Stefan Johansson to drive his F1‑engined Porsche Tag Turbo by Lanzante at Festival of Speed

He’ll be at the controls once again at Goodwood, only it won’t be from within the aforementioned single-seater McLaren. As above, it’ll be bolted into the back of a very special Porsche 911, resto-modded by Lanzante. Even more special than the other TAG Turbos, SJ87 will have the unique touch of the man that gives it its name, Stefan Johansson, who in his post-F1 life has become a proficient and passionate artist. This 911 will feature his art in its paint scheme.

“It is the first time my art has been painted on anything other than canvas,” Johansson said of the project.

“It is, without doubt, one of the coolest 911 projects out there, and brings together two amazing pieces of engineering. It is really exciting to now be able to combine them, along with my other great passion."

“The Austrian GP race weekend was a memorable one," Johansson explains.

"Not for the best reasons, that’s for sure! I totalled the primary car after hitting a deer in free practice, so the team had to build me a new car for qualifying. We were compromised for the whole weekend from there, and then, in the race, I lost a wheel after a pitstop, so had to limp back to the pits.

“However, the engine itself was probably the strongest part of the whole package we had that year. It already had great heritage, with several titles under its belt, and it was the last year of development when I ran it in 1987. I remember it was fantastic in terms of driveability, and the electronics were developing extremely quickly at that stage, so it was a great overall package. I can’t wait to be in the car at Goodwood, and hear that engine noise again.”

Obviously, the 1.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine has been ‘turned down’ somewhat compared to the power it produced in 1987 in the middle of an F1 McLaren, especially in qualifying spec. Still, 510PS (375kW) will be plenty enough to make Lanzante’s 930 911 very exciting to drive indeed. Supporting mods include Ohlins dampers, a stronger 993 gearbox, a bag fuel tank and ceramic brakes.

As above, the car will be debuting in full and at pace with Johansson at the wheel at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Pictured: a non-art car Porsche 911 TAG Turbo at Goodwood.