Aesthetics
For this project we started off with a 2001 Porsche 996 Turbo in Black. After going over a handful of ideas and options, we decided that we wanted to change it up entirely and repainted the entire car in Porsche’s signature Mexico Blue. We utilized PPG’s Omni line and had PPG mixologists recreate the color, which did not have a modern waterborne equivalent. The entire car was stripped, including the removal of the glass and moldings. In place of the factory Turbo aerodynamics, we fitted the 996 TechArt GT Street S kit from front to back, including the upgraded front lip and a set of our own custom high-rise uprights. We also painted the brake calipers yellow as we felt that this would be a better aesthetic match to the Mexico Blue paint and black motorsports-inspired wheels.
Performance
As with any project, it did not stop there. We purchased a set of Ohlins DFV coilovers, GT3RS sway bars, and Aristo Sport 20 wheels with very aggressive offsets for a more race-bred driving experience. The wheels were fitted with the ultra-sticky Toyo R888s, and we had the car corner-balanced and aligned to factory GT2 specifications. The factory wheel hardware was replaced with titanium units, in keeping with the race theme. Since the car was fitted with Tial Alpha 28 turbos, which hit fast and low with tons of torque, we knew that the car needed to be able to handle the power delivery.
While in for some maintenance, we also fitted the car with an aggressive Fabworx x-pipe exhaust and converted it to rear wheel drive for that true GT driving experience. Some european-spec carbon GT3 Recaros were installed, ditching nearly 80 pounds over the factory electric seats. Finally, we fit some larger intercoolers and a GT2RS clutch disk, along with the Porsche motorsports pressure plate and flywheel, ensuring that the car could cope with delivering power efficiently. We also developed calipers spacers so that the 996 chassis could utilize the 20mm larger 997 Turbo rotors, which are a direct bolt-on and can be done with ease.
Conclusion
The end result of this build is a 911 that performs even better than it’s factory contemporary, while looking significantly more aggressive. We have added power and shed hundreds of pounds from this car, and it drives much more like a 996 GT2RS should have been than the tame 911 Turbo that it started as. The 996 Turbo is a great performance platform, and there is a great aftermarket community with a lot of room to expand and experiment. We will see where it goes from here, as it seems the owner always wants to do something more to get the most out of the 996 chassis.
