Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Le Mans Centenary Edition Debuts With Retro Cues

When Porsche France teased a new 911 flavor on social media earlier this week, some suggested it could be the long-awaited, heritage-infused ST. Although that's not the case, the 911 Carrera GTS Le Mans Centenary Edition does pay tribute to past models by featuring styling cues from the 356 SL and 911 GT1. As the special edition's lengthy name suggests, it celebrates 100 years of endurance racing since the inaugural event held on May 26-27, 1923.

Available exclusively in France, the retro-flavored 911 Carrera GTS will be sold in strictly 72 units to mark the brand's 72 years of continuous presence at the famous 24-hour endurance race. It can be had with either a seven-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed PDK, with all cars featuring a generous list of standard equipment. So, what do you get for the princely sum of €237,819? That's about $259,600 at current exchange rates.

Revealed today on the occasion of the Le Mans Classic 2023, the special 911 Carrera GTS features about 30 options included as standard equipment. The Le Mans Silver paint is brand new, as is the "46" logo as a nod to the number the 356 SL wore back in 1951 when it won its class at Porsche's first presence at Le Mans. Speaking of which, the paint came to be after Porsche collaborated with the 356 SL's owner as well as Rod Emory (Emory Motorsports) who worked on restoring the car for four years. It's touted as a modernized version of the 356 SL's finish by getting a new gray shade.

As for the wonderful side louvers, gold wheels, and red seatbelts, these take after the 911 GT1, which was triumphant at the 1998 Le Mans. The car gets a Graphite Blue interior with chalk accents on the steering wheel and a debossed Le Mans track layout on the central armrest, complete with 1923-2023 lettering. Porsche France has also fitted velour on the central parts of the body-hugging seats while writing the special edition's full name on the side sills and on a plaque mounted on the passenger side of the dashboard.

The Carrera GTS Le Mans Centenary Edition is one of the many regional limited-run models launched by Porsche in recent years, including the 2023 America Edition which was also based on the Carrera GTS but in convertible format.