Porsche sells replica of Cars film character Sally Carrera for a record £3.6m

Porsche has turned a movie character into real life by creating a road-going version of Sally Carrera, the blue 911 from Disney film franchise, Cars – then immediately sold it to raise money for charity.

The one-of-a-kind motor was offered at auction during Monterey Car Week in California over the weekend and was bought with a winning bid of $3.6million (£3million).

It is the largest price paid for a new Porsche sold at auction with every penny donated to two different charities, one of which provides aid to Ukrainian refugees.

The one-off creation is part of a collaboration between Porsche and Pixar Animation Studios.

Called the 911 Sally Special, it’s a like-for-like replica of Sally Carrera, the love interest of racing car Lightning McQueen in the popular movie franchise.

The one-off car was offered to the highest bidder by RM Sotheby’s on Saturday and achieved the highest figure ever for a brand-new Porsche under the hammer.

Proceeds from the $3.6million sale will be donated in full to Girls Inc, a charity inspiring young women across the US and Canada, and USA for UNHCR, an organisation that supports those who have been forced out of war-torn Ukraine.

Plans for the unique character recreation as a road-legal car began in November 2021 and lasted 10 months, bringing together both directors and members from the original movie’s production crew and Porsche’s in-house team that looks after exclusive and bespoke vehicles.

The German sports car giant already has a pretty good starting point, having built a full-scale Sally Carrera replica in 2006 to celebrate its appearance in the first film that is now retained in its museum.

While the movie character is based on the 996 generation of the 911 sports car produced between 1997 and 2004, the Sally Special creation is the latest iteration of Porsche’s flagship model in Carrera GTS guise, which customers can buy in showrooms today for £114,800.

That means it gets a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-litre, flat-six engine generating 473bhp linked to a seven-speed manual gearbox.

In standard trim, the GTS can accelerate from zero to 62mph in around four seconds and has a top speed of 193mph.

A like-for-like unique colour, Sally Blue Metallic, was created from samples of the movie replica model, which is exclusive to this car and can’t be ordered by any future customers. 

There are a few other subtle design touches, including a unique rear lower bumper section that incorporates a pair of exhaust outlets instead of the quad tips with the standard GTS. 

The design team even incorporated the hidden tattoo the Cars film character reveals in the movie underneath her active rear spoiler.

Generation-correct alloy wheels were also made for the car with special tyre valve caps featuring the Cars logo.

Inside, the cabin also gets a number of ‘Sally Special’ nameplates on the door sills and across the dashboard on the passenger side, while the door insets are etched with the Cars film motif. Even the colour-matching key has the character’s name embossed onto it.

The ‘Drive Mode’ dial on the steering wheel – which tweaks the performance of the sports car on the move – also had an exclusive modification in this bespoke model, with the name changed to ‘Kachow! Mode’ to incorporate the famous catchphrase of Lightning McQueen. 

Porsche says the project has been a tremendous success and its availability caused a significant stir in hours leading up to the sale and during the ‘charged atmosphere of the packed bidding hall’ at the weekend.

The seven-figure winning offer was made by a telephone bidder, with auction house RM Sotheby’s confirming it is the highest amount ever paid for a new Porsche at the block. 

Bonnie Hunt, who provides the voice of Sally Carrera in the films, was in attendance for the sale and even on stage during the live bidding. 

‘What a night and what a result! It’s fantastic to see a car inspired by my character in Cars do so much good,’ she said.

‘I’ve loved playing the role of Sally for the past 16 years, she has a special place in my heart, and it’s wonderful that her personality and values continue to inspire new generations today. 

‘The car looked amazing, and I know the team put their heart and souls into creating it. I am thrilled for the new owner who has something very special, and completely unique.’

The car’s buyer not only gets their hands on a unique Porsche car but a matching bespoke watch in its own presentation box lined in the same material as the 911’s interior.

The auction lot also included a book showing the vehicle’s design process, a special car cover that looks like the character, and a second set of wheels with a bespoke rack for holding them. 

‘I’d like to express my gratitude and profound congratulations to the winning bidder,’ said Kjell Gruner, Porsche Cars North America’s President and CEO, after the auction had been wrapped up.

‘This generous act has made a difference for two important charities and to the lives of those they’ll help. In return, I hope the bidder is very happy to have secured a special and unique piece of our and Pixar’s history.’