The German automaker has dropped a new drool-worthy GT3 variant that comes packed with intentional choices.If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn moreTo this day, Porsche's lightest-ever racing car is the 909 Bergspyder. It was a radical, open-topped hill-climb special from the 1960s that tipped the scales at a scant 384 kilograms, roughly 846.5 pounds. (Yep, you read that right.)AdvertisementAdvertisementA little over a decade ago, Porsche actually revisited the concept with a modern Boxster-based rendition. Cool as it was, the project unfortunately never made it to production, remaining a one-off prototype known as the 981 Bergspyder. Porsche's new GT3 Bergsport wears a special Valleygreen hue. - Credit: PorscheBut now the automaker has looked to its Alpine legacy again for a new special tribute. While it takes the form of a very different vehicle, it's nevertheless a machine that makes Porsche's hill-climb history known with some choice details. Porsche's Alpine 911It's called the Bergsport, and it's a highly limited take on the 911 GT3 with Touring Package that's been gussied up by the Exclusive Manufaktur division.The color carries through to the exclusive leather upholstery present on the Lightweight Package's carbon buckets. - Credit: PorscheIn keeping with its name, the treatment looks to the Alps for inspiration as a means of reflecting Porsche's connection to the mountainous European region. Fittingly, it wears a new paint color called "Valleygreen metallic" that not only captures the "greens and earthy tones" but also the "glittering surface of freshly fallen snow."AdvertisementAdvertisementThere are plenty of other intentional exterior details as well. Along with some special tinted headlights, it wears a subtle checkered motif on the frunk as a nod to an earlier Bergspyder, a summit badge on the engine compartment cover and more. Against an Alpine backdrop, it's certainly a looker. - Credit: PorscheTogether with the Valleygreen leather interior upholstery, orange accents, unique embossments and matching orange brake calipers, it amounts to a tasteful treatment. Thankfully, it does go more than skin deep. To shed further weight (in the spirit of the Bergspyders of old), Porsche equips it with the Lightweight package's carbon bucket seats and reduced door panels, carbon fiber rear sway bar and coupling rods. Moreover, it does come with a decisive omission for the better. To make for a more robust drive on rough mountain roads, Porsche swapped out the forged magnesium wheels for some hardier aluminum units. The Bergsport also benefits from a 90-liter extended-range fuel tank and a front-axle lift system.Touches like the extended-range tank and hardier aluminum wheels are sure to make driving on mountainous tours more enjoyable. - Credit: PorscheUltimately, however, it is but another GT3 in a run of highly desirable and exclusive variants like the Nürburgring Edition. The core formula remains the same, with the powertrain comprising a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six making 502 horsepower and 331 lb-ft through a six-speed manual.Availability and pricingPorsche's GT3 Bergsport is a market-edition model limited to just 100 units allocated across France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. The brand hasn't announced pricing, but it's unlikely to be cheap given the exclusivity.Porsche 911 GT3 Bergsport Learn More AdvertisementAdvertisementAbout the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he's not chasing the latest industry news, he's probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.
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