sentences:  However, in 1997, the series came to be known as the FIA GT Championship and manufacturer involvement was increased with the new international exposure.Porsche was the first to start a new breed of racing cars in 1996, with their purpose-built homologation special known as the 911 GT1.This was quickly followed by the announcement that Mercedes-Benz planned to do the same with their CLK GTR for 1997.