Porsche Carrera GT Factory Re-Commission: A Masterpiece Restored

For those with deep pockets, a handful of high-end automakers will restore your car to like-new condition. At Porsche, it doesn’t even have to be a classic—though in this case, it’s nothing short of legendary. Porsche collector Victor Gómez’s Porsche Carrera GT, a rare low-production icon, has returned to the factory for a full renewal. Not only was the 20-year-old supercar meticulously restored, but it also received a bespoke redesign through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program, featuring a refreshed interior and a striking livery inspired by the 1970 Le Mans–winning Porsche 917.

The Carrera GT’s Overhaul

Porsche hasn’t revealed the exact condition of Victor Gómez’s 2005 Porsche Carrera GT when it arrived at the factory, but given its status as a rare 20-year-old hypercar, it wasn’t exactly languishing in a barn. Still, two decades can take their toll, especially on rubber components and exterior coatings. Porsche’s renewal program aims to bring a car back to what it calls “zero kilometer condition.” In this case, however, the project went far beyond a standard restoration.

The Porsche Carrera GT was fully disassembled, with key technical components—including the V10 engine and transmission—thoroughly overhauled. Carbon parts received fresh coatings, and the original silver paint was replaced with a striking livery inspired by the red-and-white 917 short-tail race car driven by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood to Porsche’s first Le Mans victory. Porsche refers to this iconic red-and-white scheme as the Salzburg Design.

The Salzburg Design

The Salzburg Design takes its name from the Austrian city of Salzburg, where the “Porsche Alpenstraße” dealership prepared two 917s for the Porsche Salzburg team—essentially a semi-works outfit. At the same time, the official Gulf-sponsored team also entered two cars. In 1970, Porsche pulled out all the stops at Le Mans, even lending one of its flat-12–powered 917s to Martini Racing to compete in the prestigious 24-hour endurance race.

After 1970, the in-house Porsche Salzburg team was retired to make way for fully factory-sponsored efforts, but its striking livery has since become iconic among Porsche and motorsport enthusiasts. Recreating it in 2025, however, posed a challenge: the design was originally tailored for a single 917, not a completely different car. To tackle this, Porsche enlisted veteran designer Grant Larson—working on one of his final projects before retiring after 36 years with the company.

Larson and his team went old-school, using tape and hand-painting techniques to adapt the legendary Guards Red-and-white livery onto the Porsche Carrera GT, complete with the original race numbers. Porsche also added matte black carbon accents across key areas, including the A- and B-pillars, exterior mirrors, air ducts, and rear diffuser. The engine cover grilles were anodized in matte black, while the original wheels were repainted black to complete the bold, race-inspired look.

Finally, the interior received a striking Guards Red makeover. Colored Alcántara was applied to the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel rim, center console, and even the trim in the front luggage compartment along with the matching luggage set. The center panels, side bolsters, and headrests of the seats were recreated using FIA-approved non-flammable motorsport fabric, the same material found in the Porsche 918 Spyder. To complete the transformation, the seat shells and air vent covers were finished in matte carbon, perfectly complementing the race-inspired exterior.

The transformation is dramatic, making this Porsche Carrera GT truly one-of-a-kind. But does all the custom work take away from the car’s original character? Share your thoughts in the comments below.