This 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Is a Race Car That Never Actually Raced

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is a genuine racing car that the German carmaker specifically designed for endurance races. The 'RSR' in the designation is RennSport Rennwagen,' which is German for 'racing sport racing car.' Based on the highest class in GT racing worldwide, the GTE class, the 911 GT3 RSR saw the light of day in the manufactory of the Porsche Motorsport Center in Wiessach, Germany.

The 'RSR' easily entered the racing lexicon with a competition-focused 911 by the middle of the next decade. Little did Porsche know that 60 years of fame and fortune would follow in endurance racing. And it all started with the arrival of a competition-focused 911.

The 997 GT3 RSR based on Porsche 911 was ready by 2006. It debuted at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, reviving an iconic name from the 1970s. It came powered by a 3.8-liter engine (instead of the 2.8-liter unit of the 1973 original RSR), that was mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox and delivered 459 horsepower (465 PS). 35 examples rolled off the assembly line that winter, all for customer teams. Chassis number 799943 was among them.

2008 brought significant upgrades on the car, such as a revised front-end bristling with aerodynamic improvements. 'Flick' spoilers on the front apron and an optimized air ducting brought better downforce and reduced drag.

A newly tuned suspension provided superior mechanical grip. Engineers tweaked the 3.8-liter flat-six engine as well, going all the way to 380 horsepower (485 PS), being capable of spinning up to 9,000 rpm. With the RS Spyder sports prototype development in full swing, Porsche came up with mods inspired by that one on the six-speed sequential gearbox, making it lighter and reducing internal friction.

Two years after the introduction of the model, Jacques Dewes and Jean Kerguen won the 2-liter GT class at Le Mans in their Porsche 911 S.

It is the car that Manthey Racing won the Nurburgring 24-hour race with, in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011, as well as the GT2 overall class, followed by a win in the FIA GT championship. Driven by British pro driver Richard Westbrook, it went along to win four races and was runner-up in two of the eight-race series.

The 997 GT3 RSR underwent a major overhaul for the 2009 season. Large cooling air openings and ventilation ducts showed up on the front hood. Porsche improved aerodynamics and increased the displacement to 4.0 liters instead of the 3.8, yet the output fell down from 459 horsepower to 444 (450 PS) because new regulations stipulated the presence of an air flow limiter. Twenty such cars were produced.

But what we have here, chassis number 799943, was one of them. It is a 2008 997-generation Porsche GT3 RSR. So, we are dealing with the 3.8-liter flat-six engine mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox.

Finished in Carrera White, the car was delivered to the consigning seller, Widberg Motors AG, on April 24, 2008. And that is who is selling it today, after the car stayed for 15 years with the same owner since leaving the factory.

Porsche has always been a key player in motor racing, while being a team like no other in endurance races. What is interesting about this Porsche, specifically designed as a race car, is the fact that it never actually raced. It never set wheels on a race track, even though it was born for speeding down straights and turns. That explains why the odometer of the 15-year old car reads only 20 kilometers (12 miles). All of them were added during the pre-delivery testing at Weissach. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR retains its matching-numbers chassis, engine, and gearbox.

The model has had a single owner since day one. They are now selling it in the company of an Automobile Club de l’Quest technical support, a 2007-issued FIA homologate form, and a Porsche Motorsport Dattenblat. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR goes under the hammer with RM Sotheby’s in Saint Moritz, Switzerland, and is expected to fetch between CHF650,000 and CFH750,000, which translates to $734,871 - $847,928.

But whoever buys it won’t be able to race it. It does not comply with the current regulations. It is not street-legal either, so they can't take it on a drive along winding roads. It has a single seat on board, everything has been stripped down to the bare minium compared to a road-going Porsche. There is a roll cage in there painted in the body color, racing-everything, and no trace of creature comforts.

But the future owner can brag about owning a race car that never raced and driving one similar to the one that actor and Porsche fan Patrick Dempsey drove in 2015 in the FIA World Endurance Championship.