7 of the Most Powerful Porsche 911s in the World
What happens when Earth’s most balanced cars succumb to horsepower fever.
Porsche has never been about all-out, brutish power—that’s just not how the automaker builds cars. Its approach has always been holistic, focusing on creating a cohesive package where each driving dynamic is weighed equally against the others. The result, for the most part, has been magic on rubber: 911s have outperformed brawnier rivals or generations, overpowering them with balance and grace.
German engineering FTW.
But the natural state of the gearhead is to demand more power. Here are seven Porsches that have succumbed so completely to horsepower fever, they can own almost anyone on the quarter-mile.
BBi Autosport Projekt King Kong: 1640hp
This 2001 996 Turbo had relatively humble features until BBi Autosport gave it a nuclear-grade mod that resulted in an additional 1,225 HP—or the power of six VW GTIs combined. King Kong's owner entered it in a handful of ½ mile and standing-mile events and blew the doors off tuned Nissan GT-Rs and a menagerie of other exotics. Despite the psycho power, the engine has held up well—a testament to not only Porsche’s engineering, but the crazy R&D BBi had to do in order to make this 996 fast and reliable.
Evolution Motorsports Mayhem 2.0: 1500hp
Mayhem 2.0 has an atomic bomb hiding beneath its rear deck lid. Leaving the factory as a 997 Turbo—already a blisteringly quick car—the original 3.6-liter has been thoroughly worked over and bored out to 4.0-liters. Evolution Motorsports claims Mayhem 2.0 has completed the standing mile at 234.6 mph, making its claim as the fastest 997 in the world likely true. A quarter mile time of 9.24 seconds also makes Mayhem 2.0 quicker than a Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari LaFerrari and a Porsche 918 Spyder.
9ff F97 A-Max: 1400hp
9ff, the German tuner known for its less than subtle builds, turned a new leaf with the F97 A-Max, building a 997 Turbo-based project whose physiognomy resembles the original. The horsepower figures don’t, though; with nearly three times as much power as the original 997 Turbo, the F97 A-Max can hit 186 mph in under 13 seconds—or faster than a Koenigsegg Agera R, Pagani Huayra, and a Hennessy Venom GT.
Switzer Performance E911: 950hp
German precision meets American grunt—all 950hp and 800-lb-ft of it. Although Ohio isn’t exactly a European car tuner’s paradise, this Midwest-based shop thoroughly massaged this 997 Turbo’s engine to more than double its original output. With a subtle body kit, this murdered out 997 still looks great, too, while it’s running nines in the quarter mile. For comparison, a Bugatti Veyron runs low tens.
Bisimoto 1976 Carrera: 850hp
This 1976 Carrera—if you can still call it that—now makes four times as much power as it did stock. Bisimoto, known for its flame-spitting turbocharged builds, ditched the stock air-cooled setup in favor of an M96 water-cooled unit. Apparently it can be boosted to more than one thousand horsepower, but it was a little too much for its owner, Bisi Ezerohia, owner of Ontario, California-based Bisimoto. Not only do the exposed turbos look the business, but they make this Carrera quite a handful to drive. Our very own Matt Farah can attest to this.
Ruf RTR: 802hp
Ruf, the famed Porsche restorer/tuner/builder most known for the CTR (“Yellowbird”), uses a new 991-based Turbo as the base for the RTR. It’s more than just a bodykit and an ECU upgrade, though. This Turbo has something no new Turbo has: Three pedals and a stick. Row your gears correctly, and with an eager foot, you’ll reach speeds of more than 220 mph.
SharkWerks Outlaw 997 GT2: 775hp
This GT2 build was destined for greatness as soon as it was decided that Magnus Walker and SharkWerks would partner up on it. With Walker’s signature touches on the exterior and interior—racing stripes down the center, fender flares, and the Union Jack on the wing—and SharkWerks’ mechanical expertise, this Outlaw is pretty special. Performance increases come in the way of upgraded turbos, intercoolers, and better flowing intake manifolds. Our man in the field Matt Farah was lucky enough to take a spin in it with Magnus himself.
