But it was not the car's actual times that were important. It was the handling. The combination of H&R Springs, Bilstein shocks and 935-style components from E.R.P. functioned perfectly. This true 911 racing suspension far surpassed the car's original torsion bar setup. It was simply point and shoot as the car negotiated the tightest corners flat and steady.
From the engine bay, the 2.7-liter revealed a personality similar to the original 2.2-liter. Unlike Porsche's larger displacement motors, torque is not a strong point of the new engine. This lack of off-the-line grunt became apparent when accelerating onto the track's front straightaway, which is preceded by a tight, 90 bend.
Stabbing the accelerator while still uncoiling the steering wheel had a molasses-like effect on the S, at least until the tachometer needle nudged the 4000-rpm mark. Even then the horsepower took its time ascending the powerband. Not until the mid-4000s did the new six-cylinder distinguish itself from its precursor. While the 2.2-liter would have continued a steady climb to its 7200-rpm redline, the 2.7-liter felt as if it had gulped down a six-pack of Red Bull energy drink and suddenly freaked on the surge to the spark plugs.
I have driven many turbocharged Porsches. Mind you, I am not making a power comparison here, but the speed differential between low rpm and high was startling. Below 4500 rpm, the S was as mild mannered as Clark Kent, but above, the three-piece suit and black-framed glasses were ripped away in favor of a red cape.
Of course, the engine cannot be given full credit for the car's surprising surge. Weight is a key factor here. A lot of racers throw fists full of money into the engine compartment hoping to find more speed. Dollars are better spent, however, on reducing mass.
In stock form, the 1970 911S carried a weight to power ratio of 12.5 lb per each horse. In comparison, a 911T of the same vintage was 18.0:1. Weighing in at about 2,000 lb and producing a conservative 250 hp at the flywheel, the ratio for the project car is about 8 lb per pony, which is somewhere in the vicinity of a 1998 993 Turbo S.
As covered in earlier articles, to bring the car's weight down the undercoating was sandblasted away and its interior accouterments were removed. For further savings, all the glass, save the windshield, was substituted with Plexiglass replacement pieces from Spektr Products. The front wing windows incorporated small rotating bubble vents to draw in fresh air while the rear quarter window replacements were louvered, an innovation taken from the factory's lightweight 911R.
Plexiglass door windows replaced the originals and use leather draw straps instead of mechanical door regulators. This too was used on the factory's lightweight 911R. Even the glass in the H1 headlights was swapped out for plastic counterparts, though this was done more for durability against track debris than for weight.