THE OTHER CARRERA GT

The Other Carrera GT

Grace Cheung on the rare transaxle Porsche that keeps a special place in her collection.

“It’s a 1981 Porsche 924 Carrera GT - one of only 406 ever made. This particular car was the 17th off the line and was previously part of the Dutch National Motor Museum collection. It’s also the only 924 Carrera GT in Taiwan.”

You might have pictured something different if we’d told you in advance that we were running a feature on a Porsche Carrera GT. The other car would have been a safer bet statistically too, with over three times the numbers produced as compared to the lesser remembered 924 variant. For the transaxle connoisseur however, these cars are the holy grail. This one belongs to Grace Cheung, who was all to happy to explain to us why it holds a worthy place in her collection of seven Porsches.

“Porsche has always maintained a distinct aesthetic language, but the 924 feels like an outlier, a break from tradition. The 924 and 944 may not have the same cult status as the 911, but they played a pivotal role in shaping the design of sports coupes. The sloped nose and glass hatch were ahead of their time, influencing numerous models that followed. The wide fender flares, hastily adapted from Porsche’s racing department, gave the car a raw, almost utilitarian charm. Unlike the brand’s typically refined and polished designs, these flares make the Carrera GT feel unapologetically purposeful—like a machine built to get the job done.

This car represents an early chapter in the transaxle story. It lacks power steering, so it feels very raw and direct. The ride itself is primitive by modern standards, but that’s part of the appeal. The car is incredibly well balanced, with neutral cornering characteristics that set it apart from the rear-engined 911 experience. The turbocharged engine, derived from the Audi 80, doesn’t deliver instant power—but it comes alive after 3,800 RPM when the boost kicks in. The best way to enjoy it? Take it on smooth mountain roads, where its handling and Turbo dynamics can shine.”

As you might imagine, it’s unlikely that you arrive at a 924 Carrera GT if you’re someone who hasn’t had any Porsches before. In Grace’s case, there were several that preceded it. Alongside this car, Grace keeps a number of air-cooled 911s, a GT3 Touring, a Cayman GT4 RS and a Taycan Cross Turismo for good measure. However, it was a chance encounter with a 993 that really began her story with these cars.

"The 924 and 944 may not have the same cult status as the 911, but they played a pivotal role in shaping the design of sports coupes."

“It was a Sunday, after brunch. We were driving home when I spotted a stunning 993 in Amaranth Violet. It was a showstopper, standing out among a sea of silver and black SUVs. My daughter, who was six at the time, excitedly shouted from the back seat ‘mommy, a purple Porsche!’ That was the moment I knew I wanted that car. It felt like the ultimate mother-daughter statement, the two of us cruising around town in something so distinctive. As fate would have it, my husband knew the owner and by that afternoon, we were in his garage. We negotiated a price and before the day was over, the 993 was ours.”

"The turbocharged engine, derived from the Audi 80, doesn’t deliver instant power—but it comes alive after 3,800 RPM when the boost kicks in."

Since then, Grace and her Porsches have come a very long way, even to the point of involving her architecture practice too. In 2023, Porsche commissioned her to design the Lihpao Driving Centre in Taiwan, the first of its kind in Asia.

“That same year Porsche celebrated its 75th anniversary, I was honoured to be featured as one of their ‘dreamers,’ sharing my personal journey and connection with the brand. What began as a loose childhood awareness had evolved into a deep passion, intertwining with my life as an architect and designer. I have no doubt that my Porsche story is far from over.”