Porsche New Zealand marks 50 years with Sonderwunsch 911 GT3 Touring.

• Five 911 GT3 Touring sports cars created in collaboration with Sonderwunsch for Porsche New Zealand's golden jubilee – one representing every decade of Porsche passion in the country.
• All cars are finished in Paint to Sample Yachting Blue, with highly bespoke exterior and interior details including the signature of Sir Colin Giltrap.
• A public anniversary celebration will take place in Auckland this September, followed by further events in Wellington and Christchurch later in the year.

Auckland, New Zealand. Porsche New Zealand is marking 50 years in Aotearoa in 2026, celebrating five decades of Porsche sports cars, customers and enthusiasts in New Zealand. The highlight of this celebration is the first commemorative Porsche created specifically for the New Zealand market by the Sonderwunsch department. The special anniversary model is based on the 911 GT3 with Touring Package from the latest 992.2 generation.

Each car is finished in Paint to Sample Yachting Blue Metallic and carries bespoke exterior and interior details, and the signature of the late Sir Colin Giltrap, whose passion for Porsche laid the foundation for the marque's presence in New Zealand.

"Fifty years is a long time in any market, and it means even more in one as small and as far from Stuttgart as ours. We wanted to mark this milestone with something that could only have come from here: a car built for our roads and signed by the man who started it all," said Mr. Greg Clarke, General Manager Porsche New Zealand.

The anniversary will be celebrated publicly in Auckland this September. Porsche owners are set to gather at the Sir Colin Giltrap Raceway before driving in convoy to the Viaduct Events Centre, where their cars will be displayed as part of the celebration.

The program will include the public unveiling of the commemorative anniversary 911 GT3 Touring and a Porsche 917 'Kurzheck', specially flown to New Zealand from the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, for the occasion.

A Golden Jubilee for Porsche in New Zealand

The story of Porsche in New Zealand cannot be told without Sir Colin Giltrap. After seeing a Porsche Speedster at the Sydney Trade Show in 1957, he bought his first Porsche, a 356 A 1600 Super Coupe, in 1959. By 1974 he was running a successful Auckland dealership and, at the Geneva Motor Show that year, made a strong case to Porsche's export manager to convert his NSU import licence into a Porsche one.

A community had already begun to form around the marque. In December 1975, 10 Porsche owners responded to a notice in the New Zealand Herald and gathered at Milford on Auckland's North Shore, marking the start of Porsche Club New Zealand. Half a century later, the club counts close to 2,000 active enthusiasts.

Today, New Zealand is served by four official Porsche Centres: Auckland, Newmarket, Wellington and Christchurch. The network reflects a market in which Porsche has become part of a vibrant fabric of car culture, drivers, collectors, clubs and motorsport supporters.

A strong motorsport connection

Motorsport has been part of Porsche's New Zealand story from the beginning. Local owners were racing 911 models at Levin and Pukekohe in the early 1970s. Today, the Porsche NZ Championship Race Series remains one of the country's long-running national series, while a Porsche Trophy Series runs within the Summerset GT Series and is recognised by Porsche Motorsport.

New Zealand has also produced two Porsche Le Mans-winning factory drivers of the same generation, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley. Both grew up racing karts near Palmerston North and were supported early in their careers by Sir Colin Giltrap. Team Porsche New Zealand, founded in 2019, continues that pathway, with alumni including Supercars winner Matthew Payne, and with Marco Giltrap and Tom Bewley now competing in Carrera Cup.

A car built for New Zealand

For its golden jubilee, Porsche New Zealand wanted to create a car that could only have come from New Zealand; one that reflected the country's roads, its culture and the people who shaped the marque's success over five decades.

The result is the 911 GT3 50 Years Porsche New Zealand anniversary special. Limited to just five identical examples, one representing each decade since the first Porsche sports cars arrived in the country, it is based on the latest generation 911 GT3 with Touring Package and developed in collaboration with the legendary Sonderwunsch department in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart.

The decision to use the Touring Package as the basis for this anniversary special was deliberate: In a country renowned for its winding coastal roads, mountain passes and picturesque driving scenes, the wingless GT3 places the focus squarely on the driving experience. Combined with a six-speed manual transmission and an atmospheric flat-six engine, it is a car designed to celebrate every kilometre of every journey – with no regard for the actual destination.

