On the day of our photoshoot, the car's new engine was fired up for the first time. Shortly after, SFR performed a little road tuning and hustled to the dyno for some shakedown passes. With ambient temps reaching a blistering 117 degrees F, the car surpassed 400 whp on pump fuel during its first few runs at 15 psi. When 110-octane was added, the day ended with a jaw-dropping 530 whp and 485 lb-ft of twist at 23 psi.
Forget about those old Testarossas and Lambos-at this output level and a sub-3,000-pound stance, Darling's 951 power-to-weight ratio already rivals that of a Bugatti Veyron. And yet it's scary to think that the car's performance has still to peak. Give the piston rings a chance to seat and tune for bigger boost-while testing on a cooler day-and we'll surely witness performance that's truly unsafe for the average human circulatory system. If it lands us another ride, we'll bring the race gas and nitroglycerin spray to dilate our blood vessels.
1989 Porsche 951LayoutLongitudinal, front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine3.0-liter inline four, Nikasil-coated cylinders, Mahle pistons, Wossner rods, ARP studs, Cometic head gasket, 2.7-liter NA ported/polished head, 951 valves, beryllium springs, titanium retainers, Turbonetics GTK-650 turbo, SFR intercooler upgrade, SFR aluminum intake manifold, SFR 4-inch intake pipe, K&N cone filter, Synapse Synchronic blow-off valve and 40mm wastegate, SFR 928 throttle body upgrade, SFR stage two headers, SFR crossover up-pipes, SFR 3-inch downpipe, Lindsey Racing test pipe, SFR Quiet Flow Technology muffler, SFR aluminum radiator, SFR aluminum coolant expansion tank, SFR oil catch can, SFR oil cooler upgrade, Electromotive TEC-GT EMS system with SFR wiring harness
TransmissionFive-speed manual transmission
SuspensionBilstein Escort Cup coilovers, M030 antiroll bars
BrakesF: Four-piston calipers and Porsche 993 Turbo rotors, stainless steel linesR: Four-piston calipers and stock 951 rotors, stainless steel lines
Wheels and TiresFikse FM-10, 9x17 (f), 10x17 (r)Falken FK452, 255/45 (f), 275/40 (r)
ExteriorPorsche 968 door handles and mirrors, SFR vented nose panel
InteriorVDO boost gauge, Profec-B Spec 2 boost controller, Innovative UEGO, SFR gauge pane, MOMO Competition steering wheel, MOMO driver seat
PerformancePeak Power: 530 hp @ 6000 rpm*Peak Torque: 495 lb-ft @ 5400 rpm**measured at the wheels