Admit it: you already want one of these.
Welcome to the race-car-for-the-road world of the GT One, created for a select few ultra-rich motoring connoisseurs by Oxfordshire historic Porsche specialists Tuthill. The GT One is a homage to the great GT1 race cars of the 1990s. You may already have noticed that there is more than a touch of the all-conquering Porsche GT1 about this magnificent beast, which is a very good thing indeed in our view. But there is so much more to the GT One than just traffic-stopping retro-style.
That style, with underpinnings taken from a 993 generation Porsche 911, is the work of California-based designer Florian Flatau. "I could never have imagined,” Flatau says, "that I would some day be trusted with freedom to visit the spirit of the FIA GT1 class.” Construction is from race-spec carbon fibre. Clamshells front and rear offer easy access to mechanicals, roof-mounted air intake references that on the Porsche GT1. Integrated roll cage protects against over-exuberant driving, carbon doors help with side impact bars.
You’ll be wanting to know about power, mid-mounted and available to view under the rear clamshell. Each GT One, absorbing 3,500 work-hours to build say Tuthill, will be to customer specification. Will you go for a naturally aspirated version of the 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine for purity’s sake, making a perfectly adequate 500 bhp available? Or opt for turbocharging and a frankly insane 600 bhp, or somewhat more than the original Porsche GT1 race car had available at Le Mans in its day? It’s enough to keep you awake at night.
Tuthill GT One: Take a look inside
You won’t be worrying about the attention to detail inside. Porsche made 20 street versions of their 1990s racer to homologate the machine for racing, but it’s fair to say creature comforts weren’t high on the specification list. By contrast, Tuthill’s show GT One includes luxurious pale fabrics with matching pale leathers covering every other available surface. This isn’t Pagani-luxe, but there’s more than enough to keep the average plutocrat comfortable. Look is minimal, in keeping with design parameters conceived to keep weight down at all cost. No performance figures are yet available. Fast, is what we’d predict.
"I sincerely hope,” says boss Richard Tuthill, "that those who wish to own one of these will also wish to drive them as often as they can and create memories that will last a lifetime.” Translation: you might not be taking your GT One to the supermarket but you will be taking to your favourite twisty road on a promising morning.
Tuthill aren’t letting anyone but customers know about pricing - if you need to ask etc, etc - but since examples of the Porsche GT1 which it pays homage to reach around £2m at auction, we’d suggest warning your bank that you might need that overdraft facility before giving the nice people at Tuthill a call. And then deciding just when and where you’re to exercise this extraordinary beast.
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