Watching Jay Leno drive around in a Jaguar XJR-15 the other day brought to mind other ‘90s supercar that has been greatly overlooked among all the McLaren F1s, Ferrari F40s, Jag XJ220s and Porsche 959s that were all the rage back then. And, like the 959, it also comes from Weissach.

When you think of mid-engine Porsches, the Carrera GT is usually the vehicle that comes to mind. While that vehicle will go down as one of the best Porsches ever made, there’s an even more hardcore supercar in the German brand’s history: the 911 GT1 Strassenversion.

Back then, automakers were required to build a certain number of road-going vehicles in order to be eligible for competing in endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 911 GT1 was made in 1996 and was Porsche’s entry in the FIA GT Championship.

Unlike some automakers that built their road cars and then modified them for street use, Porsche did it the other way round, building a road-legal racer from the outset.

In order for the 911 GT1 to compete on the track, Porsche built roughly 25 911 GT1 Strassenversion coupes. The extremely limited quantity probably had something to do with keeping the vehicle below the radar.

And the fact that the models were almost as hardcore as the track-only vehicles probably didn’t help their case either, nor did the fact that the factory didn’t exactly promote it like it did with the Carrera GT, for example.

As its name implies, the Strassenversion was tuned towards street use. The car featured an increased ground clearance, softer suspension, different gearing and engine tune, and steel brakes. All of this made it easier to live with. Easier than a full-blown racer, that is, because it still was as hardcore as they got.

In the middle of the vehicle sits a 3.2-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six that generates 544 hp. With its powerful engine and racing-inspired design, the 911 GT1 Strassenversion will rocket to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 192 mph (309 km/h). That’s not as quick as a 918 Spyder, but it’s still more than enough for road use. Plus, you have to remember that the two are separated by two decades of evolution.

The 911 GT1 Strassenversion might not be as pure as the Ferrari F40 nor as fast as the McLaren F1, but it’s more exclusive than either. And yet, it is overshadowed by both; heck, even the 959 got more Press, as it was Porsche’s futuristic take on the supercar, while the 911 GT1 was a classic take on a familiar recipe.

To get a look on the road-going Le Mans racer and hear the fabulous flat-six, check out the videos below.

VIDEO

1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Is Another Unjustly Forgotten 1990s Supercar

Image credits: Darin Schnabel 2012 Courtesy of RM Auctions