Drive around Stuttgart, Porsche's heartland, in a new Carrera and you will not normally attract much attention. Even tuned Porsches are so common here that unless your car is sporting a pretty significant conversion, you will be lucky to merit more than a passing glance. However, wherever we stopped the SpeedArt 997 Carrera, we caused heads to turn. Its distinctive red and black color scheme was one thing, but the moment we opened the forward-hinged doors, it sealed the deal. Any red-blooded car enthusiast immediately rushed over to find out more about this unique car.
A relatively new player from the same geographical neck of the woods as Gemballa and TechArt, SpeedArt has taken a radically different tack to attract clients wishing to express their individuality. In order to get one of the first customer 997s, SpeedArt did not have much choice in colors and the plain red was rather uninteresting. "We knew about a self-adhesive film that can be applied over paint to change the color of part of a car, or even the whole car," SpeedArt chief Bjorn Striening told me. "It can be removed when you want to sell the car and does not harm the paint beneath." A visual plus of this black finish is that it actually accentuates the already extensive glazed area of the roof and compliments the lightweight carbon-fiber bonnet and side mirrors.
SpeedArt's aerodynamic parts are made from either high-quality glass fiber or carbon fiber. The former is used for major body parts like the new lower bib glued and screwed to the lower part of the front bumper. This has vertical strakes beneath to enhance high-speed stability. The gullwing doors are a real hoot to use if you're a drama queen. Pulling up in a crowded place and swinging the doors open is super cool. From a practical point of view, the way the doors pivot minimizes the amount of real estate you need beside the car to get in and out. You just have to make sure there is enough headroom to clear the frameless glass before you swing the door open with panache. Like the roof covering, the gullwing door conversion is reversible, as the attachment hardware was designed so that no structural alterations need to be made. The SpeedArt rear wing has a pair of NACA ducts outboard on its upper surface. These suck air into the spoiler, feeding a collector whose shape was carefully designed using an advanced computer program. The ram air is then directed at the engine intake, which already benefits slightly from a free-flow air filter. These two elements combined are worth an extra 11 bhp.
The Bosch Motronic ECU has been remapped to compensate for the increased intake flow and the lower backpressure of the sport catalyst-equipped, stainless-steel sport exhaust. The modified ECU senses the enhanced airflow as well as the slightly lower backpressure, and increases fuel flow accordingly to optimize combustion. Another 20 bhp is released, taking peak power from 355 bhp at 6600 rpm to 386 bhp at 6620 rpm. Torque also benefits, peaking with 313 lb-ft at 4830 rpm, up from 295 lb-ft at 4600 rpm. Looking at the computer printout SpeedArt showed us, a third of a second has been slashed from the zero-to-62 mph time of the standard factory Carrera S, but the numbers get better higher up in the speed range. Porsche claims 11.0 seconds for the zero-to-100 mph sprint, but SpeedArt's car does it in just 9.5. Top speed goes up from 182 mph to 186.25 mph. More importantly though, you can feel the difference. With its more bass-rich exhaust note, the SpeedArt car feels one whole measure more eager and positively encourages you to use the throttle and gearbox for entertainment. We went through a couple tunnels on our test route and could not help but wind down the windows just to hear the exhaust note bouncing off the walls as we rocketed through.
A signature alloy wheel is a major part of every tuner's identity. SpeedArt has gone for a simple five-spoke, two-piece design with a polished, deep offset outer rim. Used in 8.5 and 11.0x19-inch configurations, they are shod with 235/35-19 and 295/30-19 ContiSportContact 2 tires. Because the company wanted to showcase its own sport suspension, SpeedArt replaced factory suspension components with proprietary coilovers, which offer adjustable ride height, damper bounce and rebound control. When I drove the car it was set 1.3 inches lower than the factory setting. The resulting ride is reasonably supple for such a low car with such enormous wheels and tires, and feels about the same as a GT3. What was very apparent, though, was the difference the new suspension characteristics made to seat-of-the-pants feel. Turn-in was much crisper and more precise, while the relative lack of body roll gave the driver supreme confidence at speed.
More than just another boulevard cruiser, the SpeedArt 997 is a genuinely faster and better handling Carrera. It remains well balanced and predictable, retaining the genuine drivability that makes Porsche's 911 such a good all-around performer.
Speedart 997 SRS
DrivetrainLongitudinal rear engine,rear-wheel drive
Engine3.8-liter flat six, four overhead cams, four valves per cylinderFree-flow air filter, SpeedArtsoftware, free-flow catalystsand sport exhaust
SuspensionSpeedArt adjustable coilovers
Wheels and TiresSpeedArt RSC II, 8.5x19 (f), 11x19 (r)Continental SportContact 2, 235/35-19 (f), 295/30-19 (r)
ExteriorSpeedArt front lip, side skirts,rear wing, gullwing doors,carbon-fiber hood and side mirrors
PerformancePeak Power: 386 bhp@ 6620 rpmPeak Torque: 313 lb-ft@ 4830 rpm0-62 mph: 4.5 sec.Top Speed: 186 mph