► £400,000+
► 4.0-litre, naturally aspirated, 7800rpm
► Limited to just 25 cars
Revel in this – a Californian Porsche restomod that isn't a Singer. What you see here is a Gunther Werks 911 Speedster – a Porsche 993 that's been tarted up to the tune of £400,000+.
Gunther Werks is a heavyweight in the world of tuned and custom Porsches, although it's not very high-profile compared to some other Porsche fettlers.
What is Gunther Werks?
Gunther Werks specialises in making low-volume bespoke Porsches based on the 993. Which, as any Porsche enthusiast will involuntarily blurt out, is the famous last hurrah of air-cooled 911s.
Like Singer, Gunther Werks goes beyond merely rebuilding old models from the past, but rather uses their analogue nature and old-school styling to create beautiful driver's cars for well-heeled petrolheads.
Naturally, the Gunther Werks story began perched dangerously at the top of the slippery slope of bespoke Porsche dreams. Gunther Werks has wanted nothing more than to create the ultimate air-cooled 993.
According to the company, it 'isn't about reminiscing about times gone by, it was about imagining what could've been, had Porsche continued down the air-cooled route.'
How does the 993 Remastered stack up?
In pursuit of the ultimate driver's car, Gunther Werks wanted the Speedster to not only boost experience with an open top, but also strengthen and lighten the car too.
To combat the inevitable issue of floppiness caused by removing the roof, Gunther Werks added reinforcement to the chassis behind the seats, integrated a new rollcage (somewhere), and began trimming weight elsewhere.
The bonnet is 25% lighter than it is on the Gunther Werks' 993 coupe; the windscreen is optional (we're not convinced on that one), and the seats are made from hollow carbonfibre with simple lightweight cushions glued to them.
The door handles and mirrors are aluminium, and even the suspension has been lightened compared to the coupe.
There is a carbonfibre front spoiler to aid aerodynamics and styling; the duck tail spoiler is new too, with a ram-air scoop just in front of it. One particular touch that is especially representative of this 993's modernity is the 3D-printed exhaust tips.
In the coupe, the 4.0-litre flat six produces 435bhp and 335lb ft of torque. Gunther Werks has fettled there too and managed to squeeze an extra bit of power from the engine. It's still mated to a delightful Getrag G50 six-speed gearbox. Revs to 7800rpm too.
Inside?
Stylish simplicity. But mostly simplicity. The dash panel is carbonfibre with LED shift lights; and the centre cluster is updated from that seen in the coupe and made from a single piece of aluminium.
It's quite spartan, even compared to the coupe. But in the pursuit of an 'uncompromised driving experience of unparalleled purity', that is to be expected.
The Gunther Werks 993 is a limited 25-car model. The official unveiling of the 993 Speedster is set for August 2021, with production to begin in 2022.
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