Modified cars - page 12

For many, the Porsche 911 is the ultimate sports car. Refined and versatile enough (in most of its variants) to be used on a daily basis, but also quick enough to put most exotic cars to shame. Every generation of the 911 gets its fair share of special editions. For the 992 generation, Porsche decided to bring back the Dakar monicker, originally used on the 1984 Porsche 953. That said, with only 2,500 examples of the modern-day Porsche 911 Dakar made, only the quickest and most resourceful of Porsche enthusiasts would have had the chance to get behind the wheel of the special 911 off-roader.

Porsche has a long tradition of participating in the annual Monterey Car Week. One of the biggest car events on the automotive calendar. It dates back to 1950 when it was held for the first time, as a supplementary event to the Pebble Beach Road Race. Like other automakers, Porsche’s iconic sports cars were an expected sight at the Monterey Car Week, and this year, we got to see a great number of highly original, reimagined, and downright crazy builds, based on Porsche’s greatest sports cars ever made.

The Porsche 911 is one of the most thoroughly engineered cars. German engineers have been perfecting the formula of "putting the engine in the wrong place” for 60 years and counting, meaning each next 911 generation is measurably better than the last. That said, there are companies out there, including Porsche, which offer means of upgrading certain aspects of the rear-engine sports car. The 911 features an iconic shape, dating back to the 1964 original.

There is no shortage of bizarre project cars and this one is definitely one of the more unusual ones. NazMaz OSR, a channel on YouTube that is dedicated to cars powered by rotary engines recently showcased a very interesting project. This is especially true for those lusting after the air-cooled 911 models. Don’t let the modernized looks fool you though. Underneath, this is an early-model classic 911. For whatever reason, the owner has decided to go to town and transform it into an epic "hybrid” between a Porsche 911 and Mazda RX-7. But that’s not everything. Jeffrey, the owner of this car, has also used parts from newer 911 models to update the classic, air-cooled sports car. Some of the engineering decisions behind the build are mind-boggling, and we try to make sense of what could possibly justify turning an early-model 911 into a rotary-powered race car for the road.

Each Porsche 911 can be considered a timeless classic. Hardcore, classic Porsche enthusiasts will most desire the air-cooled 911 models, but sometimes, mixing old with new can be an exciting endeavor. The 911 is one of the most replicated and reimagined sports cars in the world, and while Porschephiles are extremely picky about what can and cannot be done to a 911, we believe they will get behind this super-clean build. It involves a very clean Porsche 964 Carrera that for some reason, has done away with its original, air-cooled flat-six engine. Fear not.

Porsche sports cars are some of the most replicated and reimagined on the planet. The German carmaker’s road-going models have always benefitted from the brand’s racing know-how, especially when it comes to the German brand’s most iconic model - the Porsche 911. That said, the 911 wasn’t always the most favored model by the company. At one point in time, Porsche wasn’t convinced an air-cooled, rear-engine sports car was the way forward. This train of thought spawned the Porsche 928. Instead of the 911’s rear-engine layout, the 928 featured a water-cooled V-8 engine in the front. The 928 was also bigger and more of a grand tourer than an all-out sports car.

When Porsche slaps the RSR (Renn Sport Rennen) designation on a 911, you know it means business. These are the most hardcore, racing variants of the rear-engine sports car and their sole purpose is to race at the highest level of competition possible. The original Porsche 911 RSR was an evolution of the already-iconic, Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS. Lighter, faster, and more aerodynamically busy, the Porsche 911 RSR was developed for the 1973, but actually, saw racing in late 1972. In February, 1973, the original 911 RSR won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Porsche 993 Speedster is a unicorn in the truest sense. I always like to note how Porsche has a 911 variant for everyone. Between the numerous powertrain, transmission, and body styles, there are well over 30 different iterations of the iconic, German sports car. There is even an off-road variant that pays homage to the 1984 Porsche 953 Dakar rally car. But by far, one of the more unique and desirable variants of the Porsche 911 is the Speedster, which at its core, is a lightweight, bare-bones variant of the 911.

California-based company, Singer Vehicle Design is a little over 10 years old and continues to impress with its unique take on classic Porsche 911s. The company has evolved greatly since its humble beginnings back in 2013 and now features a fully-fledged workshop with a meticulously organized, multi-step process, which focuses on painstakingly perfecting every detail of the reimagined 911s, down to the smallest thing. This near-psychotic obsession with attention to detail has resulted in what is considered the benchmark for a perfectly reimagined classic Porsche sports car. Singer focuses on quality over quantity, which is why every variant of the company’s reimagined Porsche 911 lineup is produced in limited quantities and costs as much as (or more than) a brand-new Porsche 911. Throughout the resto-modder’s decade of manufacturing Porsche 911s for purists, Singer has made only four different models, not counting the different body styles. Here’s how the Singer lineup looks today.

All Porsche 911s may adhere to a similar philosophy, but each one has its set of unique features. A well-known Porsche aficionado, Magnus Walker, based in Los Angeles has made it his life’s mission to collect all model years of the Porsche 911 from 1964 to 1973, along with other sports car models of the German brand. He’s not limited to Porsche sports cars, but it is the focal point in his car collection, with over 40 models, which feature his own unique twist. As a true Porsche purist, Magnus has a soft spot for air-cooled 911s, and he started out with one of the first Porsche 930 Turbos, sold in the United States. But if you are wondering what Magnus Walker’s daily driver is, you might be surprised. It turns out, that what the famous Porsche enthusiast drives, is something even he didn’t think he would fall in love with – a modern-day 2014 Porsche 991 Turbo S, which has an interesting story behind it.

It’s safe to say there is a Porsche 911 for everyone. Whether you need an Autobahn missile, a high-performance convertible, a track weapon, or even an off-road-suited sports car, the iconic, rear-engine model from Germany has got your back. Back in August 2022, the 992 generation got its most track-oriented, most lightweight, most radically styled variant – the 911 GT3 RS. I think we can agree, that Porsche’s high-revving, naturally-aspirated engines like the GT3 RS’ 4.0-liter unit, are the last Porsche engines that need audio enhancements, but two of the leading exhaust system manufacturers have come up with their own exhaust systems, designed to give Porsche’s 992 GT3 RS an even more appealing soundtrack. YouTuber NM2255 Raw car Sounds recently got the chance to compare how the two systems sound.

YouTuber Danny Z recently bought the cheapest 996 911 in the United States. After an intense bidding battle on Copart auctions where he lost out on some potential gems, he finally got his 1999 996, which was missing most of the front end, including the bumper, the hood, and the headlights. It ended up costing him just $10,000 to acquire. However, the car required a ton of work before it would be back on the road, but it was work that Danny was willing to do gladly.