Porsche 911 GT3 Earls Court Edition revealed: a GT3 for Great Britain only
Limited-edition Porsche 911 GT3 Earls Court 51 Edition celebrates Porsche’s diamond anniversary in the UK
This Porsche 911 will be a very rare sight on UK roads – and UK roads are where it’s most likely to be spotted since it’s a special-series car to be sold only in Great Britain. The Porsche 911 GT3 Earls Court 51 Edition is limited to a run of 51 cars, to celebrate 75 years since Porsche made its debut in Great Britain.
As the name suggests, it references the 1951 Earls Court motor show in London, where the first Porsches brought to the UK made their debut. One was a white 356 cabriolet, the other a dark green 356 Coupe – the latter being the inspiration behind the new car’s special paint scheme. Each of the 51 Edition cars will be painted in a newly created shade called Earls Court Green metallic, with aluminium flecks to catch the light and a small silver stripe graphic on the bonnet as a nod to the chrome bonnet trim on the 356. The mirrors and doorhandles are likewise painted silver and the wheels have a two-tone green and silver finish.
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The basis for the 51 Edition is the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring 2+2, chosen because it’s the closest car in ethos to the original 356 Coupe. There are no mechanical changes – this is an exercise in cosmetic and material customisation only. It’s therefore powered by the same 4-litre, 503bhp flat-six as the regular car with a top speed above 190mph.
All 51 cars are yet to be allocated to buyers at the time of writing, who will be able to choose either a manual gearbox or PDK transmission. If they opt for the former, the car is fitted with a specially designed gearknob made of Paldou wood. It’s part of a specially trimmed interior with a mix of two-tone leather (Chalk Beige and Night Green) and corduroy upholstery, and Paldou wood trim, chosen to echo the interior of the 356 from 1951. The rear seats are upholstered to match the fronts and the back of the front seats is finished in a mixture of wood inlay and Night Green leather.
There are various design ‘Easter eggs’ sprinkled throughout the interior, for example a silhouette of a 356 embossed in the leather of dashboard’s right-hand side, visible when the driver’s door is opened, an Earl’s Court 51 logo in the headrests and sills, and Union Jacks inside the sun visors. On the outside, a badge on the engine cover is designed to echo the Reutter coachbuilders badge on the 356’s front wings.
Predictably, the unique trim details, special paint and various individualisation treatments do not come cheap. The 51 Edition’s price is £251,951, more than £90,000 extra over a base GT3 Touring. Around £29,000 of that extra price is accounted for by various factory-fit options incorporated into the 51 Edition’s spec such as ceramic brakes and front axle lift, plus more individual options such as handmade leather lining for the luggage compartment. Customers will also receive a matching Porsche Design chronograph watch (with a design based on the dials of the 356), a leather overnight bag and a coffee table book detailing the car’s creation along with a 1:18th scale model of the car.
The Earls Court 51 Edition has been created in a collaboration between Porsche Cars GB and the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur department at Stuttgart, part of the wider ‘Sonderwunsch’ department, which means ‘special wish’ in German. It carries out projects from restorations or factory recommissions of older cars to special personalisation requests for new cars and occasional one-off specials. Work on the Earls Court 51 project between the various departments began between 18 months and two years ago.
To display alongside the new car, the Sonderwunsch and Porsche Classic departments have also recommissioned an original 356 Coupe owned by Porsche GB. A former racing car originally with a silver and red colour scheme, it’s now finished in a matching spec to the Earls Court 51 Edition 911 with the same green paintwork and related interior trim.
Both cars will be displayed for the first time at the Porsche Sunstede festival at Silverstone on 20-21 June 2026.
