Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor C Joseph Vijay gifted fellow actor and racing enthusiast Ajith Kumar a signed scale model of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup during the Michelin Le Mans Cup event at Silverstone in the UK.
The gesture took place around the two-hour endurance race on September 13, 2026, and images of the exchange have since gained attention on social media. The meeting between the two prominent names from Tamil cinema highlighted their warm bond away from the screen.
Vijay’s special gift for Ajith Kumar
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup miniature was presented to Ajith after the race. The track-only racing car model was placed inside a glass display case and carried a personal message from Vijay.
The note read: “Priyamudan (With Love) Vijay to my lovely brother Ajith.”
Photographs from the occasion show Ajith shaking hands with Vijay and accepting the gift.
Ajith also returned the gesture by giving Vijay a racing helmet that he had personally signed with the words, “Love Ajith.”
The exchange followed another memorable moment at the Silverstone circuit, where Vijay was seen running towards Ajith and embracing him before the race. Vijay also waved the ceremonial green flag to officially start the event.
Ajith Kumar’s Silverstone race performance
Ajith competed in the LMP3 Pro/Am category for Ajith RedAnt by Virage. He shared the No. 16 Ligier prototype with French driver Romain Vozniak.
The duo qualified eighth in their class, putting them in a competitive position ahead of the endurance race. However, the race itself proved more difficult for the team.
Ajith RedAnt by Virage eventually finished 38th overall, three laps behind the overall winner, and did not finish in a points-scoring position.
The result meant the team did not add any championship points at Silverstone and remained on 21 points in the standings.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: The racing machine behind the model
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is a dedicated track racing car designed for one-make competitions such as the Porsche Carrera Cup and other GT3-based championships. Unlike the road-going 911 GT3, the Cup version is not approved for use on public roads.
The race car comes equipped with competition-focused safety equipment, including a welded roll cage, racing bucket seat with a six-point harness, fire-extinguishing system and an FT3 safety fuel tank.
The scale model presented to Ajith recreates the design of the racing car and features his name.
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six boxer engine derived from the production 911 GT3 and configured for racing. In its current specification, the engine produces around 510-515hp and can rev up to 9,000rpm.
Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, with drivers changing gears using paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel.