Could this 365PS Porsche 993R be the perfect 911? | GRR
When it comes to buying the right Porsche 911, by and large something with the letters GT in its name is a good place to start. Otherwise, navigating 60 years of incredible Porsche 911s can be a bit difficult. That’s where Paul Stephens intends to come in, with its Autoart programme that’s sprinkling a bit of modern Porsche GT magic on the old 993. This is the 993R, which is described as an enhancement of the 993 by 25 per cent in every area.
The basic specs probably tell the story of the 993R best: 3.6- or 3.8-litre engine, pushing 334PS (246kW) or 365PS (268kW), with 993 RSR, 997 GT3 and other Porsche Motorsport componentry, allowing for a howling 8,500rpm redline. Peak power comes in at 7,400rpm before you sing through that intoxicating last 1,100 revs.
It weighs 1,220kg wet (down from 1,370kg for the original), has a lightweight flywheel and clutch and a limited-slip differential, with five-way adjustable suspension. There’s a roll cage, fully bespoke interior including carbon-shell Recaro seats and significant weight reduction measures.
The key figures there are the power and the weight, which make for a 300PS (221kW) per tonne power to weight ratio. In other words, it’s basically the perfect amount of sportscar for modern British roads. Paul Stevens acknowledges that suitability in the spec, stating 993 RS brakes are a better suit to the road-biased 993R than a modernised carbon ceramic set.
On the outside, it’s recognisably a 993, with that classic look that Porsche so sympathetically modernised on its debut in the early 1990s. The 996 GT3 RS wheels are probably a bit much for us but that sportier nose modernises the 993’s look nicely, as does the tasteful diffuser-clad ducktailed rear end. The body is seam-welded with a number of the new panels made of lightweight composites.
The thing about there being about a million different types of Porsche 911, which are for the most part all brilliant, is that picking between them can be politely described as a connoisseur’s job, and impolitely described as a sodding nightmare. With the 993R, Paul Stevens could have come up with something very close to that most elusive of animals: ‘peak 911’. We’d love to find out. The price is currently unknown, but the sky is probably the limit, as is often the way with these dream restomods.