It probably hasn't escaped your attention that green has become a popular colour choice again. Just yesterday Bentley announced Sage Green as one of its new heritage options, and it follows a glut of them over recent years. Think Alfa's Montreal Green (as seen on the Giulia GTA), BMW's Isle of Man (M3) and Frozen Deep Green Metallic (M5 CS), plus - of course - AMG's Green Hell Magno. The Instagram account 'makegreengreatagain' has 65,000 followers - so the renaissance has been a popular one.
Not so long ago it seemed green might remain the preserve of big, luxurious saloons, usually not much lighter than black and paired with tan leather for those feeling adventurous. A timelessly classy combo that remains, though it's certainly nice to see the colour earning a new lease of life in some sportier cars. Anything that prevents yet another grey, black, or silver sale must be a good thing.
The Porsche 911 GT3 is not really a car you would ever associate with green, unless it's the Viper Green of the 997 RS. It's never been a launch colour for the standard car, and the wealth of options available to buyers - think Speed Yellow, Guards Red, even the new Shark Blue come to think of it - has meant demand for green has probably been quite low. The GT3 tends to suit racier, brighter colours, after all. But then there's always someone who likes to be different...
Quite literally one person in the case of this car, too, the only Forest Green 996.1 GT3 brought to this country. All of the originals are rare, since just 106 were allocated to the UK, but it's seldom a unique example is unearthed. It's a proper curio in fact, pairing the raw, demanding GT3 experience with the subdued paint and Comfort spec. But it's nothing if not interesting, especially with the green catching the light so sweetly. Silver wheels would help even more...
Sold new in 1999 in Chiswick, the GT3 was serviced at Porsche Reading for the first few years of its life. Having been stored for the best part of the last decade, it's now showing just 33,000 miles (having reached 30k by 2005) and has been upgraded to Clubsport spec with Recaro seats and a Porsche Tequipment cage. The service history shows a lot of attention from Autowerke in Norwich, where it's recently been serviced again ahead of sale at Bure Valley Classics.
Which means it's probably time to talk about price. The one-of-one GT3 is on offer at £69,995, which is actually about average for 996.1s and less than the later Gen 2s are typically offered for. It says a lot about how the market currently obsesses over bespoke builds and unique commissions that a mad premium almost seems guaranteed for a car like this. And although being painted dark green hardly makes this the most mind-blowing one-off ever, it is a unique Porsche GT car for £70k. And we all know a heck of a lot more than that has been spent achieving the same thing since 1999 - especially now green is great again.
SPECIFICATION | PORSCHE 911 GT3 (996.1)
Engine: 3,600cc, flat six
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 360@7,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 273@5,000rpm
MPG: 21.9
CO2: 320g/km
Year registered: 1999
Recorded mileage: 33,627
Price new: £N/A
Yours for: £69,995
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