Four hundred and fifteen thoroughbreds. Four hundred and fifteen pounds of anticipation. Dual whirlie birds. A seductive six-speed joystick. All-wheel determination. Enough leather to make the bovine population of Wisconsin shudder. Sheetmetal draped like Versace silk over Claudia Schiffer.
That is the Porsche 996 Turbo.
For the majority of us, the vast majority, it would be the ultimate street machine. The set of wheels the valet at Spago Beverly Hills would park near the front door without a tip. The ego booster we'd show up in at our high school reunion the instant the ex-sweetheart and her husband appeared in their minivan.Yes, life would be good with a car like that.
But for others, Porsche's premier offering is but a starting point, a not-so-blank slate from which to create a road car with extraordinary performance. For these owners, money is secondary to the gratification of building something Stuttgart could never produce.
One such sports car aficionado is Noel Lee, owner and founder of Monster Cable, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality audio/video wiring systems for both the professional and home user. After 25 years of dominating this niche market, an industry he literally created, it is safe to say that Lee has the financial wherewithal to drive any exotic he chooses. Yet, it is his red 2002 996 Turbo that Lee decided to turn into something extra special.
Upgrading Stuttgart's flagship, however, is not a simple task. This supreme performer is the product of decades of research and development by some of the most committed, and often highly stressed, engineers in the world. Bettering Weissach is not done by the average mechanic regardless of the number of 356s and elderly 911s that have passed through his repair shop.
Few understand the complexities of a showroom-stock Turbo let alone comprehend the wizardry required to make the car's ECU communicate with a new collection of components dedicated to extreme performance. Most aftermarket tuners who have promised one-upmanship over Stuttgart have failed and failed miserably.
On the other hand, it can be said the experts who created Lee's Monster know what they are doing. Located in Sonoma, Calif., The Racer's Group-owned and operated by Porsche race-car driver Kevin Buckler-has a few kudos to flaunt when it comes to hopping up the 996. Like, say, an overall win at the 2003 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The first GT class car to capture the top podium in 26 years. And that follows class victories at the 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona as well as the 2002 Porsche World Cup title.