A replica of the 917 that won Le Mans in 1970! A Porsche Carrera GT restored to like-new condition is completed

Porsche Carrera GT “Salzburg Design”

Sonderwunsch Factory Recommission

This Porsche Carrera GT was recommissioned from the factory and is painted in red and white. — Factory Recommissioning, run by Porsche Sonderwunsch, can bring historic cars back to life as new cars.

Factory Re-Commission, part of Porsche’s bespoke program, Sonderwunsch, has been introduced as an exclusive service for Porsche owners.

At the request of the customer, Porsche specialists carry out a comprehensive technical overhaul of an existing vehicle (including historic models). An official overhaul at the factory returns the vehicle to virtually “zero mileage” status and is officially documented.

In addition, the exterior and interior color concept can be redesigned at this time, and individual color and material options are also available for retrofit. Owners can work closely with Porsche designers and developers to realize their own special requests.

Experts validate the feasibility of ideas and refine the details until they are technically approved, ensuring that the final result meets Porsche quality standards in every respect. All changes are recorded in an in-house archive, allowing for transparent tracking at a later date.

Now, Puerto Rican Porsche collector Victor Gomez has had a special wish granted through Sonderwunsch: his 2005 Carrera GT has been technically restored to like-new condition and given a Salzburg design that pays homage to the legendary 917 livery that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970. The interior has also been given a unique makeover, with red Alcantara and matte carbon fiber upholstery.

Reproduce the 1970 917 short tail

The Austrian city of Salzburg is known not only for its beautiful old town and music festival, but also for its exceptional racing car design. In 1970, Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood drove a Porsche 917 Short Tail, sporting a striking red and white livery and the racing number 23, to Porsche’s first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The racing livery worn by the 917 Short Tail at the time is known among motorsport fans as the “Salzburg Design.” Porsche Alpenstrasse, an authorized Porsche dealership located in the south of Salzburg, supported two 917s for the endurance race at the Circuit de la Sarthe, including the winning car, number 23.

This one-of-a-kind factory recommission project was realized, preserving the red and white Salzburg colors. Victor Gomez’s Carrera GT was completely disassembled by Sonderwunsch, and all components, including the 5.7-liter V10 naturally aspirated engine, were completely overhauled, and the carbon fiber parts were recoated. The original silver body was then repainted in the Salzburg design at the owner’s request.

Carefully designed racing livery

Gomez’s Carrera GT was an extremely challenging project for Porsche’s specialists, as the Carrera GT’s geometry, dimensions and panel gaps are completely different to those of the 917, so the design had to be painstakingly reworked to fit the body shape.

First, design sketches were drawn, then renderings were created, and to ensure the flow and dynamic feel of the Carrera GT’s lines, designer Grant Larson and his team applied colored tape to the actual car to test it, and finally created a template for painting.

Finished in hand-painted Indian red and white, the iconic racing number “23” is protected by a clear protective film, as Gómez intends to drive this Carrera GT on the public roads of his native Puerto Rico.

This unique racing livery is complemented by matt black carbon fiber accents that add contrast to the red and white bodywork, including the roof, A-pillars, B-pillars, door mirror covers, front air ducts and diffuser.

The engine cover grille is finished in matt black anodized aluminum, and the original five-spoke black-painted alloy wheels feature the Porsche crest in the center.

Coordinate with the exterior

The interior is also heavily influenced by Gomez’s personal style. At his request, Porsche’s interior department finished the dashboard, parts of the door panels, steering wheel rim and center console in Indian red Alcantara. This soft suede material is also used in the front luggage compartment lining and luggage set, all in a striking Indian red.

The matt carbon fiber seat shells, dashboard air vent covers and instrument covers create a striking contrast to the exterior, while the seat centre panels, sides and headrests are made of the same flame-retardant FIA-approved motorsport fabric used in the 918 Spyder.

Gomez, who runs a car dealership in Puerto Rico, visited Porsche headquarters in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, Germany, several times to oversee the project.

“The Sonderwunsch experts worked with passion and attention to detail on my Carrera GT. The result is a new, zero-mileage Carrera GT that embodies my vision both inside and out.”