Would You Pay $500,000 for a Carbon Fiber 993 Porsche 911?

After Matt Farah’s first drive of a production Gunther Works 400R, you’re going to want one. Bad.

What do you do when you love the styling of a classic but the performance and refinement of the modern iteration? You can build a restomod, of course. Or try an engine swap and suspension upgrades. But, usually, the older car still lacks several decades worth of precision and engineering. Enter Gunther Werks, a car maker founded by a team of craftsmen who spent years creating custom carbon fiber parts.

Their goal? Strip a 993 Porsche 911 down to its core and rebuilt it using carbon fiber body panels, hand-built engines, and other modern performance parts. And then finish the interior with high-end luxury touches. In the company’s marketing materials, they like to use the word bespoke a lot. And, we suppose we understand why. Dubbed the 400R, these the Gunther Werks custom Porsches cost at least $500,000 each. And the company only plans to ever build 25.

Only 25 discerning individuals will ever own a GW-993 As such, your vehicle will be entirely one of a kind. You select your vehicle interior’s materials, accent colors, and finishes. We then create an interior that bridges the gap between modern and classic design. When your 993 is ready, luxuriate in the natural grain leather, artfully engineered gauges, and modern multimedia technology. Attention to detail is the benchmark of our coach-built interiors. Once you have specified your 993, you will be safe in the knowledge that there will never be another like yours.

So what does a 400 horsepower in a 2,677-pound carbon fiber 993 feel like?

Check out Matt Farah‘s Smoking Tire video above where he takes out a green 400R into the canyons north of Los Angeles. What does Farah think? “It’s a phenomenal build. Extraordinarily fast. Engaging,” he says as he concludes the video of a car he describes as the, “distilled essence of 993.”

From Farah’s perspective of the build, “Gunther presupposes, to quote the Royal Tannenbaums, that Porsche didn’t switch to water-cooled in ’99, and continued the evolution of the air-cooled car 25 years further to today?” He also says that the redesigned styling isn’t just for looks; there’s also a performance benefit. “They’ve completely redesigned the front suspension geometry to something more like you would have seen in the 993 GT2.”

It’s a terrific video about a stunning car. Too bad most of us will never know what it’s like to drive one.

Gunther Werks 993 Specifications

Courtesy of GuntherWerks.com

ENGINE

• 4.0 Liter, 400bhp +, 330 lbft Torque
• Billet Barrels, Billet Crank, Mahle Pistons
• Forged Conrods, on Plug Coil Ignition
• Motec ECU, 7800rpm Redline
• GT3 Plenum & Tail Box
• Equal Length Stainless Steel Headers
• Motec Engine Management & Bespoke Tuning

DRIVETRAIN

• Getrag G50 6 Speed with Custom Gear Ratios
• Single Mass Mid-weight Fly Wheel and Uprated Single-plate Clutch
• Uprated Anti Rolls Bars Front & Rear
• Carbon Clutch Differential with 40% Locking

CHASSIS

• Widened Racing Spec Chassis Setting
• Bespoke Clubsport Coil Over Suspension with External Reservoirs
• Hydraulic Nose Lift System
• Lightweight Bespoke RS Spec Uprights
• Upgraded Bushings & Revised Geometry
• Front Strut Brace

BRAKES

• Brembo GTR 6 Piston 355mm x 32mm Slotted Disks Front
• Brembo GTR 4 Piston 345mm x 28mm Slotted Disks Rear
• Brembo Pads & Braided Brake Lines
• Upgraded Brake Booster
• Cross Drilled Brakes – A No Cost Option

WHEELS & TIRES

• Gunther Werks 18” T-6061 Forged Aluminum 3 Piece Wheels
• 5 Spoke Classic Design
• Step Lip Barrels
• Billet Aluminum Centre caps
• Aluminum Valve Stems
• Titanium Wheel Hardware
• Titanium Wheel Studs
• 18×9” Front | 18×12” Rear
• 245/35/18 Front | 315/30/18 Rear Pirelli P Zero Rosso Tires

BODY

• Carbon Front Fenders
• Carbon Rear Quarter Panels
• Carbon Side Skirts
• Carbon Roof
• Carbon Front Hood
• Carbon Front Bumper
• Carbon Rear Bumper
• Carbon Rear Wing
• Carbon Rear Duck Tail (Optional)
• ABS Front Bumper Skid Plates

LIGHTING

• Milled Aluminum Headlight Housings Utilizing Bi-LED Lighting
• Technology Inside and Out
• High Strength Aerospace Headlight Lenses
• Upgraded LED Rear Lights LED Front Turn Signals

INTERIOR

• Carbon Fiber Backed Bucket Seats Trimmed In The Finest
• Leather And Alcantara
• Carbon Fiber Rear Seat Delete
• Alcantara And Leather Doors, Dashboard, Center Console, Armrests, Rear
• Quarter Panels And Dashboard Insert
• Alcantara Headliner
• Porsche Classic Steering Wheel In Leather
• Reworked Dials In Classic Black And White
• Red 400R Rev Counter Re-Calibrated To 9000rpm
• Slotted Pedals & Foot Rest Made In Forged Aluminum
• Aluminum Kick Panels
• Porsche Classic Radio
• Aerospace Grade German Carpets Throughout
• Carbon Interior Paneling (Optional)
• Carbon Fiber Track Mats
• Leather Hand Brake Tray And Rear Tray
• Carbon Door Sills
• CNC Machined Billet Door Handles
• CNC Machined Billet Ignition Cover
• Beveled Ring Dials
• Billet Aluminum Ignition Key
• 2-Piece Carbon Fiber Front Trunk Liner
• Billet Forged Oil Filler Cap

Photos: Gunther Werks

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