Every so often, perhaps justly, Canadians get accused of being a little bit less patriotic than Americans. I’m no scientist, but it’s possible this is partly due to us defining our nation as a series of abstract concepts and partly because our wildlife more plausibly consists of geese and moose and other funny-looking but potentially lethal entities, rather than screeching bald eagles and bears that bear arms. However, that doesn’t stop the occasional automaker from going all-in on Canadiana. Simply put, the Hyundai Santa Fe NHL Edition has nothing on the 911 GT3 RS Porsche just unveiled at the Toronto Auto Show.
This year, Porsche is opening one of its ultra-fancy Porsche Experience Centers near-ish to Toronto, complete with a two-kilometer Tilke Engineering-designed track. Some of you will recoil in horror of that statement, while some of you will recall that the Las Vegas Grand Prix was actually excellent. Regardless, to promote this occasion, the marque decided to hand a brand new 911 GT3 RS to its Sonderwunsch division and 1993 Boxster concept designer Grant Larson, and presumably told them to go full Terrance and Phillip.
In case you aren’t familiar with Porsche’s boutique program, Sonderwunsch translates to “special request” in German. Basically, if it isn’t on the options list but is even remotely feasible, you can pay Porsche to make it happen. Special etched trim? Quite possibly. Heritage cloth seat inserts? Sure. Unusual paint-matched components? Most of the time, knock yourself out. However, Larson and the Sonderwunsch program decided to go one step further with an asymmetric paint job.
Two-thirds of the car is painted red, with the remaining third painted white in homage to the Canadian flag. While truck manufacturers are known for contrasting lower bodysides, Porsche drew a line longitudinally up the car and went at it. To get that line just right with full coverage and without any bleed is a difficult task, but throwing money at the problem just makes it seem like another day in the office, adding a duotone maple leaf on the roof as a cherry on top. This is all exceedingly weird, largely because Canada’s flag isn’t asymmetric when mirrored across a vertical axis.
A tricky paint job isn’t the only thing making this 911 GT3 RS unique. Along with the color flip of the paint, virtually all other accents are color-flipped. The white side sports red graphics and wheel accents, while the red side flaunts white graphics and wheel accents.
In case anyone still risks losing this unique 911 in a parking lot, the headrests and wing endplates are emblazoned with “PECTO,” which stands for Porsche Experience Centre Toronto, but sounds rather close to something you’d find on a pizza or something you’d find in a medicine cabinet, or possibly even a pet store if the GT3 RS in question is moving particularly quickly.
While many of these cosmetic alterations aren’t to everyone’s taste, one set seems more subtle than others. Seeing a maple leaf on each wheel centerlock is just nifty, a rather tasteful touch, all things considered. Maybe it’s made more subtle by the awe-inspiring wing, or the nose ducts big enough to swallow entire Cessnas, or *ahem* that paint job.
Unsurprisingly, Porsche will only ever make this one 911 GT3 RS to promote its latest facility, but if you’re so inclined, you will be able to buy 1:43-scale diecast cars sporting this color scheme. Or, here’s another idea: If you do live in the vicinity of the incoming Porsche Experience Centre Toronto, save the money for now and use it while you’re there once doors open. It’s fun and quirky to own a model car commemorating a new venue, but a little voice inside me suggests it’s better to go and experience that venue firsthand.
Anyway, this whole custom 911 GT3 RS is definitely a touch of glorious weirdness in a mildly infuriating, slightly off-kilter, yet oddly hilarious way, but it’s also something we definitely didn’t see in Detroit or Los Angeles. Now, if you’ll excuse me for a second, Richard Hammond is on stage to talk about the Pagani Zonda.
(Photo credits: Thomas Hundal)
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I like it
Yes, but Thomas my friend – we spell it centre, as you well know. Don’t let the vanilla spell checkers get you down!
I can definitely dig some asymmetry. Full disclosure, I liked the Nissan Cube.
We have literally something like twenty times as many bald eagles and bears as America
>1993 Boxster concept mentioned
>Scroll to top
>Thomas Hundal strikes again
How much to add a maple leaf-shaped spoiler?
From my encounters, Canadians are subtly patriotic. I worked for a company that put ‘made in America’ flag stickers on their equipment; we had some that were delivered to a project in Canada and when I went to start it up, someone had written in sharpie above the sticker ‘Welcome to Canada!’. I laughed.
