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Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car" Looks Easy

We might have moved into a new decade, but the story of the 991-generation Porsche 911 R, which was launched back in March 2016, continues to be one of the most effervescent modern collector car tales. So, what happens when one of these stick shift specials gets crashed and shows up at an online auction? We can now answer that question with the help of the example sitting before us.
Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R 8 photos
Photo: LNC COLLISION & CAR CUSTOMIZATION/YouTube
Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"
Before discussing this particular 911 R, which is one of the just 991 units produced, we need to remind everybody why this special edition is such a big deal.

Back in the days of the 991.1 Porsche Neunelfer generation, manual gearbox enthusiasts were shocked to see the carmaker only offered track-savvy models such as the GT3 and GT3 RS in PDK-only form. As such, when the 911 R showed up at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, everybody was happy to see this debuting as a toy that could arguably be described as a lighter, de-winged 3RS (think: no fixed wing, albeit packing the Carrera's retractable rear spoiler) with a custom overall setup and... a manual as the only available transmission.

However, while all the examples of the car had been sold out prior to its official debut, speculators managed to get their hands on some of the build slots. And it wasn't long until the prices, which initially kicked off at $184,900, were driven towards the $1 million mark (this is no error, here's an example of a Florida vehicle that was listed for $750,000 back in November 2016).

Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"
Photo: LNC COLLISION & CAR CUSTOMIZATION/YouTube
Porsche addressed the matter by reviving the manual for the 991.2 GT3 mid-cycle revamp that landed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and introducing the de-winged GT3 Touring Package (also sporting the Carrera retractable spoiler) that would be pretty close to the R, albeit without the limited production.

This example is #83 out of 991

Returning the 911 R we have here, this showed up on the Copart auction site in December last year. The vehicle was damaged, with its right-side front corner being destroyed, its right-side fender bent and the airbags deployed. Nevertheless, the car could be fixed, while its odometer, which only showed 619 miles, made the proposal even more appealing.

Well, a California-based shop called Laguna Niguel Collision entered the bidding war and ended up purchasing the vehicle for $167,628 - as the group explains in the comments section of the YouTube video below, the car came with a $160,000 reserve, while the various fees brought the price to the said value.

Now, thanks to the clip, you'll see Vlad, the vlogger who caught the whole repair process on camera, restoring this rear-engined jewel to its former glory as part his daily business.

Rebuilding a Wrecked Porsche 911 R "Million Dollar Car"
Photo: LNC COLLISION & CAR CUSTOMIZATION/YouTube
The parts that needed attention involved the front bumper, the cooling hardware underneath it, the headlight, fender and fender liner, as well as the dashboard (deployed airbags, remember?).

Of course, the whole shenanigan required plenty of steps, such as going all LEGO builder on the upper dash or removing and reattaching the windshield, but the clip sums it all up in 20 minutes of footage. And the final part of the video sees Vlad washing the car and taking the thing for a quick spin to taste the magic of the 500 hp 4.0-liter flat-six and that six-speed manual.

Now, we can't be sure about the fate of the car (for the record, 911 R prices currently sits between $350,000 and $500,000), since this could be sold or, given its special status, even kept by somebody inside the company. Even so, one thing is clear: the vehicle has been brought back to the road, so the world (or at least some fortunate collector) can enjoy this Zuffenhausen wonder once again.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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