1982 Porsche 924 GTR Is a Rare Bird, Reminds Us of the Golden Age of Racing

A good, fun way to learn about Porsche is by playing the now 20-year old Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed. We just reinstalled the game and started playing the Factory Driver mode, but an "Evolution" review will be coming next as well. Porsche came out with the 356 back in the late '40s, but it took another 16 years for the first 911 to come out of the Stuttgart factory in Germany.

We all know how successful the 911 is today, but we also know as expensive they are. So Porsche needed to offer clients an alternative. They attempted to come up with a solution in the form of the 914, and the company built a total of just under 120,000 units over the next 7 years. But with a maximum output of 109 horsepower for the 914/6, this was not as impressive as its 911 counterpart.

Porsche didn't abandon the idea of having an entry-level model, and so, in November of 1975, the company introduced the new 924. This would go on to be built in the Audi factory in Neckarsulm, for the next 12 years! All in all, about 150,000 units were delivered, so not all of these are rare today. The most basic models only had around 100 horsepower or so, so nothing spectacular there.

But in 1978 Porsche introduced the 924 Turbo, which upped the ante to about 170 horsepower. According to some sources, the total number of Turbos that came out of the factory is less than 15,000. Now, if that doesn't sound special enough to you, you should look at the Porsche 924 Carrera GT. Only 406 of those left the factory floor, so don't be shocked if getting one is going to set you back $100,000!

But the most spectacular of all 924s, is the GTR, 17 of which were built. Weighing in at just 2,050 lbs (930 kg), these had a maximum output of 375 horsepower! The 924 GTR even raced at Le Mans, and in 1982, Jim Busby, Doc Bundy, and Marcel Mignot won the IMSA GTO class in one! Now, the car we've come across here is sporting the same livery, even though it has only been used as an exhibition vehicle, according to the seller.

It is the last 924 GTR to ever be built, and it was delivered to Volkswagen of America on February 1st of 1982. If you'll ask Google about the names of the next two owners, you'll see plenty of Porsche pictures popping up alongside their names. Now, the price of this vehicle has not been disclosed. Upon a quick inspection of the market, you should expect to pay as much as $600,000 or more to add it to your collection.