• POA

2003 Porsche 996 GT3 Carrera Cup Car - OAMPS Insurance - Jim Richards - Inaugural Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship Winner - Most Successful GT3 Cup Car of its Era

"The most successful Porsche Carrera Cup car of its generation." A title earned through an extraordinary record that still resonates throughout Australian motorsport history.

We are incredibly proud to present what is undoubtedly one of the most historically significant Porsche competition cars ever offered to the public this genuine factory-built 2003 Porsche 996 GT3 Carrera Cup Car, campaigned by Jim Richards to victory in the inaugural Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship.

Piloted by the legendary "Gentleman Jim" Richards a seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner, multiple Australian Touring Car Champion and one of Australasia's most respected racing drivers this remarkable GT3 Cup established records that continue to define the Porsche Carrera Cup Championship more than two decades later.

During the 2003 season, Richards and this very car achieved an astonishing seven consecutive race victories, including victories at Bathurst, Sandown and the Gold Coast, ultimately recording eight consecutive race wins a benchmark that still stands in Australian Porsche Carrera Cup history.

The car also secured seven pole positions from nine championship rounds, another extraordinary achievement that remains among the greatest qualifying performances ever recorded in the series. Richards finished on the podium at every championship round throughout the inaugural season, adding runner-up finishes at Winton, Hidden Valley and the Eastern Creek finale to comprehensively secure the first-ever Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship.

While later champions including Alex Davison (2004), Fabian Coulthard (2005) and Craig Baird (2008) would equal the number of round victories in a season, none surpassed the remarkable achievements established by Jim Richards and this iconic GT3 Cup Car.

The Porsche 996 GT3 Cup formed the foundation upon which Porsche Motorsport built one of the most successful customer racing programmes in the world. Every subsequent GT3 RS, RSR and Supercup competition car traces its lineage directly back to this remarkable platform, itself homologated from the road-going 996 GT3.

Each GT3 Cup chassis was painstakingly hand-built through Porsche Motorsport's renowned Weissach facility. Production bodyshells were first delivered to Matter Engineering, where the welded roll cage was installed and unnecessary road-car brackets removed before returning to Stuttgart for painting. Final assembly then took place back at Weissach, where Porsche Motorsport transformed each shell into a purpose-built racing machine.

Power comes from the legendary 3.6-litre naturally aspirated Mezger flat-six, derived directly from the Le Mans-winning Porsche 911 GT1 programme and engineered by the legendary Hans Mezger. For the 2003 model year, Porsche introduced further refinements including increased engine performance to approximately 390 horsepower together with enhanced engine mapping and numerous chassis developments.

Power is transmitted through Porsche's renowned competition gearbox based on the G50 architecture developed from the 993 GT2, while suspension closely mirrors the road-going GT3 but incorporates bespoke Bilstein dampers, significantly stiffer spring rates and competition geometry developed specifically for Carrera Cup racing.

By today's standards particularly alongside the latest 992 GT3 Cup the 996 GT3 Cup remains refreshingly analogue. Lightweight, beautifully balanced and free from electronic driver aids, it represents one of the purest and most rewarding modern racing cars ever produced. Every control input comes directly from the driver, creating an experience that remains as engaging today as it was over twenty years ago.

What elevates this particular GT3 Cup far beyond its mechanical specification is its unparalleled provenance.

This is not simply another Carrera Cup car.

This is Jim Richards' inaugural Porsche Carrera Cup Championship-winning car.

It is the car that delivered the very first Porsche Carrera Cup Australia title.

It is the car that secured the championship's inaugural Round One victory.

It is the car that achieved seven consecutive race victories.

It is the car that established records for wins, poles and podiums that continue to be celebrated in Australian Porsche Motorsport history.

Following its competition career, the car underwent a meticulous restoration before entering two of Australia's most respected private Porsche collections. Today it presents in exceptional condition and is now offered publicly once again, representing one of the rarest opportunities to acquire a genuine factory Porsche Motorsport competition car with unquestionable provenance and championship pedigree.

For collectors of historically significant competition cars, Porsche Motorsport icons or Australian racing memorabilia, opportunities of this calibre are exceptionally rare. This is far more than simply a race car it is an irreplaceable piece of Porsche and Australian motorsport history. It represents the beginning of Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, a championship that has gone on to become one of the country's premier racing categories and a proving ground for generations of professional drivers.

Very few competition cars can genuinely claim to have changed the course of a championship.

This one did.

We accept 99% of all cryptocurrencies and work with leading finance and insurance partners to provide tailored funding solutions through more than 15 major lenders and insurance providers. Nationwide and international enclosed transport can be arranged, together with specialist insurance solutions for significant collector vehicles.

As a dealership, we pride ourselves on delivering a highly personalised and discreet buying experience and therefore operate strictly by appointment only, ensuring every client receives the highest level of professional service.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this extraordinary 2003 Porsche 996 GT3 Carrera Cup Championship Winner. For genuine enquiries, we invite you to contact one of our experienced team members at your earliest convenience.

We are a family-owned and operated business and proud VACC Dealer Member, specialising in significant, collectible and investment-grade motor vehicles, supported by over 130 years of combined experience at the highest levels of the automotive industry.

We would be honoured to assist you in acquiring this remarkable piece of Porsche and Australian motorsport history. If you are searching for another truly significant collector vehicle, please don't hesitate to ask we may already have your next acquisition awaiting you.

We Are..........Passion Driven.