With the 911 GT3 RS Tribute to Jo Siffert, Porsche is paying tribute to the late Swiss racing driver while also commemorating the first victory of the legendary 917 almost 55 years ago. On 10 August 1969, Siffert and Kurt Ahrens won the first international 1,000-kilometre race at the Österreichring near Zeltweg. The experts at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur built the extraordinary one-off as part of the Sonderwunsch programme.
Joseph “Jo” Siffert continues to enjoy cult status in Switzerland 50 years after his death. The Fribourg native was an extremely talented, charismatic racing driver. Siffert lived out his passion for motorsport with legendary intensity, contesting 298 races over 11 years. Sometimes he took part in several races during the same weekend. “Jo Siffert, together with Kurt Ahrens, kicked off the success story of the 917 by winning at Zeltweg in 1969. The passion with which he has pursued his dream of racing is still impressive today and fits perfectly with our brand core – Driven by Dreams,” says Michael Glinski, Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Schweiz AG.
The car is predominantly painted in Pure White and, like the car that inspired it, features Viper Green contrast sections on the front wings and parts of the front end. Both colours come from the “Paint to Sample” programme. The middle section of its large rear wing is also painted in this shade of green. The start number is the same as the one used in the inaugural 1,000-kilometre race.
The “29” is reprised on the doors, the front bonnet, under the rear wing and on the valve caps on the tyres. The classic Porsche lettering with striped design on the doors and side sections was also inspired by the original vehicle.
With great attention to detail and the able support of Bosch and Shell, the Porsche design experts also reproduced the contemporary sponsor decals. The Bosch decal with the spark plug is positioned on the rear wheel arches. The Shell decal with the brand’s name in the shell is positioned below the rear window by the service flaps for oil and coolant.
The silhouette of the 917KH can be seen on the centre lock of the satin black magnesium wheels; this stylised side view also adorns the sideplates of the rear wing. A special badge in the helmet design is positioned on the B-pillars: as a personal reference, the name and signature of Jo Siffert are represented there.