Also, they have the most amazing hard hat design ever: https://www.northernsafety.ca/products/10050613-msa-maple-leaf-hard-hat
As a dual citizen, Canadians are plenty patriotic, but more subtly. As a whole everything is a little quieter, but take a look at a team Canada hockey game, or realize a beer commercial prompted a multi year campaign over I AM Canadian.
IMHO it’s just the ‘subtle’ difference between patriotism and jingoism. South of Canada there’s a lot more of the latter.
100% agree.
I find myself disappointed in only one way. I am saddened that the Pecto course design doesn’t have at least one arm of the maple leaf in it. I can accept (with sadness) that they didn’t just make the whole track a maple leaf, but come ON! Missed opportunity Porsche.
Otherwise, being from the US, I fully support this sort of flag based patriotic abuse. I consider it a salute, not an affront. I’m actually impressed that they even made the seatback racing harness bits match the paint scheme. If you look through the steering wheel, you can see the door side drivers side one is white and the other 3 are red.
“Seeing a maple leaf on each wheel centerlock is just nifty, a rather tasteful touch, all things considered.”
On the 1960 Frontenac a similar approach was characterized as “eventful.”
https://live.staticflickr.com/4122/4830838650_6eb2a445f7_c.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/7186/7023057073_e007032c53_c.jpg
Dear god, does Hammond have a gambling problem or how does he still have to take corp gigs like this? Surely Bezos paid him enough that he could retire in peace and quiet.
What if…. he actually enjoys this kind of work with certain manufacturers….?
Guess there’s people who can’t sit still. Personally I don’t understand that mentality, if my bank called me tomorrow and went “uh, turns out there’s actually only 2 zeros in a million, so you’re like super rich” I’d be dropping whatever I was holding on to and walking away without ever looking back.
Mosport, a world class track, is close to Toronto which makes you wonder why PECTO was needed. Then again, Road Atlanta is available 25 miles away from the Atlanta Porsche Experience Center and yet Porsche built a huge facility anyway.
Having gone to the Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles, I think it’s probably a mistake to compare them to world class race tracks. They exist more to allow Porsche owners (and potential owners) a venue to drive their cars in a variety of scenarios that are impossible on public roads. In addition to the handling course (ie: the track), there are areas for acceleration, autocross, wet/slippery car control, and so on.
I also think that the marketing and sales aspect of the Porsche Centers are HUGE—I don’t own a Porsche myself, but after a 90 minute session at PECLA in a 911, I want one in a bad way. It’s the best kind of test drive there is.
Yes I’ve been to the Atlanta PEC. It’s basically Porsche Disneyland. It looks like a racetrack but it’s a giant marketing showroom with a playground out back. And I might add, it’s wonderful, especially the restoration center.
If only Nissan had made a Canadian Limited Edition Maple Leaf.
Jeeze, looking at the PECTO course outline on the wing endplates, I didn’t realize the track was going to be so boring. I had to check their website to confirm, but it looks really dull :'(
It seems like the tracks are designed to showcase multiple different abilities, often to drivers who have little to no performance driving experience. I think it seems really well designed for that purpose. Its an exhibition course as opposed to a race course.
When do we get the Quebec version with the passenger side mirror delete?
Manual only, pre rusted and with the bigger ashtray, and cupholders that will hold 1l of Pepsi
I believe the Québec version is known as the 1969-71 Manic GT:
https://media2.ledevoir.com/images_galerie/nwd_1042779_848625/image.jpg
Speaking as an eastern Canadian straddling the Qc/On border, all I have to say is this car is almost crass. But not quite.
We’re plenty patriotic, but we’re much more reserved. US-style overt displays of patriotism just really aren’t a thing. Somebody flying a flag off his truck is kind of unpleasant, and turning the flag into clothing, or styling up a car with the full three-zone Canadian flag, is kind of crass. Maple leaf underwear? Unthinkinable!
That said, I kind of like the Porsche, were it minus the roof leaf. The hub leaves and the asymmetric red can stay, those are welcome.
I’d kind of like to try my hand at the track, Tilke or no, maple leaf or no. I’m not a pro, I’ll take “predictable” with pleasure. Just hoping people won’t be recording me as I go.