At Pebble Beach last week Porsche unveiled the prestigious Project Gold, an air-cooled 993-generation Porsche 911 Turbo for the 21st century. With its vintage styling, striking gold paint, twin-turbo flat-six engine, and luxurious interior, it’s hands down one of the most desirable Porsche 911s we’ve ever seen. However, there’s a catch if you were hoping to own it – it isn’t street legal.
Speaking to Jalopnik, Philipp Salm, head of sales and marketing at Porsche Classic, explained why the car can't be registered for road use. While it's based on a body shell and chassis from a 1990 993 Turbo that was never used, it’s still technically a 2018 model year car. This, of course, means it has to comply with modern emissions and noise regulations.
The US and Europe has notoriously strict regulations, and Salm confirmed there is no way “an air-cooled engine with specs from the 1990s” would ever pass them. You can still admire it in your garage or take it for a spin on a race track, but if you want to pose in it on the public road you’re out of luck.
Salm did, however, point out there are “certain countries” where Project Gold could possibly be registered for road use. According to Jalopnik, a Saudi businessman quizzed a Porsche representative at the reveal event to find out if it could be driven on the road, and after choosing his words carefully they confirmed that it could be possible in some countries with fewer regulations.
Project Gold is finished in the same Gold Yellow Metallic as Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series, complemented with gold accents in the interior. Under the hood is a brand new 3.6-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine developing 450 hp, with performance matching the original 993-generation Turbo S. The modern Porsche 993 Turbo will be going under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Porsche 70th Anniversary Sale in Atlanta, Georgia on October 27. We wouldn’t be surprised if the owner finds a way to make it street legal.
