Todd Knighton drove this car up from his shop in Temecula, arriving late. The car was dusty, as if it had been driven in the desert for a week, and the fiberglass front splitter was cracked, with chunks missing from its edge. The car was ugly, but was clearly there to do a job that didn't include being pretty.
Todd's overhaul of the air-flow paths shortened the intake to the turbos and moved the air-flow meters downstream of the compressors. Clean air in with no restrictions pays huge dividends on the exit. Hybrid T3/T4 turbos flow a lot more than the usual KKK upgrades, but Todd had to build a completely custom exhaust, from the headers to the tips, to use them. Big breathing yielded winning dyno numbers. This car missed making the highest peak by a few ponies, but had the broadest, most usable torque band with power all the way out, 300 rpm past where any other car's tuner wanted to keep going. It wasn't the fastest car on the track, but even with the stock brakes, Cort Wagner thought there would be another 2 sec. in it with time to learn how to use more of its power. It took third in braking, just 4 ft off the best mark. On the dragstrip, it obliterated the other entries, farther ahead of the second car than the second car was ahead of the seventh car. The final score tells the story: The Knightons build a mean Porsche.
Driver's View
Nutty horsepower, hit like an esters rocket going off, D size at that. Very difficult to modulate the power on the track, and the chassis was a bit unbalanced as the initial turn in was too quick, which snapped the rear of the car over, along with the pitch sensitivity of a helicons powerband made for a very entertaining couple of laps. Needless to say, I was impressed with the horsepower but was really unable to use it because it hit so hard. The car felt overall like a really good PCA club racer and was easy to drive fast on the track but with way too much motor. Brakes were good--goes to show you what stock is good for--never faded. Overall, a really exciting fun car to drive, maybe just in need of a great alignment.
| 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo |
| Engine Displacement | 3600cc |
| Internal Modifications | None |
| External Modifications | T3/T4 turbo upgrade, 1 5/8-in. headers, custom exhaust with Toyota Atlantic titanium silencers, custom intake with filters above intercoolers, custom intercoolers, Tial 40mm wastegates with 1.2-bar springs |
| Engine Management Modifications | 5-bar fuel pressure regulator, secondary inline fuel pump, Protomotive software |
| Drivetrain Modifications | GT2 motorsport clutch, I.mec shifter |
| Suspension | Front: H&R coilovers, competition alignment and corner balance; Rear: H&R coilovers, competition alignment and corner balance |
| Brakes | Front/rear: stock, stainless lines |
| Wheels | Front: Work, 8.5x18.; Rear: Work, 10.5x18 |
| Tires | Front: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, 225/40-18; Rear: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, 295/30-18 |