Performance vehicles like the Porsche 918 Spyder are
cool and all, but compared to the Schuppan 962CR, they’re all pretty ordinary.
Built by Australian race car driver Vern Schuppan as a tribute to his 1983 Le
Mans 24 Hours victory, the 962CR is based on the ultra-successful 962 race car.
Sitting at the heart of the vehicle is a bespoke
carbon fiber monocoque built by Advanced Composite Technology. The engine is
largely the same as what the 962s that competed in North America’s IMSA GT Championship
used. but with increased displacement. Despite ‘only’ being a 3.3-liter
flat-six, the addition of twin turbochargers enable the powertrain to produce
600 hp, or 182 hp per liter.
The Schuppan 962CR also uses a five-speed manual
transmission developed by Porsche that sends power to the rear wheels. The car
could reportedly hit 370 km/h when new.
Visually, you can easily tell it apart from its
racing siblings. Up front, it utilizes round headlights and has an
exceptionally low and wide front fascia. At the sides, mammoth air intakes were
designed to cool the mid-mounted engine. A large rear wing has also been
smoothly incorporated into the bodywork.
When the 962CR launched, it reportedly had a
starting price of around US$ 1.9 million. Sadly, the company declared bankruptcy
after producing just six units.
This particular example is painted in a bright shade
of yellow and is said to be one of three units currently residing in Japan.
While there is one 962CR in the United States with zero miles on the clock,
this one has been driven a remarkable 49,000 km. It has been
listed by Bingo Sports for an undisclosed sum.
