PSI Porsche 996 GT2-R #PSI005#

Development and operation

This PSI Porsche 996 GT2-R was specially built for the French GT Championship during the 2003 season. It made its début at the Val-de-Vienne circuit.

PSI Motorsport entered the car with drivers Markus Palttala and Romain Bera for the season finale at Magny Cours. A place on the podium was the reward for their efforts, with them finishing Saturday's first race in third place.

Challenges and success

PSI Motorsport put in another impressive performance on the Sunday (in the qualification for the second race of the weekend following), despite being penalised for a front splitter protruding 1 mm too far and being demoted to the back of the grid. Nevertheless, the team pulled off an overall victory thanks to a clever race strategy.

The French press was now talking about the ‘high-flyer car of the 2003 season’. From that point on, the PSI 996 GT2-R became a serious contender for the overall victory in the 2004 French GT Championship.

Success in the GT FFSA season 2004

PSI Motorsport fielded a total of four PSI 996 GT2-Rs in France during the 2004 season, achieving a string of notable victories. They included Philippe Prette's and Olivier Maximin's emphatic victory in the pouring rain at Dijon, which remains a treasured memory.

The PSI 996 GT2-R had now attained a level of performance (purely as a private initiative) that allowed it to compete on equal terms with the GT cars of the major carmakers and most prestigious race car builders in Europe and overseas. Reliability and results earned both the product and the team recognition far beyond the borders of Belgium.

Frederic Mackowiecki's (Porsche works driver since 2012) racing in the French Porsche Carrera Cup for PSI Motorsport also resulted in third place overall in the championship following a series of successful races.

The significance of PSI Motorsport Classics

Today, the car is owned by a close friend of PSI Motorsport Classics and has been completely rebuilt. It will be available for events such as Peter Auto, Le Mans Classics or other historic racing series from the 2025 season onwards, and will bring its owner, to whom we express our gratitude for the initial idea and the support he has given us for the CLASSICS initiative from PSI Motorsport, many unforgettable racing experiences and lasting impressions.

The almost 25-year-old FIA/GT car will thus experience a new lease of life and will be ready for further successful races in the years to come on all the racetracks in Europe and overseas.