Porsche developed the 911 GT1 to compete in the newly created GT1 class, which mandated the production of road-legal versions. The car combined elements of the 993-generation 911 with technology from Porsche's prototype race cars. The frontal chassis drew on the 993, while the rear subframe was derived from the Porsche 962C Group C prototype. The 911 GT1 was powered by a 3.2-liter water-cooled, twin-turbocharged, intercooled flat-six engine, longitudinally mounted in a rear mid-engine layout. This engine produced approximately 600 PS (592 hp) in race trim. The car's bodywork was largely bespoke, constructed from carbon fiber, with only the front headlights and fascia resembling the standard 993.
The original 911 GT1 made its debut in the BPR Global GT Series at Brands Hatch, where Hans-Joachim Stuck and Thierry Boutsen won as an invitational entry. They followed up with a win at Spa, and Ralf Kelleners and Emmanuel Collard triumphed at Zhuhai. The 1996 car reached 330 km/h (205 mph) on the Mulsanne Straight during practice for the 1996 Le Mans 24 Hours. At the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans, two factory-entered 911 GT1s finished second and third overall, behind a winning Porsche WSC-95 prototype.
For 1997, Porsche introduced the revised 911 GT1 Evo. This variant featured new bodywork with headlamps that previewed the forthcoming 996-generation 911. The Evo offered improved acceleration while maintaining a top speed of around 330 km/h (205 mph). At Le Mans in 1997, the works Evos led but did not finish the race. A privately entered 1996-specification car finished fifth overall.
The 911 GT1-98 was an entirely new design created for 1998 to compete against the Toyota GT-One and Mercedes-Benz CLK LM. It featured a new sequential gearbox and a TAG Electronic Systems 3.8 ECU. During the FIA GT Championship season, the GT1-98 struggled against the Mercedes, partly due to air-restrictor rules that disadvantaged its turbocharged engine. However, at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans, the BMW V12 LM retired with wheel bearing failure, both Mercedes CLK LM cars suffered oil pump trouble, and the Toyota GT-One experienced gearbox problems. The GT1-98 secured first and second overall on reliability, giving Porsche its record sixteenth overall victory at Le Mans.
Regulations for GT1 class eligibility required 25 road-legal cars. Porsche built approximately 20 "Strassenversion" units in 1997 with 996-style headlights. These versions were capable of 0–100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 308 km/h (191 mph). A single 911 GT1-98 Strassenversion was produced in 1998 to satisfy updated homologation requirements. The road-legal versions produced around 544 PS (536 hp).
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