The 996 generation of the iconic Porsche 911 is by far the most controversial. Purists don’t like that it has a radiator and a lot of people just don’t like the look. However, most enthusiasts agree that the rare, high-performance GT2 variant of the 996 is awesome. Today we have one for your consideration; a 2002 Porsche 911 GT2 finished in Speed Yellow with an asking price of $180,000 and only about 8,300 miles on the clock.
What’s So Cool About GT2?
The GT2 was at the very top of the 996 food chain sitting above the 911 Turbo. It used the same 3.6-liter twin-turbo 3.6-liter flat-six engine as the 996 Turbo, but in the GT2, it produced 476 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque. A big mechanical difference between the Turbo and the GT2 is that the GT2 is rear-wheel drive while the Turbo is all-wheel drive. This contributed to the GT2 being a lighter car than the Turbo by about 240 lbs.
A few other touches distinct to the GT2 include standard carbon-ceramic brakes with yellow calipers, a special front clip, a big, fixed rear wing, and no back seats. In other markets, there was a roll cage where the back seats normally go, but for some regulatory reason, they couldn’t import them to the U.S. with the roll cage.
When Porsche GT Cars Were Special
Porsche has been ramping up production numbers for the faster, fancier, higher-end 911 models because they’re popular and presumably have a very high profit margin. However, this GT2 represents the end of an era when Porsche GT models were really rare and special cars. This is one of only 300 996 GT2 models sold in the U.S.
It’s a car designed for one purpose; to be insanely fast around a racetrack (but can also be driven on the street). The 996 GT2 has a reputation as being the last 911 that really required serious driving skill to proficiently drive it to its limit, which was immense. In some ways, it has the same soul as the legendary Porsche Carrera GT, but in the form of a 911.
Also, Speed Yellow is easily the best paint color available for the 996. Find a Porsche 911 for sale
