Seventy-five years after Porsche first planted its flag on British soil, the company is celebrating in a way that feels perfectly on-brand: by building an outrageously expensive, obsessively detailed special-edition 911 that most people will never see in person.
Meet the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Earls Court 51 Edition—a 51-car tribute to the first Porsche models imported into the UK in 1951 and displayed at London’s famous Earls Court Motor Show. And while commemorative editions often amount to little more than a unique paint color and a plaque, this one doubles as a rolling showcase for Porsche’s increasingly ambitious Sonderwunsch personalization division.
At first glance, the choice of the wingless GT3 Touring as a starting point makes perfect sense. The absence of the GT3’s towering rear wing lends the car a cleaner, more understated profile, one that subtly echoes the elegance of those early 356s that introduced Britain to the Porsche name.
The centerpiece is a bespoke shade called Earls Court Green Metallic, created specifically through Porsche’s Paint to Sample Plus program. It’s paired with silver mirror caps, silver door handles, and a silver bonnet stripe, giving the car a distinctly vintage-inspired appearance without descending into retro caricature. Special Earls Court graphics are scattered throughout the exterior, while the diamond-cut center-lock wheels feature matching green inserts that tie the entire design together.
The cabin is where Sonderwunsch really gets to flex.
The upper dashboard and door panels are wrapped in rich Paldao Green leather, contrasted by Chalk Beige upholstery. The sports seats receive custom corduroy inserts—a material that’s enjoying a surprising resurgence among high-end performance cars—and feature green leather and wood-finished backs. Even the sun visors get special treatment, embossed with Union Jack motifs that serve as a reminder of the occasion being celebrated.
Underneath all that craftsmanship, however, remains one of the greatest driver’s cars currently on sale.
There’s no increase in power, no chassis revision, and no secret performance upgrade lurking beneath the skin. The Earls Court 51 Edition retains the GT3’s glorious 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six, producing 503 horsepower at a spine-tingling 8500 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque. Buyers can still choose between Porsche’s razor-sharp seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission or the increasingly rare six-speed manual gearbox—the latter arguably being the choice that best suits the car’s nostalgic mission.
The result is a machine that combines old-world craftsmanship with one of the last great naturally aspirated engines available in a modern sports car.
More importantly, the Earls Court 51 Edition highlights just how far Porsche’s Sonderwunsch operation has evolved. Originally established in the 1970s as a special-order department, the division has become a full-scale customization powerhouse since its relaunch in 2021. Today, customers can commission everything from unique color and trim combinations to factory-restored classics and one-off creations built to their exact specifications.
The department’s capabilities have become so extensive that Porsche can even perform complete factory recommissioning projects on older vehicles, stripping them down and rebuilding them to as-new condition.
Of course, exclusivity comes at a price.
The Earls Court 51 Edition starts at £251,951, placing it more than £20,000 above the already eye-wateringly expensive 911 S/T. That figure alone ensures the car’s rarity, even before considering its strict 51-unit production run.
Still, pricing almost feels beside the point. Cars like this aren’t designed to offer value. They’re designed to tell a story.
And in this case, Porsche’s story stretches back to a London motor show in 1951, when a handful of curious British buyers first encountered a little German sports car called the 356. Seventy-five years later, the company is celebrating that moment with a GT3 that’s less about lap times and more about heritage.
Not that anyone will complain about getting 503 horsepower in the process.
Source: Porsche