It used to be difficult, reserved only for the very few, the know-how guarded like nuclear secrets. But eventually the walls came down, and the proliferation of hardware and the dissemination of information provided almost anyone with the blueprint to build one. It's the era of the DIY rocket scientist.
Judging by the number of 996 Turbos out there pushing outrageous horsepower figures, one might think that building a weapon of mass propulsion was easy. However, even if the financially challenged will still find it impossible, there are plenty of overachievers who are creating their own warp-drive 959-beaters.
By Design has quickly earned a reputation for building low-flying missiles. Their street cred is so good that this show car was sold even before it was completed. And By Design is as much about "go" as "show," as proved by its 996 Turbo, which placed second in european car's recent 996 Turbo shoot-out (04/04).
Using a template similar to that second-place contestant, this 2001 model has GT-2 K24 turbos with wastegates opened up for a little extra flow. A By Design/GIAC ECU with three settings regulates the air-spark-fuel timing parameters. The intercooler also comes from the GT-2 but has the added benefit of a custom-designed water-injection feature. The Motorsport headers are ceramic coated and ported and polished to clean up messy welds. A high-flow catalytic converter and Cargraphic exhaust completes the package. The dyno says it sends 585 hp to the wheels.
Underneath, the car sits on 15-way adjustable JIC/Cross coilovers. They're bolted onto JIC's adjustable camber plates, and, to add another layer of set-up permutations, the GT-3 sway bars are 5-way adjustable. Inside the 19-in. Titanium Edition/By Design 3-piece wheels are GT-2 rotors and calipers, and the rubber is Continental's ContiSportContact tires (235/35-19 fr., 315/25-19 rr), which have the unenviable task of getting all the power to the ground.
On the outside, the GT-2 influence is evident, and it's complemented by TechArt sideskirts and side air intake vents and Cargraphic's lower lip spoiler. By Design also reshaped the hood, adding a valley in the middle which the company claims increases airflow.
By Design resurfaced much of the interior in suede and installed a titanium short-throw shifter and pedals from Cargraphic and a Porsche factory chrome-moly roll cage.
Audioson amps sit down low in the luggage compartment, powering an Alpine sound system that includes a DVD/Sat-Nav system. The interior also received a layer of Dynocast sound proofing, the better to feel the low-end coming through the Dennis Barish-built subwoofer. And not only does this car have a K40 radar detector hidden behind the front bumper, it also sports front and rear cameras linked to the in-dash screen.