An island nation with sailing in its blood then asked for a colour to match. The anniversary special is finished in Paint to Sample Yachting Blue Metallic, a reference both to New Zealand's rich sailing heritage, and to the first Porsche imported into the country which was Blue. The exterior mirrors, front air intakes and bespoke wheel details are finished to complement the exterior body colour.

Even more personal details can be found inside. Each of the five cars carries the etched signature of Sir Colin Giltrap on the passenger-side dashboard inlay, honouring the man whose enthusiasm, vision and lifelong commitment to motorsport established Porsche in New Zealand and helped shape generations of drivers and enthusiasts.

Further bespoke Sonderwunsch elements include woven blue Pepita cloth seat inserts and "50 Years Porsche New Zealand" anniversary embossing on the headrests and throughout the cabin, creating a car that is as individual as the market it celebrates.

Availability and pricing

The 911 GT3 50 Years Porsche New Zealand anniversary special is limited to just five examples worldwide, all allocated to the New Zealand market. The anniversary model is priced from NZ$584,000*.

Prospective customers are invited to register their interest through their preferred Porsche Centre. Deliveries are expected to commence following the anniversary celebrations in Auckland this September.

*Prices are recommended retail prices before statutory on-road and dealer delivery charges. All prices shown are based on a standard specification vehicle with no optional equipment (unless otherwise selected). Final prices may vary from dealer to dealer and according to individual circumstances. Prices are subject to change without notice. Please contact an Official Porsche Centre to obtain specific information about prices, vehicles and features.

Further information as well as film and photo material in the Porsche Newsroom: newsroom.porsche.com

About Sonderwunsch, the Porsche 'Special Request' Department

Porsche is reinterpreting the Sonderwunsch program from the late 1970s and making personalised one-off creations possible – co-created with the customer and professionally realised by Porsche. The offering for new vehicles includes the integration of bespoke Sonderwunsch elements directly within the production process. One highlight available to customers when ordering their vehicle is Paint to Sample Plus: based on the customer's individual wishes, Porsche creates and develops a unique exterior colour.

Subsequent vehicle refinement is also possible. Customers can completely redesign their vehicle's interior and exterior or, as part of the Sonderwunsch Factory Re-Commission offering, create technically highly individual pieces with the support of Porsche's dedicated development and design team. For older vehicles, this offering always includes restoration, which can still also be commissioned separately.

The 911 GT3 50 Years New Zealand anniversary special includes the following bespoke Sonderwunsch items:

• Exterior Paint to Sample Yachting Blue Metallic, with Exterior Mirrors and Airblades Front Apron painted in Exterior Colour
• 20-/21-inch 911 GT3 Forged Aluminium Lightweight Wheels painted in Yachting Blue Metallic with Deviating Finelines in Brilliant Silver
• '50 Years Porsche New Zealand' logo LED door courtesy lights
• Bespoke door sill guards brushed Aluminium in Black, illuminated with 'GT3 50 PNZ' lettering
• Interior with extensive leather items Black, with cross-over stitching in GT Silver
• Door knee pads, storage compartment lid and gear shifter leather upholstery with cross-over stitching in GT Silver
• Adaptive Sport Seat Plus in black leather with GT-silver stitching and Crayon piping on upper part
• Seat inlays in 991 Pepita Graphiteblue/Crayonblue and individual embossing with '50 Years Porsche New Zealand' logo embossed on Headrests
• Rear seats matching front seat design
• Personalised Vehicle Keys painted in Yachting Blue Metallic with Black leather and Grey stitching case
• Bespoke signature of Sir Colin Giltrap etched into passenger-side dashboard inlay

Further equipment highlights (Over and above the 911 GT3 with Touring Package):

Exterior

• Brake Calipers painted in Black (high-gloss)
• Exclusive Design Fuel Filler Cap
• Tinted HD-Matrix LED Main Headlights
• Exclusive Design Taillights

Interior

• Sports Seat Plus Backrests in Black Leather, with stitching and inlay in Black Leather
• ISOFIX fastening system
• Roof lining and pillar trims in Race-Tex Black
• Chrono Package
• BOSE® Surround Sound System
• Seat Belts silver grey