Pictures, trophies and racing suits – the typical mementos of a motor sport career. Paolo Barilla, overall winner of Le Mans in 1985 in a private Porsche 956, has chosen a different, far more dynamic reminder of his greatest sporting success.

For his 60th birthday, he became the first customer to complete a project together with Porsche as part of their new Sonderwunsch programme. The Italian entrepreneur wanted to design a unique Porsche 911 GT3 based on his Le Mans winning car and to be fully involved in its creation. In addition to the characteristic racing look in Summer Yellow, white and black, this special car has the winning race number 7 on its bonnet and doors. Other features such as the rear wing and the gear lever were also reinterpreted and in part developed independently.

One of the special features of this 911 GT3 is its striking exterior paintwork. It reinterprets the striped design of the historic racing car. The design of the centre-lock wheels is inspired by the rims of the Porsche 956. When used in racing, these had white aeroblades. The 911 GT3 rims are also white at the front, while the rear axle is painted in a modern gold colour.

Black dominates the interior, as you would expect in a racing car. The door entry guards and the decorative trim in yellow on the passenger side dashboard are decorated with a logo specially designed with the customer in mind. It combines the type code 956, the "Le Mans 1985" logo and the stylised silhouette of the racing car. This logo and the 1985 circuit are embroidered in the headrests. The gear lever is reminiscent of the magnesium ball in the 956 racing car and is an elaborate custom-made product: the top part was milled from an aluminium block and the surface was sanded.

Within the new Sonderwunsch programme, the client assumed the role of project manager. As part of the project team, made up of experts from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur and the Style Porsche design department, Barilla collaborated directly in the creation of his dream car. The process took a total of three years, from the first design sketch to the technical feasibility check and construction. Development started on the basis of the predecessor GT3 car, as the type 992 was still in series development.

Tribute to a Le Mans winner