OLD SCHOOL SOUL

Old School Soul

Jack talks us through why he just had to have his 996 GT3.

“I started to get that gnawing feeling in my brain, that I wanted the GT3, needed it, and I loved it in Speed Yellow.”

The GT3 is very much a different animal compared with the rest of the 996 generation, and not in the usual sense of the phrase. Though we’re used to a world where the GT variant is the lightened, more aggressively tuned version of the contemporary Carrera, the 996 GT3 housed a fundamentally different engine to the rest of the 911 lineup (bar the Turbo). They called it the Mezger, and it shared virtually nothing with the base M96.

While the M96 was an entirely fresh design for the water cooled era, the GT3 engine was based on the six cylinder unit from the Group C 962 Le Mans car. It was designed in the 80s by Hans Mezger, who also designed the very first 911 engine, among many other contributions to Porsche. For those who really know, the Mezger is more than worth the price of entry, as Jack Lanphere will testify.

“My favourite feature is easily the motor and the sound it makes. It sounds amazing when you change the exhaust from stock, and the performance matches too. I didn’t expect it to throw me into the back of my seat, but the car has a deceptive amount of power. It feels like it goes all the way to redline with no hesitation whatsoever.

After I bought it I had it sent straight to my shop where it underwent 7 months of work to transform it into the car I’d envisioned for years. I essentially wanted a very aggressive street build capable of going to the track at any time I need it to, though I spend most of my time with it in the canyons outside of the occasional track day. To me these cars look at their best in as close to stock form as possible, with the exception of wheels and lowering.

“I started to get that gnawing feeling in my brain, that I wanted the GT3, needed it, and I loved it in Speed Yellow.”

"My favourite part of the 996 GT3 is its physical shape and size. I’m just someone who loves small cars. Every time I see mine or any other one, I take an extra few seconds to enjoy it."

My favourite part of the 996 GT3 is its physical shape and size. I’m just someone who loves small cars. Every time I see mine or any other one, I take an extra few seconds to enjoy it. I love the small form factor and the sleek, organic shape of the whole exterior. The proportions are perfect, nothing is out of place.”