Remember the iconic blue Porsche we all had a crush on as a kid? Sally Carrera was Lightning McQueen’s love interest in the movie Cars and was lit up our eyes when it first came out in 2006. The anthropomorphic 996 Porsche 911 Carrera played the role of McQueen’s lawyer when he first tore up the streets of Radiator Springs. Over 18 years later she’s back… only this time in real life.
Porsche North America has teamed up with Pixar to create a real one-off model of Sally in 911 Carrera GTS form. Named the “Sally Special”, the Carrera GTS was chosen for its agility and its speed, being the fastest variant of the Carrera lineup. Equipped with a manual transmission, the Sally Special shares the movie’s Sally’s love for driving, a feature which seems par for the course.
While the movie came out in 2006, the inspiration for our favorite car on the silver screen came much earlier. Sally’s was conceived in designer Bob Pauley’s mind over 20 years ago. Now etched in our hearts forever the Sally Special is uniquely a nostalgic throwback. Fitted with a multitude of different pieces to create the already impressive 473-hp 911 Carrera into the small town lawyer we all love. Perched on top of retro-styled “Turbo” wheels taken straight from the 996-generation’s design catalog, the Sally Special creates a visual link to what Sally originally was. Further linking visual cues from the 996 to the special piece are silver headlight surrounds and revised badging.
Perhaps most conspicuous of the changes is the one-of-a-kind paint scheme that drapes the Carrera. Justly monikered as “Sally Blue Metallic” the color is identical to the one that Sally in the movie sports. Hand-painted, the paint is also found in places that aren’t body-color optionable on the regular Carrera GTS.
Porsche never seems to skimp on the attention to detail, even going as far as including Sally’s tramp stamp underneath the active-aero wing. On the interior you’ll find that the drive selector dial’s insignia has been replaced with an iconic “Kachow! Mode” wheel, paying homage to Lightning McQueen’s archetypical one-liner. A chalk and speed blue tandem line the interior with houndstooth inset into the cloth inserts in the seat centers.
The Sally Special is a one-off creation and will be auctioned off for charity in California at Monterey Car Week. “Vehicles need a face and a story”, VP of Communications, Sustainability and Politics at Porsche, Dr. Sebastian Rudolph says. We believe Sally exemplifies the best in Porsche and for some of us, brought the 911 into our lives in a meaningful way. Porsche believes the car should be driven hard and often, even going to lengths such as including an extra set of track tires with the purchase of the Sally Special. We here at the office have placed bets on if the new owner would even bother driving it home… well that and of the final bid is going to be over or under the price of our house.
