# Porsche 997 GT3 Cup

- Source: https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/porsche-997-gt3-cup/
- Publisher: Racing Car Network (racingcarnetwork.com), the race car marketplace
- Type: car · Brand: Porsche
- Discipline: gt-cup
- Series: one-make-cup
- Era: 2000s
- Last updated: 2026-07-06
- For sale on RCN: https://racingcarnetwork.com/for-sale/porsche-997-gt3-cup/ (3 live listings right now)

The 997 GT3 Cup is the biggest-selling Cup generation of its era and the used market's sweet spot: two evolutions (3.6 and 3.8), huge parts supply, and eligibility from Porsche Sprint Challenge to endurance Cup classes worldwide.

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Engine | 3.6 L (997.1) / 3.8 L (997.2) Mezger flat-6 |
| Power | 400 hp / 450 hp |
| Weight | ~1,150 kg / ~1,200 kg |
| Gearbox | 6-speed sequential (full dog box on 997.2) |
| Chassis | 997 shell, welded cage, wide body (997.2) |
| Brakes | Steel racing brakes, no ABS |
| Years | 2005–2012 |
| Class | One-make Cup (Supercup, Carrera Cups, Cup classes) |

## History

Porsche moved the Cup car to the 997 platform for 2005, keeping the Mezger 3.6 before the definitive 997.2 evolution of 2010 brought the 3.8, a proper sequential dog box with paddle-adjacent lever shift, wider body and sharper aero. Production across both evolutions ran to well over a thousand cars — at the time the largest race-car production run Porsche had ever made.

The car carried the Supercup and every national Carrera Cup through 2012–13, filled the Nürburgring and Dubai 24-hour Cup classes, and seeded new one-make markets across Asia and the Americas. Its champions — from Sean Edwards' era to a long list of future factory drivers — made the 997 Cup the reference proving ground of its decade.

On the used market the 997 Cup is the pragmatic answer to 'first serious Porsche race car': 997.1s price near 996 territory with better support, while 997.2s remain front-line tools in Porsche Sprint Challenge, national GT Cup classes, club enduros and the booming Cup-revival grids. Parts flow like road-car components, every specialist knows the setup book, and resale is the most predictable in club GT racing.

## Palmarès

Supercup titles 2005–2012 raced in 997 Cups (Edwards, Ragginger-era grids); every Carrera Cup Deutschland/France/GB/Asia crown of the period; Nürburgring 24 Hours and Dubai 24 Hour Cup-class wins across both evolutions; Porsche Sprint Challenge and national GT Cup championships continuing on the fleet today.

## What to check before you buy

Generation decides everything: 997.1 (3.6, manual-pattern shift) versus 997.2 (3.8, full sequential) differ in pace, running costs and eligibility — verify by chassis number through Porsche Motorsport. Mezger hours with invoices anchor price; check dog-ring wear on 997.2 boxes, front chassis-leg repairs after cup-racing contact, and originality of the correct-evolution aero. Period Supercup provenance adds a premium, but the honest privateer 997.2 with fresh engine and current safety items is the market's best value-per-lap. End-of-season Sprint Challenge clearouts remain the classic buying window.

## Did you know

- With over 1,200 built across evolutions, the 997 Cup outsold every previous Porsche race car — a record only its 991/992 successors broke.
- The 997.2 Cup's 3.8 Mezger was the last Cup engine of the Le Mans-derived line — later generations moved to the road-car-based 9A1 family.
- Sean Edwards' 2013 Supercup-leading season in the car ended with his tragic death; the Sean Edwards Foundation's safety work became part of the model's legacy.

## Related entries

- Porsche 996 GT3 Cup — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/porsche-996-gt3-cup/
- Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/porsche-991-1-gt3-cup/
- Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/porsche-911-gt3-cup-992/
- Porsche 997 GT3 RSR — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/porsche-997-gt3-rsr/