketing department, the eye-catching Harlequin colour scheme was laboriously applied by hand and resulted in one of the 1990’s most celebrated yet rarely seen examples of rolling sculpture.
Purchased off Porsche’s stand at Frankfurt by one of the company’s best regarded VIP customers, the Harlequin 993 GT spent the next 25 years tucked away in a private collection. It is today offered in exceptional original condition having covered less than 500km from new and never taken to the track in anger.
Reprinted below is Mechatronik’s description:
One of the most extraordinary Porsche ever built
Hand-painted one-off in the legendary Harlequin design
Presentation vehicle on the Porsche stand for the launch of the 993 GT2 EVO at the IAA 1995
One of the rarest Porsche ever - only 11 cars were built
Only 500km from new
Completely original condition
Ready to run
€2.49m
In the mid-nineties, the BPR Global GT Series was the best thing going in sports car racing. The BPR series was developed to fill the gap left by the end of the World Sports Car Championship in 1992. The series featured heavily modified road cars competing on various European and Asian circuits.
For the 1995 season, Porsche built a car specifically for the GT2 class. The Porsche 964 was initially a success, but it quickly became clear that Porsche had not gone far enough in its development. With the new CEO Wiedeking, not only did a new wind come into the production processes, but the 964 successor 993 was also developed and brought to market with great pressure.
An RS variant of this was also quickly created, but the Porsche developers wanted to go one step further and so the GT2 was born. In principle, this was a weight-minimised 993 Turbo without all-wheel drive, but with wide cheeks and wing work.
From the beginning it was clear that the GT2 was developed to have a say in the GT2 racing category (classified between GT1 and GT3), because at that time it seemed important for Porsche to be present in GT racing, as this opened up many marketing opportunities. Thus three versions of the GT2 were created, the road version, the Clubsport version and the GT2R racing version.
The turbocharged 3.6-litre six-cylinder engine of the GT2 was impressively powerful with 424 hp, but Porsche knew that this was not enough for the GT1 class. To make the 993 GT2 even more radical, Porsche reduced its weight to 1,100 kg and fitted it with a larger turbocharger. The linkage, pistons, camshafts, oil pump and even the injection and exhaust systems were optimised. The two turbos are more powerful and have a separate bypass.
By modifying various other engine components, Porsche managed to get an incredible 600 hp and out of the engine, making the GT2 EVO the most powerful air-cooled 911 in history. It was also fast: the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h took around 3.3 seconds and the top speed was quoted at 300 km/h.
The 3.6-litre engine was fitted with a six-speed gearbox to transmit the 600 hp to the rear wheels. The transmission was retuned to handle the extra power, as were the chassis, suspension and braking systems.
For the Evo, which adopted the modified body of the 911 GT2, the regulations allowed wider tyres. The wings were therefore enlarged even further. But that was not all. Special attention was paid to aerodynamics, with a very high rear spoiler and a completely redesigned front apron with generous air intakes.
The base of the 911 GT2 was reinforced with a welded safety bar, quick-release fasteners for the bonnet, an air-lift system and side air intakes for the turbocharger, and the optimised front spoiler with additional air intakes was designed for ventilation of the brakes and oil cooler.
The front end of the EVO and GT2 were pretty much the same in terms of shape and size. Both had the same wide wheel arches, headlights and bonnet (except for the extra vent on the EVO). The bumper of the EVO, however, was completely redesigned. The daytime running lights and lower vent were removed to make room for two larger air intakes, two smaller cooling vents and a racing tow hook. The splitter was also redesigned to improve aerodynamics and optimise airflow to the front brakes. The front bonnet was given quick-release fasteners and the windscreen safety locks.
On the sides, Porsche gave the EVO larger side skirts and new race-specific BBS wheels with gold spokes wrapped in wider high-performance Michelin tyres. The standard side windows were replaced with race-specific lightweight panels. At the rear, the GT2's already massive wing was given another wing, creating a two-stage aero contraption that was as high as the roof. The bonnet received quick-release fasteners, while the bumper was modified to accommodate an extra pair of exhaust pipes in the centre. It is also interesting to note that the usual "GT2" lettering on the rear wing was replaced with a "GT".
The interior of the EVO was as race-ready as could be. Unlike the GT2, which was based on the RS and had a traditional layout for a road-going sports car, the GT2 EVO was modified to FIA specifications. The dashboard is pretty much the only feature carried over from the standard GT2. Porsche added a new Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel to increase grip, replaced the door panels with lighter elements and removed the carpet from the floor and centre tunnel. Only the driver's seat was retained, but the GT2's quite comfortable leather seat was replaced with race-specific Recaro seats with Sabelt harnesses. The coupé was also equipped with an FIA-approved roll cage and a fire extinguishing system.
The GT2 Evo is one of the rarest Porsches ever, only 11 examples were made as Porsche decided to replace it with the purpose-built 911 GT1 in 1996.
Notable results in 1996 included a second place in the 2 Hours of Dijon. 1998 was by far the most successful year for the EVO with victories at the 4 Hours of Paul Ricard and Mosport as well as 10 podium finishes at various events in Europe and North America. In 1999 it won two races at Monza, and in 2000 it triumphed twice in the Spanish GT of Jarama. The 911 GT2 EVO was also entered in Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans, but without any notable results apart from a fifth and sixth place at Daytona in 1997 and a sixth place at Sebring in 1996.
The vehicle offered here is without doubt one of the most extraordinary Porsches we have ever offered for sale. The term automobile is probably out of place. A work of art would be a much better description.
With only 11 units built, a Porsche 993 GT2 EVO is already one of the rarest models ever built in Zuffenhausen or Weissach. The example shown here, however, is an absolute one-off.
Built by Porsche to celebrate the presentation of the GT2 EVO at the 1995 IAA in Frankfurt. For this purpose, the car was given a unique paint job. A masterpiece in the so-called "Harlequin" design was created in elaborate manual work to show what is feasible on the Porsche stand - and not only in technical terms.
Nowadays, there would only be one place for such a unique specimen, namely the Porsche Museum. In 1995 this was different. One of the most important and influential customers of the brand made a decision at the sight of this car, from which he would not be dissuaded.
This GT2 EVO was to find its way into his private museum. And so it happened that Porsche actually sold the car. This process was undoubtedly as unique as the car itself and is unlikely to have been repeated in this form a second time in the company's history.
The new owner regarded the Porsche as a pure work of art, lavishly displayed in his private collection. Untouched in 25 years - although the car was kept ready for use at all times. It is thanks to this meticulous care that, at the time of its purchase by our company in 2020, this unique specimen arrived in our halls in fully operational condition. For the following 3 years, the car remained in our in-house collection before the decision was made to release this unique piece for sale.
The statement "a unique opportunity" is clearly given too lightly in our industry these days, in this case it seems almost an understatement. To be able to call this car your own is simply like reaching the Olympus as a Porsche collector.
