2009 Porsche 911 (997.2) GT3 Club Sport

• Delivered new to Porsche Slovenia in July 2009 finished in double black
• A 3.8-litre, manual gearbox, 429bhp, Generation II factory Club Sport
• Centre-lock wheels, red callipers, bespoke rear wing, lightweight seats, harnesses, fire extinguisher and a roll cage
• Two further owners in Germany before being acquired by our vendor to join his collection
• Comprehensive service and MOT at Paragon Porsche in June 2020
• This rare car has covered just 9,323 miles (15,005km) from new and is unquestionably among the best in existence

This was the final evolution of Porsche's acclaimed 997 GT3 series, reflecting the changes made for the second generation of the 997 911. Porsche's GT series cars are produced in limited numbers by their Motorsport Division, alongside the racecars on which the GT3 is based, and as such the GT3 had been absent from Porsche's price list since the tail end of 2007.

Visually the new generation GT3 mirrors a number of changes introduced with the 2nd generation 997 road car, namely the introduction of daylight running lights and changes to the interior, however, the GT3 does not follow the regular series 911's introduction of direct fuel injection nor the option of Porsche's PDK gearbox. Porsche cite the 20kg saving, and customer preference for mechanical interaction, as the logic for sticking with a conventional six-speed manual transmission.

The Gen II car was powered by an enlarged version of the motorsport-derived, flat-six, now displacing 3.8-litres instead of 3.6, increasing power by 20bhp to 429bhp. Torque is also bolstered, particularly through the mid-range, whilst economy and emissions also benefitted and significant aerodynamic tweaks generated substantial extra downforce neatly offset by the larger engine's increased torque. Other detailed changes included lighter wheels, with a single centre bolt, shaving 2.5kg from the unsprung mass, and larger yet lighter front discs brakes.

Delivered new to Porsche Slovenia in July 2009, this 911 would have been among the earliest 997-series cars to be built to the improved Generation II specification. It is estimated that in 2009, the first year of these '997.2' models, only 766 Porsche 911 GT3s were built.

The car you see here is one of them and, rarer still, it was specified new as a factory Clubsport example - a designation that has become recognised worldwide as adorning only the very best driver's cars. Flawlessly finished in the desirable double-black colour scheme, this GT3 Clubsport manages to be exciting and yet almost subtle, with only the centre lock wheels, red callipers and rear wing alluding to its performance capabilities.

On the inside, the lightweight seats, harnesses, fire extinguisher and roll cage are the more obvious Clubsport additions. However, that's not to say that this GT3 has been compromised for road use; the seats are in fact remarkably comfortable and the harnesses and fire extinguisher remain unfitted, boxed and stored in the boot. Given this and the GT3's stunning condition, we wouldn't be surprised if it has never even seen a racetrack.

At 8 months old the GT3 Clubsport migrated back home to Germany, where it was registered to a specialist engineering company north of Frankfurt. A year later the Porsche was sold to a packaging firm, before being transferred into the Managing Director's name in May 2013. At this point, the car had covered 11,368km and an inspection two years later show that the mileage had only increased to 14,436km.

The third owner bought the Porsche in 2017 to add to his significant private collection and it was from there that our vendor was able to acquire it.

The stamped service records indicate that the car benefitted from a Porsche service on 13-09-2011 at 8,074km, 08-09-2014 at 13,420km and most recently was treated to a comprehensive service and a fresh MOT at Paragon Porsche here in the UK on 15/06/2020 at 14,992km. Today the 911 has still only covered 9,323 miles (15,005km) from new and is unquestionably among the best in existence.

With a proper manual gearbox, 45-years of continuous 911 development and a 3.8-litre flat-six, it's little wonder that these GT3s are a favourite among motoring journalists and have become a must-have road car for racing drivers and collectors alike.