Ever have one of those days when you're far from home, the list is long and things take just a little more time than you planned to get done? You soldier on and finish the list, only to realize there was one more thing remaining. But time is up, the opportunity passed. It happened to me recently. And this one will haunt me for a long time.
We had headed up the parkway to shoot a bit of car-to-car and when I signaled we were done, Don dropped the hammer. The silver 996 rocketed away, its stunning acceleration leaving me with a hollow feeling in my stomach, the most visceral anticipation I, and my now-twitching right foot, ever felt. As far as automobiles, anyway. Once the photos were done, it would be my turn behind the wheel. I was up next. Too bad the day bogged down and it took longer than expected to shoot the other cars. Too bad I never got to drive it. The Porsche's owner, call him S. M., does. Every day.
S.M. grew up with Porsches and nearly three years ago, walked into Ai Design to say it was finally time to start his own personal Porsche project. "If you built your dream car, what would you do?" he asked. "I'm not Nelson Rockefeller, but let me hear your ideas." He listened, and a few weeks later, his new 996 Turbo showed up on Ai's doorstep, delivered straight from the dealer. There were 20 miles on the odo. First things to go were the stock K16 turbos and factory exhaust plumbing.
"Every guy's fantasy is to go fast," said Ai's Chris Van Steen, who guided the project. "So we started with performance. Then kept building." Fed by TechArt headers, twin KKK K24 turbos spin on exhaust gases piped out through a Fabspeed exhaust. The reworked compressor sides, closer in size to K26s, feed their charge through bigger intercoolers, while Revo Technik programming, bigger injectors and a 5-bar fuel pressure regulator keep everything happy. Though Ai hasn't strapped this car to a dynamometer, similar systems in Europe produce a claimed 610 bhp and 590 lb-ft of torque.
All that power was well and good, but there was no visual differentiation from all the other 996TTs on the road (not that there are any in my zip code), and eventually S. M. was back looking for more ideas. The TechArt Aero package Ai suggested is a natural fit, my road-buzzed brain not fully registering the difference until I was halfway done shooting. The GTS Type II front bumper features fully integrated carbon-fiber brake cooling and radiator ducting, and the composite carries through to the grille insert and splitter. The rear wing is integrated into the engine cover and has a fully functional Gurney strip. Side skirts, intercooler intake inserts and a rear bumper cover complete the perfectly fitted package. Black TechArt exhaust tips add the grace note to what will be the only view of the car most other drivers ever have.
Despite being equipped with some of the best brakes on the planet, with all the extra horsepower available, extra stopping power seemed prudent. Ai fit a set of Brembo GTR 8-piston calipers and two-piece 15-inch rotors in front and matching four-piston calipers and 13-inch rotors in the rear. The open design of the five-spoke, 19-inch TechArt Formula GT wheels allow the anodized monoblock aluminum motorsport calipers to collect their fair share of admiring glances. The 8.5-inch fronts wear 235/35-19 rubber, while 275/25-19 tires mounted on 11.5-inch rears help get the power to the ground. A few months later, a Bilstein PSS9 nine-way adjustable coilover suspension and fatter TechArt anti-roll bars found their way under the Porsche.
With braking and handling parameters matching the flat-six's massive power output and the stunning look of his car, S. M. and Ai took another short break, then turned attention to the interior. The rear seat was removed and the area carpeted, mimicking the GT2 and 3. The upholstery was reworked, the artisans at Ai recovering the side trim, instrument binnacle, sun visors, parts of the dashboard, console door and door handles in black ultrasuede. The seats were trimmed with black leather and ultrasuede piping, and before the Porsche Tech roll bar, a track-day safety concession, was installed, the headliner was recovered to match the rest of the interior.
The instrument insert, air vents, center console and ashtray inserts were sprayed a matching silver and Ai set to work installing one of its trademark audio/navigation/DVD systems. This particular system is based around an Alpine DVA-7996 head unit, NVE-852 nav system and TME-760 6.5-inch video monitor. Focal speakers are used in front and complimented by JL Audio rear speakers and subwoofer, all driven by a JL Audio 500-watt amplifier. A Valentine One radar detector was remotely mounted and the warning display etched into the rearview mirror.
Like that girl at the party long ago, that dreamy apparition who said hi then wandered away while you tended your friends, the woulda-been-amazing, shoulda-happened-to-me didn't. And while I don't know what missed opportunities haunt S. M., I guarantee his daily driver isn't one of them.
2003 Porsche Carrera Turbo
DrivetrainLongitudinal rear engine, all-wheel drive
Engine3.6-liter flat six, four overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, twin turbocharged and intercooled
Mods: TechArt headers, KKK K24 turbos, Fabspeed exhaust, Revo Technik software and fuel management system
SuspensionMods: Bilstein PSS9 coilovers
BrakesMods: Brembo 8-piston calipers, 15-inch rotors (f); Brembo 4-piston calipers, 13-inch rotors (r)
Wheels and TiresTechArt Formula GT, 8.5x19 (f), 11.5x19 (r)Michelin PilotSport2, 235/35-19 (f), 275/25-19
ExteriorTechArt GTS Type II bumpers, sideskirts, rear wing, intercooler intake splitters
InteriorCustom leather upholstery, Porsche Tech roll bar, Alpine head unit and navigation, JL Audio speakers