Five examples of bespoke $584k GT3 Touring-based car for NZ.

CELEBRATION of a brand milestone for Porsche here has led to creation of a 911 sports car bearing the signature of the original distributor, who passed away two years ago.

Announcement of the special anniversary model based on the 911 GT3 has come with sharing of detail about the allocation - just five cars - and price: $584,000.

What’s entitled the 911 GT3 50 Years Porsche New Zealand anniversary special s based on the Touring edition of the GT3 and is touted as being the first commemorative Porsche created specifically for the New Zealand market by the factory’s Sonderwunsch - for ‘special request’ - department .

Each car is finished in ‘Paint to Sample Yachting Blue Metallic’ and carries bespoke exterior and interior details, and the signature of the late Sir Colin Giltrap, the New Zealand motor industry magnate whose passion for Porsche laid the foundation for the marque's presence.

In comment, Porsche NZ general manager Greg Clarke said “Fifty years is a long time in any market, and it means even more in one as small and as far from Stuttgart as ours.

“We wanted to mark this milestone with something that could only have come from here: a car built for our roads and signed by the man who started it all.”

The decision to use the Touring Package as the basis for this anniversary special was deliberate, the local distributor says.

“In a country renowned for its winding coastal roads, mountain passes and picturesque driving scenes, the wingless GT3 places the focus squarely on the driving experience.

“Combined with a six-speed manual transmission and an atmospheric flat-six engine, it is a car designed to celebrate every kilometre of every journey – with no regard for the actual destination.”

An island nation with sailing in its blood then asked for a colour to match, the brand says. The finish references both New Zealand's rich sailing heritage, and to the first Porsche imported into the country being blue.

Sir Colin’s etched signature is on the passenger-side dashboard inlay “honouring the man whose enthusiasm, vision and lifelong commitment to motorsport established Porsche in New Zealand and helped shape generations of drivers and enthusiasts.”

Further bespoke Sonderwunsch elements include woven blue Pepita cloth seat inserts and "50 Years Porsche New Zealand" anniversary embossing on the headrests and throughout the cabin.

The anniversary will be celebrated publicly in Auckland in September. Porsche owners are set to gather at the Sir Colin Giltrap Raceway, a kart track in Wiri, before driving in convoy to the Viaduct Events Centre, where their cars will be displayed as part of the celebration.

The programme will include the public unveiling of the commemorative anniversary 911 GT3 Touring.

Also on display will be a Porsche 917 ‘Kurzheck' racing car, the short tail version of a legendary model regarded as one of the world’s most successful endurance racing cars, most notably because of its 1970s’-era dominance of the annual Le Mans 24-Hours in France.

The car is held by the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, and will be airfreighted here for this occasion.

The story of Porsche here traces to when Sir Colin saw a Porsche Speedster at the Sydney Trade Show in 1957. He bought his first Porsche, a 356 A 1600 Super Coupe, in 1959.

By 1974 he was running a successful Auckland dealership and, at the Geneva Motor Show that year, made a strong case to Porsche's export manager to achieve an import licence.

By then, an owner community had already begun to form around the marque.

In December 1975, 10 Porsche owners responded to a notice in the New Zealand Herald and gathered at Milford on Auckland's North Shore, marking the start of Porsche Club New Zealand, which today has almost 2000 active enthusiasts.

Today, New Zealand is served by four official Porsche Centres: Two in Auckland, the others in Wellington and Christchurch.

The brand’s motorsport connection is also strong. It says local owners were racing 911 models at Levin and Pukekohe in the early 1970s and reminds that today’s Porsche NZ Championship Race Series is one of the country's long-running national series. A Porsche Trophy Series runs within the Summerset GT Series is recognised by Porsche Motorsport.

New Zealand has also produced two Porsche Le Mans-winning factory drivers of the same generation, Earl Bamber of Wanganui and Brendon Hartley, who grew up in Manawatu.

Both raced karts and cars, especially in the Manwatu region, and were supported early in their careers by Sir Colin.

Team Porsche New Zealand, founded in 2019, continues that pathway, with alumni including Supercars winner Matthew Payne, and with Marco Giltrap and Tom Bewley now competing in Carrera Cup.

Prospective customers for the anniversary special are invited to register interest through their preferred Porsche Centre. Deliveries are expected to commence post September.