There are people who like the tail-happy nature of old Porsche 911s, and they enjoy dancing with death on twisty roads with perilous scenery. Some want to take the feeling to the extreme, so they strip out their 911, give it all sorts of racing-derived components, and further emphasize its special handling characteristics.
These cars are chosen because they are extremely durable and well-engineered, and take their mods well. Just have a look at this great example from 1985, which has been tweaked by Porsche specialists BBi Autosport and driven by Drive’s Matt Farah for his first episode of the new season of Tuned.
The car used to be a regular Carrera model, but its 3.6-liter engine has been fettled with the old fashioned way, so that now it makes around 100 more naturally-aspirated horsepower at the wheels, being rated at 275 rwhp. Flared rear wheel-arches, special bumpers front and back, as well as a unique “whale tail” spoiler give the exterior a subtle “this could be stock, but I’m not sure” kind of look. The retro HRE rims are also a standout feature.
The suspension has been completely revamped and so have the brakes. The team behind it even removed the sunroof, because it added unnecessary weight high up in the car, raising its center of gravity. This is not the kind of car one would want to drive every day, but as a track day machine, which is balanced, not overly-powerful and fun to drive, this style of car is very close to epitomizing the breed.
By Andrei Nedelea
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