Someone Sacrificed a Porsche Grail to Build This Head-Turning Retro Stunner

The Carrera GT is an established performance legend even today, but this striking project asserts its DNA was destined for a higher calling.

Light blue sports car with an orange racing stripe down the center, viewed from above on asphalt.Miller Motorcars via Facebook

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From its hushed associations with Paul Walker to its ongoing Nürburgring lap efforts, the Porsche Carrera GT and its sonorous V10 are legends that still echo today.

Even more than 20 years after its debut, the model continues to command attention. Beyond making for an advanced display of Porsche engineering, it represents one of the last examples of the analog supercar era.

As a result, Carrera GTs are now typically the kinds of vehicles that are treasured, kept hidden away under lock and key so they’re safe in their appreciation. Not this one.

Light blue sports car with a central orange and black racing stripe, shown from the front on a road.
The JC9 looks like no Carrera GT you’ll have ever seen before.
Miller Motorcars via Facebook

A reimagining of the Carrera GT

It’s called the JC9, and it’s a one-off effort that results from a collaboration between designer Jason Castriota and Connecticut-based Miller Motorcars.

If the design and livery look familiar, that’s because the dealership says the car takes inspiration from the 1960s prototype racers of old. In this instance, it’s especially evocative of Porsche’s own Le Mans-winning 917k.

As such, instead of the Carrera GT’s signature wide mouth and round lamps, the car now instead wears a low nose and a narrow grille. It also brings gull-wing doors, pronounced arches and exposed rear tires to cultivate the retro look.

When you consider it arrives with a full carbon fiber construction, it makes for a striking reinterpretation. It’s simultaneously fresh yet also old-school, a compromise that’s already drawn the ire of more than a few purists.

Blue sports car with an orange racing stripe viewed from above on a paved road.
The design is meant to capture the spirit of 1960s prototype Le Mans racers.
Miller Motorcars via Facebook

All the more because, though it’s unclear just how much Carrera GT remains throughout the car, you can nevertheless see some telltale signs of its influence.

Porsche DNA on proud display

Namely in the powertrain. At the rear of the JC9, you’ll find that Castriota and Miller Motorcars have left the legendary 5.7-liter V10 on full display.

Blue racing seats with light blue frames and plaid fabric inserts inside a light blue car interior.
Those tartan seats are vibrant, to say the least.
Miller Motorcars via Facebook

Of course, that’s not without good reason. Porsche rated the engine for 605 horsepower, so even if completely stock, it was already packing plenty of giddyup from the factory.

Towards that end, it also looks as though the rear pushrod suspension shows itself from some angles. Why fix what isn’t broken, right?

Even the interior is very clearly of Carrera GT origin. From the center console and the seats to the signature gearshift, it’s proudly Porsche in its design.

Light blue sports car with an orange racing stripe driving on a road with blurred background.
Porsche’s naturally aspirated V10 makes for the perfect powertrain to motivate this retro beauty.
Miller Motorcars via Facebook

When reimagined with eye-catching changes like royal blue sueded upholstery, orange stitching, vibrant seat belts and bright tartan, the result is something that’s bound to draw more than a few breaths from the Porsche faithful.

However, it’s precisely because it embraces some aspects of its DNA while also daring to be something new that the JC9 manages to be so striking. In spirit and design it transcends eras.

Glossy light blue car rear wing with carbon fiber and orange accent on asphalt surface.
A fixed rear wing replaces the Carrera GT’s raising spoiler, and it’s no less dramatic in result.
Miller Motorcars via Facebook

Availability and pricing

As a one-off design, the JC9 won’t be something you can buy anytime soon. Moreover, while Miller Motorcars didn’t publish a price, it must have cost a good chunk of change. For perspective, Carrera GTs typically trade for $2–3 million or more.

Light blue race car with an orange stripe driving on a racetrack near a bridge with "AIRSTREAM" signage.Miller Motorcars via Facebook

Miller Motorcars JC9

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