Yes, you read it right! A Le Mans-winning Porsche 911 GT1 on ice!
While the Porsche 911 GT1 remains a motorsport icon that stays tucked away in museums and collector garages around the world, there still happen to be a few examples that occasionally stretch their legs on open roads under perfect weather conditions. Porsche changed that this past weekend at the three-day F.A.T International Ice Race in Aspen, where they brought a Le Mans-winning Porsche 911 GT1 to tackle the wintery track on Colorado’s mountainside. An absolute treat for anyone who was on-scene to witness the spectacle, Porsche racing driver Stéphane Ortelli thought he was dreaming when given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Mobil1 x IBM Porsche 911 GT1. This specific chassis is made famous for clinching Porsche’s 24-hour victory at the Circuit de La Sarthe in June 1998, driven by teammates Laurent Aïello and Allan McNish.
The F.A.T. International Ice Race incorporates a racing heritage that dates back to 1955 when Colorado outlawed street racing on public roads. The Ice Race has been rebranded and brought to the U.S. since Ferdinand Porsche, Ferry Porsche’s grandson, first held the ice race in the tiny town of Zell Am See, Switzerland, home to the Porsche family for generations. Porsche Museum’s engineering team really went above and beyond to tackle the challenge of making the GT1 ready for a snowy adventure. They raised the suspension to make space for the chunkier tires and borrowed a pre-heating system straight out of the 919 Hybrid playbook, even tweaking the software for easier drivability. Stephane Ortelli sheds light on Porsche’s storied past of refining their sports cars in the demanding conditions of the mountains. Stephane concludes his dream day by saying, “This is what’s great about the Porsche Museum. They not only prepare the cars for shows, but make sure we can drive them, and drive them fast. Even Le Mans winners on snow.” View all Porsches for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking the link below.
Source: Porsche
