The Tuthill GT One is your roadgoing flat-six race car fantasy
If you’re the type with a Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion fetish, deep pockets and good connections, you may just be in luck. Boutique builder and restoration provider Tuthill Porsche is going to build 22 examples of this carbon-fiber GT One road car — emphasis on road, there. Of the various homologation cars that were produced to comply with GT1 series rules, Tuthill said all were compromised to be better platforms for their competitive aspirations. The GT One sets itself apart by being a street car first.
Tuthill went out of the way to avoid using the “P” word in its announcement (Check there for more — albeit small — photos) but it’s quite evident that this car is both meant to embody the original 911 GT1 and powered by one of its descendants’ flat-sixes. You can get the 4.0-liter in both normally aspirated and boosted variants, making “more than” 500 and 600 horsepower, respectively. Both are mated to exhaust systems by Inconel and can be built with either a 7-speed dual-clutch or manual transmission.
Under the custom carbon body, panels and door bars, there’s a double wishbone suspension setup both front and rear. You’ll also find a full FIA-style roll cage. That said, the GT One is not set up from the factory for time attack sessions. As noted above, the GT One carries on Tuthill’s legacy of building racy-looking cars with street comfort in mind. And while this 2,700-pound machine will certainly offer more than its fair share of performance, turbocharged or not, Tuthill is holding off on offering a track-geared aero package, saying only that one may be developed — implying that demand is not necessarily expected, but will be considered.
And while the carbon ceramic brake package may again signal that track performance is a priority, consider Tuthill’s choice of standard tire: the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. It’s one of our favorite summer performance tires, but one intended to be used primarily on the street. Accessible though it may appear, with fewer than 25 slated for production, chances are they’re already spoken for. Bummer.
