Porsche's dealer network has once again shown what its service departments are capable of. The Area South-Central winners of the 2026 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge represent three distinct approaches to keeping classic Porsches on the road, each carried out with the depth of expertise and factory support that define the program.
About the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge
Through the Challenge, Porsche Cars North America invites Porsche Centers across the U.S. to restore, preserve, or individualize heritage models using Porsche Classic Genuine Parts and their own craftsmanship. Each participating dealer selects a project car, documents the work throughout the year, and presents the finished vehicle at a regional judging event. That parts support is substantial. The Porsche Classic catalogue includes approximately 85,000 genuine parts, and the U.S. is home to the highest number of classic Porsche vehicles in operation anywhere in the world.
Entries compete in three categories. Preservation maintains originality while improving functionality, Restoration returns vehicles to near-factory specification, and Individualization allows for bespoke builds influenced by Porsche's Sonderwunsch program.
Now in its sixth year, the Challenge continues to grow. The 2025 edition set a record with 73 entries, and the national champions were crowned in Durham, North Carolina alongside Luftgekühlt 11. For 2026, the South-Central round took place at Artomobilia in Carmel, Indiana on August 28 and 29, with the National Championship to follow in October.
Porsche Orlando's 1997 911 Carrera 2
Individualization (national finalist) and People's Choice winner
Follow along: https://www.instagram.com/porsche_orlando/
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This build was inspired by Carey, a longtime Porsche Orlando client who, together with her husband Byron, has purchased numerous Paint to Sample and Sonderwunsch cars from the dealership. Shortly after taking delivery of a Pastel Yellow 993 Carrera 2, she challenged the team to create a car that reflected her own personality while remaining unmistakably Porsche. The car was taken down to a bare shell, fitted with genuine 993 RS bodywork and a factory-style steel sunroof delete, and refinished in its original Pastel Yellow on every surface. Under the rear deck, the original 3.6-liter flat-six became a high-compression 4.0-liter with individual throttle bodies and a GT3 plenum, paired with a short-ratio RSR-style gearbox and authentic 993 RS suspension.
The interior is the centerpiece, a Sonderwunsch-inspired cabin with full leather retrimming, color-matched painted trim, and a bespoke ombré leather weave inspired by the GT3 S/C Street Style. The team also 3D scanned a factory 993 rear seat delete and re-engineered it in lightweight materials with top-loading storage that works with the RS bucket seats. Carey was involved at every stage, and her choices, including the color-matched new-old-stock Speedline wheels, became defining features of a car that used approximately 782 genuine Porsche components and earned both the Individualization win and the People's Choice award.
Porsche Cary's 2001 Boxster
Preservation (national finalist)
Follow along: https://www.instagram.com/porsche.cary/
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Porsche Cary's 986 Boxster was prepared with a focus on preservation and thoughtful modernization. Rather than replacing original components, the team prioritized sustainability and authenticity by meticulously cleaning and touching up existing interior pieces. The exterior received a comprehensive paint correction to restore its factory-level luster, and a full dry ice blasting treatment restored the undercarriage while retaining most of the original parts.
The car's key systems were fully refreshed with a new convertible top and headliner, new windshield, struts, control arms, clutch and flywheel, along with refurbished wheels and brakes and OEM N-spec tires. To bridge classic and contemporary, the team installed the Porsche Classic PCCM+ system, adding smartphone integration and improved navigation while preserving the authentic interior of the 986. The finished car is a beautiful example of the model that retains the character of an early Boxster.
Harper Porsche's 1978 911 Turbo
Restoration (national finalist)
Follow along: https://www.instagram.com/harperporsche/
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Harper Porsche's 1978 911 Turbo is a rare early Sonderwunsch commission, ordered new in Paint to Sample Buick Medium Green Poly metallic with white leather seats, black and white pinstripe velour inserts, and green shag carpet. Guided by the car's Porsche Product Specifications certificate, the team stripped the car to a bare shell and had it resprayed inside and out in the correct color by Harper's Porsche-certified collision center, then restored the interior to its original specification. The engine was rebuilt from the bare crankcase up, the original turbocharger was rebuilt, and the Type 930 four-speed transaxle was rebuilt in-house.
The chassis received period-correct green Bilstein suspension, a fully renewed brake system, and the original Fuchs wheels refinished and fitted with N-rated Pirelli P7 tires. Harper's Porsche Classic service advisor and historian researched production records and period sources to ensure every detail was correct for 1978, and the team even commissioned custom red woven air conditioning hoses to match the originals. Harper Porsche brings a strong Challenge history to the finals, having won the national People's Choice award in 2025 with its 1992 964 RS.
Each of these three cars reflects the purpose of its category and the skill of the Porsche Center behind it. Porsche Orlando, Porsche Cary and Harper Porsche now advance to the National Championship in October, where they will meet the winners from Areas West and East.
