Restomod of the week: Gunther Werks’ Porsche 993

A Porsche 911, obviously. More specifically a ‘993’ era 911 built between 1994 and 1998 – successor to the 964 (from which Singers are made) and precursor to the controversial 996, the 993 was the very last air-cooled 911. Which makes it quite significant and, in the eyes of many a Porsche enthusiast, peak 911.

This one, as you might have noticed, is a long way from standard. The Gunther Werks’ “remastered” Porsche 993 is, says its maker, the “ultimate money-no-object 993”. The company’s aim was to “take the qualities and performance levels of today’s mighty RS models, and apply them to the air-cooled 993” without “detracting from the essence that is the pinnacle of air-cooled Porsches”. In other words, it’s the 993-generation 911 GT3 RS Porsche never made.

Images: Ted7

Gunther Werks is based in Huntingdon Beach, California. Founder and company boss Peter Nam is also behind Vorsteiner, which has produced and sold forged alloy wheels and carbon-fibre bodykits for many years. The Porsche 993 Remastered by Gunther Werks, to give the car its official name, was revealed in 2017. Back then it was simply the Gunther Werks 400R. 

First, the body. With the exception of the doors, pretty much everything is carbon fibre. So it’s light, at just over 1.2 tonnes. You can have a big wing or a little ducktail spoiler and your choice of forged alloy wheels (with billet aluminium centre caps and titanium wheel bolts), colour, graphics and so-on. The interior is bespoke too, naturally, and looks very nicely finished.

You’ll have noticed it’s a fair bit wider than a normal 993. The fat arches house a wider track – the same front and rear for a squarer stance and better stability. Look deeper, beyond the six-piston Brembo GTR brakes (ceramics are optional), and you’ll find bespoke coilover suspension with remote reservoir dampers, RS-spec lightweight uprights and much besides.

The engine is a nat-asp 4.0-litre built by specialists Rothsport Racing. Custom pistons, forged conrods, twin-plug coil ignition and modern Motec ECU electronics mean it produces 431bhp and 315lb ft. Oh, and it revs to a wailing 7,800rpm. The gearbox is a Getrag six-speed manual with custom ratios.

For the full list of what Gunther Werks can do to a humble 993, click on these blue words.  

Just 25, so you’ll never see one except at shows and events. And as is the way with these kinds of cars, no two will be exactly alike. The majority were sold within weeks of the car’s debut in 2017.

Of course. It’ll do 0-60mph in less than four seconds, and last year American GT and touring car driver Randy Pobst clocked a 1:30:99 around Laguna Seca. That’s only slightly slower than a McLaren P1. It’s hardcore, this thing. 

What does it feel like to drive? Click on these blue words to read our review. 

Lots – we’re talking $525,000 (a little over £400,000) NOT INCLUDING the donor car, which could easily add another $60,000/£50,000 to your bill. And that’s before you start specifying and customising your car to your likely very expensive tastes.

Because Singers are all well and good, but the Gunther Werks’ 993 is something else entirely. A different take on the resto-modded 993 that, if you care about Porsches, should absolutely be on your radar. 

Gunther Werks is named after Günter F. Wendt, a German-American engineer who worked on the US human spaceflight programs (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, then the space shuttle missions). He has no commercial relationship with Gunther Werks far as we can tell. The company says it was his “relentless principles of no compromise & perfection that mirrored our very own ethos that inspired our company name”.