Even more specialized than restaurants and reimagined classic sports cars are Porsche tributes, a small market that most of us will never be able to enter. And there are a lot of them, like Ruf and Singer and two different businesses called Gemballa. Following up on its 911K, Tuthill Porsche has come up with a new project based on the biggest and worst Porsche homologation special from the 1990s. As someone who likes homologation specials, Tuthill’s has done better this time. This is the GT One, and anyone who paid attention thirty years ago would know what that means right away. The GT One is built on the 993 and looks like a tribute to the 911 GT1, especially the first version of the car that came out in 1997. More attention is paid to the much swoopier 911 GT1-98 that won Le Mans and other later 996-styled cars, but Porsche’s first attempt at a 911 prototype was the best. Tuthill seemed to agree. The GT One has a 4.0-liter flat-six engine, but Tuthill gives its 22 customers the option of forced induction or natural aspiration. Both the turbocharged and free-breathing versions aim to produce over 500 horsepower. It will include an iconic redline if it’s similar to the 911K. The select few also get to choose between a seven-speed manual and a dual-clutch powertrain. A lightweight carbon fiber body and front and rear double-wishbone suspension ensure a smooth ride. Compared to Porsche’s 2,535-pound 911 GT1 Strassenversion, the GT One’s 2,645-pound weight is slightly more. The GT One’s appearance is one of its good points, but we have yet to talk about it. The Outside was written by Florian Flatau, who also made the beautiful Singer ACS. I don’t have any notes. Though I will always love the original GT1, Tuthill’s tribute is perfect. It does a great job of recreating the delicate features of the original car, like its small canopy and simple, clean front bumper with a big air intake. When Flatau worked on the back of the car, he wrapped the air ducts around the heckblende and tucked them into the duckbill spoiler, which I like. In line with the 993 design, the turn signals are separate, thin-line parts that sit below the round headlights. Tuthill says that there will be an optional aero pack for driving on the track, and the GT One is a very capable car thanks to its FIA-certified rollover safety system. Besides the fact that only 22 will be made, Tuthill has yet to say how much the GT One will cost. Porsche thought about making 919 Street, which would have been like a current 911 GT1, but they never got around to it. It is a bad thing. The world always wants more race cars that can be driven on public roads.
