Porsche has revealed the 911 GT3 Earls Court 51 Edition, a limited-run model created by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur to mark 75 years since the first Porsche arrived in the UK.
Just 51 examples will be built, each based on the 911 GT3 with Touring Package, and the car will make its world premiere at 'Icons of Porsche, Sunstede Silverstone Edition', held at Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in England this coming weekend.
The 911 will be shown alongside the gorgeous restored 1951 Porsche 356 show here, finished in the same special colour.
That's a lot of green...
The 911 GT3 Earls Court 51 Edition is finished in a new 'Paint to Sample Plus' colour called Earls Court Green metallic.
This was developed specifically for this car and is inspired by one of the Porsche 356 coupes displayed at the Earls Court Motor Show in London in 1951. Porsche also alludes to the prevalence of British Racing Green at that time.
It is not a flat heritage colour, though. Porsche says the paint includes aluminium flecks that catch and reflect light, giving it a modern metallic finish that changes subtly depending on the lighting.
There are plenty of other exterior links to the original 356 and to Porsche's early UK history. The front bonnet stripe is painted in Brilliant Silver, for example, as are the exterior mirrors and door handles.
The GT3 wheels are finished in two-tone Earls Court Green metallic and Brilliant Silver, while the rear lid grille has an Earls Court Green frame and silver stainless-steel mesh.
There is also a specific Earls Court 51 badge on the rear engine cover. Its design references Reutter, the company that built the bodies of the 356 before final assembly by Porsche.
So, it's not just an expensive paint job?
No. The overhaul runs to the interior of the 911 as well. The cabin uses a two-tone leather treatment in Night Green and Chalk Beige, with Night Green stitching.
There are corduroy inserts in the seats and door panels, again taking inspiration from the material palette of the 1951 Porsche 356.
The seat backs are trimmed in Night Green leather. Paldao wood with Light Silver accents is used on the dashboard, doors and centre console. The gear lever is also made from wood.
Porsche has added a series of small bespoke details too. On the end of the driver's side dashboard panel there's an embossed silhouette of a 356 and the phrase "driving in its purest form”, translated from original 356 marketing material.
The sun visors are trimmed in black leather and feature an embossed Union Jack motif, while the headrests carry the Earls Court 51 logo.
In terms of modern equipment, Adaptive Sports Seats Plus with heating, a Bose surround sound system and a black Race-Tex roof lining are also included.
Has Porsche changed the GT3's engine?
No, the Earls Court 51 Edition is based on the 911 GT3 with Touring Package, so it uses the same naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine, producing 510hp. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, while PDK is available as a no-cost option.
With the manual, Porsche quotes 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds. The PDK version completes the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.4 seconds.
This all sounds very expensive...
Indeed, the UK price of the special edition is £251,951, which is an eye-watering quarter more even than the new Porsche 911 GT3 S/C. Translated into Irish pricing, that means somewhere in the region of €470,000.
Buyers get more than just the special-edition car though, as each comes with a bespoke Porsche Design Chronograph watch, its dial inspired by the instrument graphics of the 356.
They also receive a matching Night Green leather Weekender bag, a 1:18 scale model of the 911 GT3 Earls Court 51 Edition and a commemorative book tracing the development and build of the limited series.
And what about the original 356 beside it?
The 1951 Porsche 356 that will be displayed alongside the new 911 has been restored through Porsche's Manufaktur Sonderwunsch Classic operation.
Known within Porsche Cars GB and the enthusiast community as the ex-Betty Haig car, it has been with Porsche Cars GB since the 1970s. It was originally silver with a red leatherette interior and had a varied motorsport career before joining Porsche's care.
The recommissioning process began around two years ago, with the practical restoration work taking about 12 months in Germany. The car retains its original running gear, including a 1.1-litre flat-four boxer engine producing 40hp.
For this project it has been painted in the same Earls Court Green metallic as the new 911, with a Chalk Beige interior using leather and corduroy. It also has a wooden gear lever knob, hand-turned by the Sonderwunsch workshops, and a period Becker Monza radio adapted with a modern aux-in connection.
Where can I see these beauties?
Both cars will be on display this coming weekend (20-21 June) in Silverstone if you want to grab a flight or ferry over. Tickets are available at porsche.silverstone.co.uk/content.
The event forms part of Porsche Cars GB's celebrations of 75 years since the first Porsche arrived in the country and will be based around the Porsche Experience Centre and the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit itself.