The 993 GT2 is the best Porsche ever, says Charles Morgan

[SOUND] [MUSIC] [SOUND] [MUSIC] A well blast rushed over the wood with a startling sound, and then all was still. Wordsworth, William Wordsworth. He could have been writing that about this car. The Porsche 993-GC2 And a very, very special car it is too. [MUSIC] If you like, it's Porsche's answer So the arms race that's going on in the super-car world at the time. You'd already had the Porsche 959. You'd had the Ferrari F40. You'd, in fact, had the MacLaren F1. But this is the real, real answer, the 993 GT2. And of course what it is, it's the 959 technology in the Porsche Turbo, but Lightened up. In fact, they've taken away the four wheel drive. And what they've built is the last, I think, is the true road racer. A racing car, but it's just fantastic on the road. And why is that? Well, because it's very light, but it's got amazing technology. [MUSIC] The 993 model Porsche, which was built between 1995 and 1998, Was of course the last of the air-cooled Porsches. But it was much more than that. It has the original windscreen size of the first 911 of 1964. And Tony Hatter changed it. Yes, sure he did. The Englishman who was designing for Porsche at the time. He changed the wing shape, obviously the headlights, and so it looks different. But it's still got this lovely narrow cockpit. Which by the way is wonderful for seeing out of as well. But of course it needed massive great tires. So pony I'm sure it was designed these huge front and rear facts or wheel arch extensions to take the. In fact a 12 inch wheel on the back on some of the real hot racing cars. He put a splitter on the front which of course kept the front done. And he put this lovely I think mat. I mean some people call it a big boy racer. It's not. It does a serious job of down force. At 150 miles per hour, this really works, and plants the back of the car. I think all in all, this is the greatest Porsche of all time. [MUSIC] Sadly this rare car doesn't belong to me. The lucky chap who owns it is Nick Ramsey, Porsche collector, organizer of Porsche track days and general car enthusiast. I brought Nick and the car to the Lake District to test this wonderful machine in a stunning landscape. Before he let me loose on the winding road. We stopped for a chat to find out more about the car, what makes it unique, and the best of all Porsches. This is a special Porsche. This is a special Porsche. Why is this a special Porsche? This is a special Porsche because it was made as a homologation special to race in the GT2 class. There are very few original cars left This is not an original car but it's got all the correct pieces to make it a GT2. How did Porsche build these cars, cuz they obviously started with a turbo and this is a 993, so how did they build it? They had the 993 on the line and they took bodies from the line with a sunroof. You'll notice this car does not have a sunroof. Doesn't have a sunroof. The reason it doesn't have a sunroof is that they took them round the back of the factory and they cut the roof off. They then welded a cage in and then put the roof on top afterwards, which means that should you ever want to take the cage out you have to actually cut it out of the car. It's the only way. What makes this car special to drive? It's so many things. The feedback is just phenomenal from the steering. A lot of the time when you're really going fast, or particularly on the track, you feel like the front wheels are barely in touch with the road. You tend to drive with The back end of the car almost and it's just a joy. I can't tell you in a list why. It's just an emotional thing. It's one of those cars where you get in it and as soon as it starts you think, yeah I'm home, I'm somewhere I know You know, what to do. The car's gonna look after me and we're gonna have a great time together. [NOISE] This is a Le Mans car in the rain, essentially. It's a fabulous car to drive. I mean the steering's ultra-precise. It's completely planted because it's got that flat six engine instead of. That's amazing traction out of the corners. And, and I love it. Really really love it. I mean it ergonomically is a bit of a disaster if I'm honest. You, know you can't find any of the switches, and well the dashboard is I suppose 1964 isn't it, You know with a little bit of extra bits and bulbs on it. Who gives, who gives a stuff for economics when the car drives like this. [MUSIC] I absolutely love this car, but there's one problem, and the problem [INAUDIBLE] It's too good. Now the prices of these cars have just gone ballistic. I mean for a homologation 993GT2, [INAUDIBLE] car, road car, or a racecar. It's only collectors, only investors who can afford them. And that's such a shame, because this car is absolutely built to be driven. This is a car that's for crossing continents. This is a car for the [INAUDIBLE] [NOISE] [MUSIC] The poets of the late district, William Wordsworth wrote Phantom of Delight about his personal discovery of what makes the woman desirable. But this poem could equally had been written the Porsche 993 GT2 A being breathing thoughtful breath, a traveler between life and death. The reason firm, the temperate will. Endurance, foresight, strength and skill. A perfect car, nobly planned to warm, to comfort, to command, and yet with spirit still and bright. It's something of angelic light. [MUSIC]