Top Gear star's Porsche 911 up for sale
Monday, 23 January 2023
Top Gear’s lineage of hosts includes two unashamed Porsche 911 lovers; former host Richard Hammond and current host Chris Harris.
Harris recently put himself in the curious position of owning two cars that were almost identical. Having owned a Porsche 911 991 GT3 Touring for several years, he went and bought the follow-up 992 GT3 Touring.
The 911 is famous for having remained fundamentally unchanged over its almost six decades of history. They all sort of look the same, the engine has stayed in the same place with little in the way of electrification. And the tweaks in the updates within a generation – like the jump from 991 to 992, in Harris’ case – are even more minute.
Having owned both cars and presumably driven them back-to-back repeatedly, Harris has decided to keep the older 991 and pass on the newer 992. It is currently up for sale on the auction site Collecting Cars, having been bidded up to £191,000 ($365,600) with three days remaining.
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In a video posted on social media, Harris was quick to say that the 992 is still a “fantastic motor car”. He did point out a few of its flaws, though, explaining that the 991’s ride is more suited to UK roads, and that he was struggling with the 992’s interior ergonomics (namely its cup holder system).
He adds that the 991 holds more sentimental value for him. Those familiar with Harris’ car collection and his bright yellow 991 know that it is used as something of a workhorse, carrying his dog often enough that the cabin is littered with dog fur.
In the brief video, Harris opened up about how he had not planned on auctioning off the Porsche, either. Instead, he had hoped to trade it in for a new Porsche Cayman GT4 only for the deal to not come to fruition.
Harris stated that those at Porsche Centre Redding treated him “poorly” and were rude to him – pointing out that his stature within the industry and his past with Porsche products don’t mean he’s exempt from a poor dealership experience. “Don’t worry, they’re rude to me as well,” he quipped.
Underlining how serious Harris was about replacing his 991 with a 992 is the unique options added to the car. This isn’t just another silver 911.
It is painted in a paint-to-sample hue called Dark Sea Blue, paired to an exposed carbon fibre roof. Inside, its seats have been retrimmed by Porsche upholstery specialist Justin Placek with blue tartan pattern inserts against red leather and Alcantara.
Other features include staggered 20 and 21-inch centre-lock wheels, ceramic composite brakes, and front axle lift to make navigating speed bumps a breeze. It also comes with sill plates that say ‘Wingless’ – likely an ode to Harris’ preference for GT3s that skip on enormous rear spoilers.
With pricing for the GT3 Touring starting at £127,820, it appears that the Harris 992 is going to sell for a tidy premium regardless of whether it attracts more bids or not. Given global supply shortages, this car’s ownership heritage, and its low 6,468 miles on the odometer, this shouldn’t surprise.
On top of the 991 GT3 Touring, Harris’ eclectic car collection also includes a Citroen 2CV, a Frankenstein-like homebrew BMW E34 ‘M5 Touring’, a Ferrari 512 TR, a Peugeot 205 Rallye, and more.